Packaging is a crucial yet underappreciated profession, and it offers very unique opportunities to the experts responsible for creating beautiful, functional, sustainable, and reliable packaging for every product under the sun. One of the most exciting prospects in the packaging market is the fact that, by 2020, the packaging industry will host five generations of employees.
This ability to work side-by-side with such a stratified workforce can lend itself to unimaginable ingenuity and progress. The Millennial generation in particular has many older generations feeling a bit baffled and uncertain. But the Millennial generation offers a host of talents that can enrich the packaging workplace and contribute to a diverse environment.
First, take advantage of the fact that Millennials turn to Google for just about everything. It only takes a few clicks on a smartphone to find any information imaginable. The Queen’s age? The number of cups in a gallon? The first movie to premiere in color? Google has it all. Utilize this by encouraging Millennials to solve problems using their tech talents, and then remind them to team up with other subject matter experts to solve the toughest problems facing the packaging industry today.
Next, remember to provide feedback. Millennials have proven their propensity for informal and spontaneous feedback that offers so much more than the traditional annual or semi-annual review. Feedback can come in all shapes and sizes, from appreciation to challenges. Whatever it is, the younger employees are bound to respond.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Millennials can be deeply motivated when they can blend their professional work with their personal lives. When they are permitted to utilize their intrinsic purposes as part of their flow into work, the job becomes a true goal. That determination can spread and create a beautiful atmosphere of dedication and positivity.
Each generation has so much to teach the other generations, so it is time that the Millennials are given their turn.