DC Velocity - September 2014

46 DC VELOCITY SEPTEMBER 2014 www.dcvelocity.com s p ec i a lr e po rt

HUM AN R E SOU R C E IS SU E S IN LOG I S TI C S

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 employ-
ees, 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’ opin-
ions, 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 educational system. All parties, therefore, must be open to

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