Entitled, easily-distracted and lazy — How millennials are going to save logistics
Millennials
According to the Harvard Business Review, conventional wisdom holds that Millennials are entitled, easily distracted, impatient, self-absorbed, lazy, and unlikely to stay in any job for long. These tend to be some of the headline-grabbing traits afforded to the generation born between 1982 and 2004.
With Millennials set to represent 50% of the working population in the next 4 years (and 75% by 2025), understanding the generation is going to be increasingly important for all industries, but especially for logistics.
Shifts in logistics
Modern technology is having a major impact on logistics. Firstly, eCommerce, driven by the mobilisation of retail has put increased demand on logistics providers. Secondly, the increased complexity has meant providers have been investing heavily in technology (especially data technology) to increase their efficiency and agility. Thirdly, the mobilisation of commerce has meant that logistics providers play a much more central role in the retail customer journey. Enter customer-centric logistics.
Millennials to the rescue
Entitlement, self-absorption etc. are not necessarily new traits of a generation.
“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.”
George Orwell
What is new is that millennials boast a number of characteristics that set them apart from other generations before them. When salary and other financial benefits are removed from the equation, work-life balance and opportunities to progress or take leadership roles stand-out in terms of millennial work priorities.* This is followed by flexible working arrangements, deriving a sense of meaning, and training programs that support professional development. In essence, while you can classify it as entitlement or self-absorption, millennials are drawn to human characteristics and purpose rather than purely monetary ones.
For a millennial to thrive in the workplace:
- Give Feedback: Let them know how they are doing, in real-time and be honest and fair.
- Set them free: they decide when and where they work and how they achieve their goals. Provide a great training/development program, teach them leadership and give them a mentor: don’t manage them but inspire them.
- Give them a purpose, and regularly share your organizations greater purpose (above Profits). This is more important than money. They want to enjoy life over earn.
Haven’t we just described the demands of the modern consumer?
Millennials embody customer-centricity. Not only do they make up a significant portion of them, they understand ‘experiences’ and strive for the freedom to do what they want. In addition, millennials have grown up using technology. They are used to statistics and make decisions based on them (likes, product reviews, etc.). They spend a significant amount of time with technology. 18 hours of media use per day on average:
In essence, despite the title of the article, millennials should be seen as a strategic asset to any logistics business looking to succeed. They have the ideas, priorities and vision to make logistics businesses relevant for a 21st century economy: a customer-centric one. They are tech-savy, mobile-driven and want businesses to focus on people, products and purpose. They really embody the current and future shifts of the industry — that is, until the next generation comes along.
(With contributions from Chris Saynor, Founder, eft)
Non-millennials: What do you think about these new-fangled millennials? Millennials: Does this post ring true? Let us know in the comments!
