View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/blogs/the-ride/2011/02/28/186699.htm
Come along for the ride as we consider the resume of an average Gen Yer. Why do they switch jobs? Do we want ‘one of them’ working for us?
In a report by Health by Design (info@healthbydesign.com.au) titled Gen Y- Our Future, it is explained that Gen Yers will have on average up to 29 jobs in a lifetime.
For the majority of readers you are going to say it is because they aren’t loyal – can’t make up their minds – have no work ethic… there are so many more.
But in the report noted above they point to a different notion – boredom!
Lets’ take a step back and think of our industry – are we “boring” to our younger professionals?
As they are growing up they have big screen TV’s, are playing their hand-held games and talking on cell phones at the same time. Then they come to our office for a job and we tell them to input data or answer phones for 3 months while they learn.
Now I am not telling anyone that this is not the right thing to do. This is the way most of us learned after all! This is the way we got our feet wet and worked our way up!
But could this be why they are bored?
What differentiates this generation from all others is that they have been raised and told in school that they have endless options. So if they are bored they leave. And to those of us in the insurance industry that are saying we don’t need them if they want to act that way and are spoiled – think again!
They are our next clients! If we want to understand the brain of a 25 year old so we can sell insurance to them how better than to have a 25 year old managing your website and Twitter accounts? As an industry we need to find the positions that will not make them bored. We do not need to cater to them, but we do need to understand that we are the ones that over stimulated them their entire lives and are now telling them they have to sit still and look at words on a page and enjoy that future. Don’t be surprised if that future doesn’t work for them. However consider how the life and passion they can bring into our office and our industry can work wonders for everyone if we give it a chance.
Our industry is best suited for this type of employee -can always have a new client, can implement technology, can work on different projects and move to different jobs within the agency or company as they move ahead. Did we stop to think that maybe each of the 29 jobs they will have on average is a step forward? More responsibility?
We need to help Gen Y plan their future within our industry. Let them see the different paths from CSR, Producer, Underwriter, Actuary, Claims Investigator, Agency Owner, and so many more! If we give them a chance to really know our industry how could they be bored?
Take a Gen Yer along for the ride. Show them our industry and the great life it has to offer. Show them how we give back to our communities and help our clients. Figure out all they can bring to your office environment. Whether you are their 3rd or 29th job, help them view it as a career with opportunity, not boredom.