Engaging Your Characters - Nancy the New Gal

You’ve probably noticed something different about new workers coming into your workforce, and it has nothing to do with the tropes about being lazy, living at home or avocado toast.

Younger workers you are hiring have something in common that separates them from your older workforce: Technology is integrated into every aspect of their lives. Literally EVERY part of their lives is touched by technology in some way. 

What does this mean for employers? It means that in order to keep younger workers and maximize their potential, you have to give them modern technology and communication tools. Continuing to withhold these tools from your workforce puts your business at risk in a variety of ways, including reduced retention rates, increased frequency and severity of safety incidents, and reduced productivity associated with a lack of operational awareness. In short, all your Continuous Improvement efforts could be rendered moot as you hire younger workers - unless you integrate technology into their experience.

For example, let’s look at Nancy the New Gal. Like a lot of your new workers, Nancy is excited to get started and make an impact. She will have Operational and Safety questions as she transitions from training to the real-world environment of your industrial settings. 

When Nancy has a question, she typically pulls out her phone and googles/texts/snaps/tweets her question and instantly receives information. What’s her solution at work? Without modern engagement tools, Nancy CAN’T get the information she needs in the manner she is accustomed to getting it. The consequences of not having access to situational and operational data can be severe.
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How are you engaging with younger workers? How are you mitigating the risks associated with onboarding new workers? How are you building a thriving community of workers that spans different generations?