Eyecare Business June 2017 Interview with Jason Dorsey

For the first time ever, there are five generations in the workforce and five generations in the marketplace…Dorsey spoke with EB about the difficulties that older O.D.s and practice managers encounter with hiring and working with younger workers, and how ECPs can work with them rather than against them.

The Hire: Millennials are the largest generation in the workforce…their new way of looking at things can be beneficial: “Challenging the status quo is very important to them…” And millennial workers are motivated more by making an impact and being challenged than making more money…

The Training: If you are hiring employees in their 20’s and even 30’s, don’t stick them in the back room to read paperwork and training manuals their first week. While it’s a training method that older workers are comfortable with, it doesn’t work with Gen Y. Little things like having business cards printed and waiting for the new hire set the tone for success…

The Employee: Gen Y workers thrive where they feel valued, are doing something they believe in, and are challenging the status quo. “The key is not to coddle them…the thinking is they expect to be promoted in the first week and given a trophy. Our research shows that what millennials really want is to feel valued and challenged, and they want to feel included.