DC Velocity - IdeaBook 2015

employees only learn how well or poorly they are performing during their annual performance reviews. Such evaluations can be a very useful tool, but providing constant feedback to employees, and most importantly new employees, is essential to managing and improving their performance. These feedback sessions do not have to be formal, but they do require companies to actively encourage managers to give feedback to employees outside of a quarterly or yearly review. To ensure that these efforts are constructive, companies may need to train managers on how to conduct effective feedback sessions and how to record and review them.

For their part, young employees must keep in mind that the feedback they receive is intended to help guide their performance toward a goal. Again, it’s important for them to be realistic. They should understand that negative feedback is not a personal attack, nor is positive feedback an indication that a promotion is imminent.

Such communication should not be one-way. Employers must also provide opportunities for young employees to provide feedback—and they have to be willing to listen to those employees’ comments and suggestions, balance that feedback against what they have heard from other employees, and take action if required. They don’t always do so, however. Often, when young professionals express a need for flexibility, for example, their employers do not respond favorably. Failing to respond to these requests can make an employer seem like it doesn’t care about employees’ opinions, which can affect morale and work output. In a culture of instant status updates, more employees crave a direct response from managers and executives, so employers should try to respond to feedback, even if they are unable to change policies due to business requirements.

A JOINT EFFORT

When comparing what employers expect with what young people are demanding, it is clear that young professionals’ perceptions of their career requirements and priorities are quite different from those of many employers. This is a gap that must be overcome in order for the work force of tomorrow to be ready for the next generation of supply chain challenges.

There are a number of steps employers, young employees,
and educators can take to address this growing concern.
For one thing, when a workplace treats people openly and
honestly, employees will give their best, day in and day out.
For another, achieving a mutually beneficial environment
requires input from employees, employers, and the educa-
tional system. All parties, therefore, must be open to both
giving and receiving feedback. Additionally, they all must
make developing a team-focused organization a top priority.
Bridging the supply chain talent gap also requires employ-
ees, educators, and employers to change some perceptions
about how a modern supply chain work force is orga-
nized. While it is good for educators to foster a passion
for supply chain careers, students should be taught that
developing the soft skills required for career growth is as
important as a technical education. They must learn to
work well with people at all levels of an organization, work
to develop their core skills within their role, and help their
organizations succeed as a whole. Employers, meanwhile,
should recognize that young employees need attention
and recognition when they go above and beyond what is
expected. Additionally, top performers should be exposed
to functions and experiences that would be beneficial to
their development.

When employers focus on developing their employees, managing expectations, providing flexibility where possible, and giving feedback, it creates a work environment that people want to be a part of. Employees feel better aligned with their organizations and are motivated to work harder as a team. And finally, educators will recommend those employers to their students, and employers will gain—and retain—capable employees. c

Notes:

1. Francesca Di Meglio, “Supply-Chain Management: The New B-School Must-Have,” Bloomberg Businessweek, June 28, 2013, http://www.businessweek.com/ articles/2013-06-28/supply-chain-management-the-new-b- school-must-have.

2. Robert J. Bowman, “Bridging the Talent Gap in Supply-Chain Management,” SupplyChainBrain, September 30, 2013. http://www.supplychainbrain.com/content/ general-scm/business-strategy-alignment/single-article-page/article/bridging-the-talent-gap-in-supply-chain-management/.

3. “Expectations Gap Threatens Talent Search: Study,” HR Professional, February 2013, 15.

4. PricewaterhouseCoopers, University of Southern California, and London Business School, PwC’s NextGen: A global generational study, April 2013, 8-10, http:// www.pwc.com/us/en/people-management/publications/ nextgen-global-generational-study.jhtml.