Time to Change: Millennials and Gen Z Are Distracted at Work

Eight “Heads-Down” Best Methods to Deliver New Programs.

By: James Strohecker, Contributor

Floor markings can effectively communicate warnings meant to keep workers safe. Image courtesy of Graphic Products.

More than one in three – 56 million – workers today in the U.S. is a millennial. They are currently the largest working generation.^[1]

Not surprisingly, Millennials (age 26-41) and Gen Zers (age 10-25) are more tuned to their devices and likely to be “heads-down” in and around a worksite, staring at their phones. OSHA requires employers to provide training to workers who face hazards on the job, but training Millennials and Gen Zers requires some special considerations.

The Workplace Safety Challenge

Walking and texting led to more than 11,000 injuries last year. In one study, 60% of walkers veered off course when they were texting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that younger workers are more likely to be injured on the job than older adults. Meanwhile, more than 64% of 13-34-year-olds say their smartphone is the one device they own that they can’t live without.

This fact can also be correlated to less job experience, lack of training and more demand for immediate workers in a busy warehouse / dangerous work environment.

What this Means for Safety Managers

Safety is Important to Millennials and Gen Zers: According to the American Psychological Association, Millennials reported that personal safety is a leading cause of stress in the workplace, and they are more concerned about personal safety than any other generation in the workplace.

Also, younger workers view workplaces that utilize modern technology as more efficient, environmentally friendly, flexible and collaborative. They are looking for evidence that companies are committed to safety. And they want clear evidence that their company has a culture of safety, and want to know what their employer is doing to keep them safe.

• Young workers want support, appreciation and to feel as though their efforts and contributions make a difference.
• This new, growing workforce wants feedback, reassurance and to feel as though their upper management notices them and is invested in their career.
• Both Gen Zers and Millennials are used to having immediate, easy widespread access to information whenever and wherever. They’re used to sharing their thoughts and opinions, engagement and being part of the conversation.
• Safety professionals must create better training, work environments and regular workplace safety updates that are learned, shared and applied by Millennials.

Walking and texting led to more than 11,000 injuries last year. Image courtesy of Graphic Products.

Creating “Heads-Down” Workforce Safety Solutions

How should safety managers address these changes and prevent high incident rates?

• Upgrade your Safety Training – Make safety a team effort. Your employees will want to know what safety precautions are in place and how to respond in the event of an emergency. Be transparent about your safety culture and how you protect employees.
• Make it digitally available – Make safety accessible anywhere. Spread your safety tips for warehouse employees through posters, email, texts and PA announcements. Use multiple platforms.
• Motivations are different with the new workers. As a result, your compliance motivation must mean something. You can’t motivate people by offering them a reward or a punishment threat they don’t care about.
• Train and encourage supervisory personnel to give encouragement, positive feedback and other “feel good” type reinforcements.
• Give workers the opportunity to come in late or leave early as a reward for high performance. If performing part of their job remotely is an option, consider that.
• Provide new responsibilities, new skill/job training or leadership opportunities – such as leading safety meetings and contributing ideas to management.
• Consider creating baby step promotional titles, roles, peer groups or job responsibilities to encourage the feeling that young workers are being recognized and promoted for high performance.
• If you want your safety tips to be heard by the new generations, communicate and educate in ways that resonate with them:
• Discuss expectations.
• Treat them with respect. Ask for their opinions.
• Keep it short, concise, frequent and current.
• Use multiple digital platforms.
• Encourage their involvement: Let them teach.
• Provide opportunities to collaborate.
• Offer guidance and growth opportunities.
• Rely on floor marking warnings to communicate effectively
• Apply simple, repetitive, infographic-type signage and visual communication.

Summary

The warehouse and worksite culture are changing before our eyes. New workers are creating both increased expectations and new methods to reduce/eliminate incidents and increase worksite knowledge.

Safety management, risk avoidance and safety training must adjust and align closely with the new learning and teaching methods that have been embraced by the younger workforce. Companies with a firm understanding of the expectations of the new generations will be well-equipped to attract the next generation of talent and maximize their workplace capabilities.

Young workers want to know that safety is a workplace priority. When you create updated, modernized safety training programs and focused safety tips for your new younger workforce, your operation will yield immediate and long-term benefits. And at the same time, you can strengthen your entire workplace safety culture. WMHS

James Strohecker is the Director of Marketing Innovation at Graphic Products + DuraLabel (www.graphicproducts.com). Graphic Products is a leader in delivering innovative design software, industrial sign and label printers, all-purpose floor marking, multi-language signs and labels, and colored pipe markers for any facility’s compliance and safety requirements. Learn how to create safety signs that meet OSHA requirements with the Best Practice Guide to OSHA Safety Signs. This helpful guide breaks down all the requirements, from text size to color and graphics.

^[1]   Millennials are largest generation in the U.S. labor force | Pew Research Center