Millennials are poised to flood the workforce in the next
two decades, and the construction and glazing industries are no exception—in
fact, they may be as susceptible to the trend as any.
The recession of the last decade saw many Generation-Xers
(ages 34-39) leave specialty sectors of the construction industry, such as
contract glazing, for greener pastures, and now that the industry is back on
the way up, leaders in the industry caution a labor shortage. That element,
coupled with Baby Boomers (50-68) increasingly leaving the workforce for good,
as well as a larger population of young people, has paved the way for
Millennials (33 and younger).
The Associated General Contractors of America recently
hosted a webinar titled “Hiring and Retaining the Right People.” Andy Patron,
principal at FMI, a provider of management consulting and research to the
engineering and construction industry, discussed the dynamics of the aging
workforce and the transition in roles among generations.
“The aging workforce is obviously one of the challenges
we have in the efforts of hiring and retaining,” Patrons says.
According to FMI, the percentage of groups the average
company will lose to attrition or retirement in the next five and 10 years are
as follows: executives 12 and 26; senior managers 9 and 18; project managers 9
and 18, field managers 11 and 20, other 7 and 13.
“The talent shortage is intensifying,” says Patron.
By 2040, Millennials will outnumber boomers by 22
million, according to Hanson Dodge Creative. With that, Gen-Xers will make a
somewhat swift and cohesive transition into the highest of management
positions, paving the way for Millennials to inhabit the mid-level sector.
While the presentation touched on ways of retaining and
leading members of all three generations, Patron spent the most time on
Millennials. “To lead them, we have to engage them,” he says.
“Treat the Millennial as a professional colleague,”
Patron advised. “Leverage the skills they bring, leverage the curiosity,
leverage energy they bring … they’re the ones that are going to help us advance
what we do in this industry … I want to challenge them. I want to give them
opportunities to experience some struggle, so they can learn.”
Patron noted that Millennials are most comfortable with
“speed, customization and interactivity.”
“They’re looking for ways to network, or to use
technology to further the business, so we need to provide them with ways of
doing that, if we can,” he says.
One way he advises companies to do, if possible, is
rotational assignments with new hires.
“The ability for someone coming into your company to try
estimating, to try being out in the field as a project engineer or an assistant
superintendent [is effective],” he says. “If there’s a way to rotate through,
or follow a senior executive around for a short period of time … Just to get a
sense of what this business is all about, and to find out what they really like
doing, so they can attach meaning, attach passion to the work that they do.”
Patron noted that generations differ not only in age but
based on experiences, historical events, values economics, heroes and
attitudes,” all of this comes into play.”
“I would argue that they’re just as productive and
effective as the boomers and Xers, but they have a different way of approaching
the workplace.”
Source: The
US Glass News Network
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