Unlocking Millennials’ Potential a Major Theme at NPMA Academy ‘16

ORLANDO, Fla. — What makes Millennials tick and why is it important to understand generational differences were major themes at NPMA Academy 2016, held last week in Orlando, Fla.

 

Featured speaker Jason Dorsey, president of the Austin, Texas- based Center for Generational Kinetics and a Millennial expert, said it’s important for PCOs to understand this generation because they are your customer and employee of today and tomorrow…and they will be in big numbers.

 

“There are 80 million of us, with the oldest being 39 years old. The reason you are so sick of hearing about us is because you’ve been hearing about us for a very long time,” said Dorsey, who is a Millennial, the generation born between 1977 and 1995.

 

What about Millennials as customers? It starts with  Millennials’ living situations. Because so many Millennials are saddled with debt upon college graduation, many move back home – the “boomerang effect.” The end result is “delayed adulthood” meaning that more Millennials will push back marriage and kids until their early-to-mid 30s. When these parent-dependent adults do leave the nest, chances are they will ask their parents for referrals when it comes to choosing service providers — including pest control companies.

 

 

One good bit of news for PCOs when it comes to Millennials as future customers, Dorsey noted, is that they really value their free time, so much so that they will pay for services such as lawn care and pest control, instead of trying to be do-it-yourselfers.

 

And how about Millennials as workers? How can PCOs attract and retain Millennials now and in the future? Unlike other generations, money is NOT the sole factor Millennials take into account when seeking a long-term employer. They want to be a part of a company that has a great vision and purpose beyond just turning profits. This is one reason why it’s important for pest control companies to (1) market their role as protectors of public health and property; and (2) publicize local community outreach efforts on blog postings, videos and perhaps even in job descriptions.

 

The importance of creating and promoting a vision was explored in greater depth the previous day at NPMA Academy by “Shifting Sands” author and speaker Steve Donahue, who illustrated how to tell an “epic story” by weaving in his experience hiking the Sahara Desert from north to south. Donahue drove home the point that fulfillment comes from the journey and not the destination. Your company will succeed, Donahue said, by going the extra mile to make positive differences in the lives of your employees and customers.  

 

Donahue cited a survey by Calling Brands which uncovered that working for an organization with a clearly defined purpose is second only to pay and benefits in importance for employees, and ranks ahead of promotion opportunities, job responsibilities, and work culture.  KPMG, a big four accounting firm, is a company that took those findings to heart, Donahue noted. In 2015, the company launched the “10,000 Stories Challenge,” in which staff members created poster stories to highlight the positive impact of their work.  Employees were incentivized with two extra paid days off at the end of the year if KPMG met its 10,000 stories goal by Thanksgiving. As it turned out KPMG reached that goal by July 4th and by Thanksgiving it had received more than 40,000 stories. How did this morale-boosting initiative help the company’s bottom line? KPMG surged 17 spots on the 2016 FORTUNE magazine 100 Best Companies to Work For list.

 

In addition to these and other presentations, NPMA Academy provided attendees with many opportunities for professional and business development, including team-building exercises and the annual Academy Olympics.NPMA Academy was lead-sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, with additional sponsorships from Bayer, Forshaw, Douglas Products, Forshaw, Syngenta and Zoecon.