Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr

Time to Make a Move in a Different Direction

Oct. 18, 2018
Is your company welcoming the millennial generation of electrical workers? If not, you may want to rethink your strategy.

Year in and year out, residential electrical businesses come and go. Of the companies that do make it, some struggle to break even, some manage to make decent earnings, and some become highly profitable. So, what exactly is the secret behind those highly profitable companies?

First, as you probably already know, you must have capital, licenses, and trucks. Second, you need to know how to get the phone to ring. What’s the next step to success? For many of us, it seems simple enough: Hire the best people, train them the right way, and give them the tools to succeed. Throw in a few spiffs and send them down the road, right? Although that may have worked in the past, something important has changed: The majority of today’s workforce is comprised of millennials, and they embrace a different set of values that many of us are used to.

According to authors from Florida International University, research suggests baby boomers give more attention to loyalty, work ethic, a steady career path, and compensation when it comes to their professional lives. Millennials, on the other hand, prefer a work-life balance with individual advancement, stability, and job satisfaction. Millennials also place emphasis on producing meaningful work and getting instant feedback. In addition, they are not satisfied with working a long time at the same job, and thus their career paths become more dynamic and less predictable. Findings also suggest that social media has increased collaborative skills and created a preference for a team-oriented environment among millennials.

Many experts believe this mindset is a result of millennials entering the educational system at the brink of academic reform and the idea of “no child left behind.” Regardless of the reason, we can either fight it, or we can learn from it — and grow/adapt to it. I heard a great leader at the company I work for say, “We have to turn or burn!” I couldn’t agree more. If we keep doing things the way we always have, then we will not appeal to the current workforce. The most successful publicly traded companies like Amazon and Google obviously understand this concept very well. They adapted, and it’s one of the main reasons they have risen to the top.

In short, millennials want to have the same level of commitment in all areas of their lives: family, career, and social. The demand for electrical work is going to continue, and we must rely on millennials to get the job done now and in the future. Below are some helpful tips to gain engagement from this new generation of the workforce.

• Work on learning more about your employee’s family, hobbies, and personal goals.

• Schedule one-on-one time with each employee to go over goals and to encourage transparent communication. Make sure this is a closed-door and scheduled conversation.

• Offer training to fit the employee’s professional goals for success.

• Encourage an atmosphere that is conducive to work-life balance.

•  Have meetings that reward employees for good performance and personal development.

• Make the environment enjoyable. People should want to come to work instead of dreading it.

Remember that top companies attribute much of their success to employee engagement and development. Let’s make a move in that direction.   

Talbot is a licensed, master electrician in Georgia, where he was born and raised. He has been in the industry for 17 years and is currently the operations manager for Mister Sparky Atlanta, where he manages a team of technicians. In his spare time, he plays with his kids, volunteers, and is flipping his fourth house. He can be reached at [email protected].

About the Author

Gerald Talbot | Operations Manager

Gerald is a licensed, master electrician in Georgia, where he was born and raised. He has been in the industry for 17 years and is currently the operations manager for Mister Sparky Atlanta, where he manages a team of technicians.

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