Attendees of the 2018 DealerTalkX event in Montreal listened carefully as speaker Philippe Bertrand, Co-founding partner and Chief Growth Officer of illuxi and Amplio Strategie, discussed millennials in a way that finally seemed to connect with dealers.
Millennial needs and wants, particularly when it comes to employment, are well-known in the auto retail sector. It’s a conversation that’s been had many times. But when Bertrand took the stage to share his thoughts about adapting to new realities, improving performance, and dealing with a new generation of employees — the audience paid close attention.
“Well over 540,000 people will be retiring in 2019, most of them Baby Boomers,” said Bertrand. “They don’t want to continue working. You can ask them for another year or two, but they just want to get the hell out.”
It’s no secret that as Baby Boomers depart the workforce, a younger generation of workers will need to take their place. The problem, Bertrand says, is that “60 per cent of millennials don’t like the auto retail sector.” In this case, he suggests thinking outside the box. This means considering people who are not in the automotive industry, and to think about how employee jobs can be altered in a way that works for everyone — including the employee.
During a job interview, in which Bertrand was looking to fill a social media manager position, he said the millennial told him she would be in different countries and time zones while working. She also said she would work harder and perform just as well if not better than her teammates.
“She ended up being a top performer,” said Bertrand. He recognized that she did not have to be in an office to do her job managing the company’s social media presence. It was possible to do it from anywhere, and so he took a chance and tried something new.
Bertrand said he also hired a woman that worked at a nail salon because of how she greeted her guests, saying: “Hi honey, how are you?” in a friendly, familiar way before asking about their families and friends. Her ability to connect with clients is what won her the job offer. So when one of the top members of Bertrand’s company met her at reception, in her new position, she greeted him with her usual “Hi honey, how are you?”.
“The executive said nothing and turned a little red,” said Bertrand, who says this woman — like the social media manager he hired — found success in her job.
Dealers like Etienne Provencher, Sales Manager, Used Cars, Mercedes-Benz Trois-Rivières, connected well with what Bertrand had to say. “His session was very interesting,” said Provencher. “The things he discussed, I’m seeing that now at my dealership.”
The session also left Provencher reconsidering the dealership model. “Does the old model of nine-to-nine still work?” After all, millennials require more flexibility. “Should we change it to something like nine-to- five, and then extend hours on certain days and just hire more people?”
Overall, there are many ways to work with millennials, to fit their need for flexibility while also ensuring they meet employer demands for performance. Dealers just need to think outside the box.
The DealerTalkX event took place on October 16 at the Montreal Science Centre.
