Moving Words – Millennials – the Up and Coming Generation

Written and submitted by Timothy Brady

OK, Boomers, the word just came from multiple sources – you’re no longer the most populous generation! A recent report by the Census Bureau indicates Millennials have taken over as ‘top dog’ in the numbers game. So here’s what Boomers and Gen X’ers need to know to work with the diverse and unique group born between 1980 and 1999 (dates selected by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce).

Boomers tend to be workaholics and team players; Gen X’ers are independent. Millennials are social and have priorities that make little sense to the other two generations. But now that they outnumber Boomers, we must look at how we conduct business with them.

When it comes to the moving industry, Boomers and Gen X’ers were well-suited for being Van Operators. Boomers being stereotypical workaholics, it’s all about getting the job done and on to the next one, with maximization of revenue. Being out for months at a time was just a part of what was necessary to get the job done and make a living. For the Gen X’er, a desire to be independent and in control with little or no feedback was perfect for being a Van Operator who was willing to leave out the middle of May and not return home until October.

However, Millennials are a different ball game. First, they have no interest in leaving their social circle. When they have a job, that job must work with, not against their social and family schedule. Now you might think, “How is this a problem? There are now over 80 million Millennials in the U.S.; one-quarter of our entire population and far more racially diversified (44% of them are minorities). They’re our future politicians, corporate heads and largest block of consumers. Millennials are just now entering the most crucial earning stage of a generation, their 30’s and 40’s. They are, like it or not, the power to be reckoned with in speaking of financial and leadership matters.”

But here’s the problem. How does this affect the available pool of Van Operators for the near and far future? Agents and van lines need to reinvent their method of operations when it comes to providing a crew and driver to pack, load, drive; unload and unpack a customer’s household belongings. To reinvent the ops department, you must analyze the Millennials’ positive attributes and change what may seem to be negative traits to constructive benefits.

Let’s examine some traits.

Millennials are fantastic multi-taskers. They’re adept at switching tasks quickly enough to appear to be doing them simultaneously. However, studies show they have greater vulnerability to interference, leading to decreased performance. Several other studies find Millennials may be re-wiring their brains with extensive multi-tasking. Remember your Millennial teenager who simultaneously played video games, watched TV, did homework and didn’t miss a beat from any of those activities? It’s thought they’re retraining the brain to reduce the performance deterioration of multi-tasking by increasing the speed at which the brain processes information. According to the research, all those smartphones, i-Pads and computer games prove the human brain is evolving.

‘Selfish’ is often used to describe many Millennials. Again, research has shown they’re far more self- absorbed, interested in extrinsic life goals and less concerned for others, and less involved in civic engagement. They tend to only be politically motivated when it impacts them directly, but more disengaged from watching the news or current events; again, unless it directly impacts or interrupts their lives. Theirs is very much a ‘live and let live’ attitude as long as it’s not in their space.

The means by which a Millennial learns influences them far beyond the classroom and is now finding its way into corporate management and boardrooms as they mature. Millennials have and will continue to influence education. First, as students, these computer/internet/texting natives have forced learning institutions to communicate and educate in new ways. And they are carrying this into their jobs and management positions. It’s important to know this ‘educated attitude’ includes optimism, structure, team orientation, and a confidence bordering on entitlement. Millennials thrive on feedback; no, not yours – theirs. They want control of each situation they encounter, regardless of their position in the hierarchy of the organization. They are, after all, fast becoming the most educated generation in history.

So how does this equal adding the Van Operators your moving company requires? The one area of a Millennial’s nature that fits in with being a Van Operator is their entrepreneurial spirit. Millennials have observed the instability in jobs, business scandals, and their parents’ being downsized after many years in the same company. With Millennial’s unemployment rates nearly double that of all workers, that is what’s leading many to become entrepreneurs.

Data varies, with half to two-thirds of Millennials being interested in owning their own business – and 27% are already self-employed. According to yet more research, ironically, males, blacks, and Latinos, the common demographic for many van operators, are also the most inclined toward starting their own business; Millennial women are more likely to be interested in starting nonprofits.

Now there’s something to think about: your method of operations, newly-based upon Millennials’ positive traits. Re-invention, anyone?

Timothy D. Brady
www.timothybrady.com