Did you know that the next generation of employee has special needs? :-)
We all know that when we started in public safety especially emergency communications that we asked specific questions that were deemed as "dumb" or inappropriate. And we all had that "deer in the headlights" look as we sorted our way through all of the buttons and badge numbers and tried to fit in. What is so different about today's employee and why is it so difficult to help them adjust and fit in?
There are a few things you should know about the new folks and as we look at these items, keep in mind how they are different or similar as to when you were new;
1. Today's employee (a millennial) wants to be part of the big picture and they need to see the whole picture. They learn by understanding first and then doing the checklist (aka: the WHY's). Back in the day, we were taught to keep quiet, do what our trainer said and was told we would understand as we went forward. Today, these new employees want to see the larger connections and therefore might need more outside reference points (i.e. ride-alongs, geo-drives, etc.) sooner into the training so they can see the end results.
2. Today's employee wants to belong and if you think about the culture of a communications center, I've heard the quote more than once that a "dispatcher eats their young" thus causing these new folks to walk out. They know they don't have to stay and they won't. They want to be part of a profession or at least a philosophy of doing and accomplishing something. Employees at google, yahoo, and facebook produce a tangible thing and they all have a say in how it is produced or how it should look as they envision the future. In a comm. center, the new employee needs more evidence of what their deeds accomplish. Life and death to them is still a video or a movie or a game. Real life audio calls or trips to the morgue or talks with a Domestic Violence prosecutor on your team are some of today's necessary tools for learning the job.
3 The employee of today wants to do what they can do and be praised and/or rewarded for doing it. Back in the day, we might have shunned all kinds of attention because it was "just our job." Maybe these new folks have it right. Maybe there is ample reason to ask for and receive attention. Maybe the job is supposed to be rewarded (especially the little things) and we should be doing the celebration dance for getting through a shift. You see, the flexibility of today's employee means they are results oriented and their need for closure can teach us all a new perspective.
For years I've been recommending that CAD vendors put a tally screen on a pop-up window that says "Today you saved 15 lives" or whatever so everyone goes away feeling that sense of accomplishment. Let me know when they get that done!!
I think the millennials have something going on as they are incredibly imaginative, they like to steer clear of conflict and just do the job that brings about value and a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps it is good to start changing (eek - that word) the way we look at what we've done and where we want to go in the future.
Whether it is my upcoming Leadership series in Lynwood Illinois or the way we look at the job overall, I believe it is within us to embrace and learn from the new folks entering this amazing profession! Let's get the conversation going!
I hope to see you soon in a training class near you so we can discuss this topic further and on many levels, not just leadership!!
Kelly R. Rasmussen