Leadership: The Next Generation

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Leadership The Next Generation

• Strategies for Attracting Young Talent to Careers
  in Public Transportation

2
Outline

• What is the issue?
• Why should we care?
• Strategies for Reaching the Next Generation
• Conclusion

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What is the issue?

• Baby Boomers are retiring in record numbers
• Positions will need to be filled at all skill
  levels
• Emerging talent that will fill these positions
  generally operate much differently than Baby
  Boomers and have different expectations

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Why Should We Care?

• Organizational Goals
• Recruitment
• Retention
• Management Style
• Service Delivery

There is a need to address federal and state
mandated hiring requirements so we can target
younger people and get them working for transit.
Michael Scanlon, San Mateo County Transit
District
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Baby Boomers (43 and up)

• Optimistic
• Hardworking
• Take Pride in Quality Service
• Value Personal Relationships
• Expect Loyalty
• Not done yet

There is a difference in how Baby Boomers, Gen X
and Gen Y approach things. Younger folks need
more performance feedback. These differences will
challenge older managers, and its going to
require a shift in attitudes.
- Joyce Olson, Community
Transit
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Gen X (27-42)

• Value Independence
• Entrepreneurial
• Technically Savvy
• Communicate Electronically
• Results vs. Process Oriented
• Hands-off Supervision

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Gen Y (26 and under)

• Global and Civic-minded
• Confident and Self-reliant
• Want Praise
• Seek Results/Rewards Quickly
• Innovative
• Work Should Be Fun

The diversity of Generation Y is the strongest
part. They bring different perspectives into
decision making. -Fred Gilliam, Capital Metro,
Austin, TX
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Faye Moore, General ManagerSEPTA
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Is a Career in Public Transportation for Me?
Paid internships are a great way to get people in
the door and take the guess work out of hiring.
-Fred Salvucci, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
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Compensation
The organizational structure needs to meet the
needs of the new market. - Paul
OBrien, Utah Transit
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Expectations of Workforce
The old work ethic was to expect loyalty only
from the employee. Now its a two-way street.
- Cal Marsella, Denver RTD
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Preferred Management Style
Positive recognition, training and mentoring is
extremely important. - Terry
Garcia Crews, Lexington Transit
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Leaders need to keep PACE

• Personal Commitment
• Access
• Communication
• Engagement

Marketing strategies are needed to attract young
talent around pay, life style issues and the
relevance of what we are doing. We need to be
seen by the community as having an impact
economically and environmentally.
- John Catoe, WMATA
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Personal Commitment
Personal commitment must transcend agency
culture - Terry Garcia Crews, Lexington Transit
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Lee Sander, Executive Director, MTA
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Access
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Access

• Interactive Web-Sites

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Access

• Interactive Web-Sites

• Blogs

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Access

• Interactive Web-Sites
• Blogs

• iPods and Podcasting

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Access

• Interactive Web-Sites
• Blogs
• iPods and Podcasting

• Social Networking Sites

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Access

• Interactive Web-Sites
• Blogs
• iPods and Podcasting
• Social Networking Sites

• Second Life

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Human Figures Casted as Avitars
A recruiter in avatar interviews a job applicant
on Second Life, an online virtual community.
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Re-Defined Tools

• Institutional Spam

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Re-Defined Tools

• Institutional Spam

• More than a Job Fair!
• Virtual Career Fairs

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Re-Defined Tools

• Institutional Spam
• More than a Job Fair!
• Virtual Career Fairs

• APTA
• Student Sessions
• Student Memberships

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Communication

• Learn how young talent communicates
• Start an edgy print and internet campaign
• Use environmental issues and technology
  challenges as selling points
• Revise job bulletins
• Branding-get noticed

Starbucks is fortunate to be able to utilize
their own employer brand campaign called Love
What You Do to attract amazing people to work
for them. - Linda Lioe, Starbucks Coffee Company
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Communication

• Learn how the next generation communicates
• Translate this text message
• WB
• HRU ? CN U EM UR WRK NLT COB TH
• TSTB
• THNQ GTR MTFBWU

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Kevin Desmond, General ManagerKing County Metro
Transit
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Communication
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Communication
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Communication

• This job bulletin

Company OverviewWe are a fun, diverse group of
young people building some amazing web
applications. The atmosphere is relaxed, yet
focused - geared more towards efficiency and
getting the job done rather than meetings and
strict work hours. Spongecell is well funded, and
provides full health and dental
benefits.Position OverviewAs Spongecells
Marketing Manager you will play a lead role in
helping to develop and communicate our brand
message by communicating directly with clients,
coordinating sales support efforts, developing
marketing and press collateral and working with
the executive team on marketing strategy. This
position is based in our New York City office.
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Communication

• versus this job bulletin

General Responsibilities This person is
responsible for professional and managerial work
in developing and directing the programs and
services of the Metro Transit Utility Marketing
Customer Unit. This work, under the general
supervision of the Transit General Manager,
involves significant responsibility for
developing, directing, coordinating, implementing
and monitoring area-wide transit system marketing
and customer services activities and serving as
member of Metro's Senior Management Team.
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Engagement

• Partner with high schools and youth-oriented
  non-profits
• Facilitate the development of university
  consortiums
• Two - way mentoring

• Make work environment stimulating and fun
• Give them respect and offer responsibility
• Listen and adapt to what attracts young talent
• Best Practice COMTO

We have to capture the Next Generation at the
grassroots level, and get into the schools.
-Julie Cunningham, COMTO
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Gary Thomas, President/Executive DirectorDallas
Area Rapid Transit (DART)
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Conclusion

• The Workforce is Changing Faster than the
  Industry is Keeping Up
• What young talent will demand is what others want
  and it is good for the organization as a whole
• There are things that can be done today to keep
  PACE with the future workforce

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Acknowledgments

• Leadership the Next Generation wishes to thank
  the multiple CEOs, transit industry experts and
  supporters for their guidance on this important
  topic.