Austin's Thoughts

happY emploYees are BillBoards

I say this all the time, but it's good to know that other people agree with me. :)

According to Outlaw Consulting, a qualitative research firm based in San Francisco.  When Gen Y Trendsetters are asked to explain why they love their favorite stores, they talk a lot about the employees. Their perception of the workers’ job satisfaction has a huge impact on their feelings about the brand. One Trendsetter noted that after seeing a large  “We’re Hiring” sign outside In N Out that listed all of the employee benefits—high wage, paid vacations, etc.—she felt proud to be eating at the restaurant. And several panelists say their love for American Apparel or Trader Joe’s stems from the fact that they have friends who work there and love their jobs. These companies have created a powerful kind of advertising
through their employees. Those that find a way to not only ensure happy employees, but to  covertly spread the message about it, will win the respect and loyalty of trendsetting Gen Y’s. happY emploYees are BillBoards

What's true for Gen Y trendsetters is true for teens, probably even more so. Teens spend money and have little brand loyalty. Hire their peers, provide a good working experience, and you will be rewarded. Post job openings on MyFirstPaycheck | Jobs for Teens today.

Floorwalkers - Forbes.com

How America's biggest companies hire and motivate their retail sales employees, from the man who's worked at most of them. A Forbes.com bookreview of Floorwalkers, an in depth look at service and retail jobs in America.

It sounds like an interesting read. Have you read it? What are your thoughts?

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Letter to the Editor

A revised version of my last post was printed as letter to the editor in today's Inquirer. You can find it here.

Since it was published I've received a lot of supportive emails, and one from a person who disagrees with me.

They said, "Training cannot instill work ethic and attitude developed over the short lifetime of today's youth. It is disgraceful commentary on this generation."

There are many disgraceful things going on right now. Some happen because of young people, and many others happen because of older generations.

But, it bothers me that a few people can have bad experiences in the mall and come to the conclusion that young people are worthless. I can point to countless examples of young people doing amazing things.

Let's talk about some of them.

And in the meantime, let's make sure younger people are trained right. Customer services is not a skill you're born with.

Do teens lack customer service skills?

I was outraged to read this  article about poor service from twenty-something employers called the 'service gap' on Philly.com.

Baby boomers like to complain that young people are poor workers, especially in the service industry. This  isn't a new complaint, old people have probably been complaining about the lack of respect they receive from younger people since there's been more then one generation.

But this article on Philly.com makes broad generalizations and fails to consider that this 'service gap' might not be true.

I believe the comment by Sarah Collier, a 20-year-old Arcadia University junior who has worked in retail sales, was right on. She said that she believed her peers' customer-service skills depended on their background and training, not their age.

How many of us have had bad experiences with older employees? As teens how many of us have been disrespected or ignored because we are younger?

The most interesting aspect of this entire story is the fact that  "Many [employers] lack the time or money to train workers. A 2005 study written with Langan reported that 78 percent of companies provided "some" customer-service training, but that 68 percent wanted to offer more."

Now that's a story....

I understand that Philly.com is trying to put out fun human interest pieces that are quick and easy to write, but there are plenty of ways to do this without bashing twenty-somethings.

You guys could always profile MyFirstPaycheck | Jobs for Teens :)

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Head Strong | Summer jobs teach the basics of business

A great column by Michael Smerconish about the importance of teenage employment, his experiences and the unfortunate declining number of teens working part-time, or summer jobs.

While from last labor day, people are already starting to think of next summer (or they should be), because time is going to fly after New Year's.

According to the column:

"I think it could also explain why we are graduating large numbers of high school seniors who are ill-equipped for employment. A recent survey canvassed more than 400 human resources executives and found that 70 percent of respondents reported that recently hired high school graduates lacked so-called applied skills such as professionalism and work ethic - things measured as punctuality, working productively with others, and time management.
Professionalism?
Work ethic?
Working productively with others?
Time management?

Working is a great way of learning these traits, but hopefully columns like this don't discourage employers from hiring teens. I was just telling somebody, I think employers often don’t realize that it is in their best interest to hire young adults, and to treat them fairly. There is nothing that raises brand awareness and loyalty in the community faster than employing local members of the community.

People talk, and if your employees are happy high school students they are going to bring their friends, their parents are going to tell their friends about it, and those good impressions will last a lifetime.

From my conversations with employers, it seems generally that any extra effort required to teach somebody what to do during their first job is rewarded with a loyal and energetic employee.


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Slate Magazine - How Do You Become Santa Claus?

A fun story on another possible seasonal job, and how to get it. Have you ever worked as a mall santa before?

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Great No-Degree Jobs - Forbes.com

You don't have to go to college to make a decent living.... but you should! While many of these are full time jobs, they might help users of MyFirstPaycheck | Jobs for Teens and other part-time job seekers get some ideas for possible part-time job opportunities available out there.

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Students don't mind having this hectic day on their plates.

A description of a day in the life of a student at Burlington County Institute of Technology in Westampton, a high school for kids eager to get into the kitchen. A great alternative to traditional school if you have a very clear you know what you want to do. There are so many options out there, the possibilities are really endless.

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First/Worst Jobs

One of the great perks of running MyFirstPaycheck | Jobs for Teens is hearing everybody's stories about their first jobs, some good, some bad, some terrible, but generally all a worthwhile experience.
Here is a story from AP about the Presidential candidates first jobs. Mike Huckabee scrubbed window at J.C. Penney, Mitt Romney worked in a sewage pipe on an Idaho ranch, and Hillary Rodham Clinton spooned the guts out of fish in Alaska as a post-grad.
And you thought your first jobs were bad? These guys all did ok...

Internships: The Best Places to Start

More than just resume-padding, these summer opportunities have become great tools for students and employers to find that perfect fit... Getting an internship used to mean a 10-week exercise in photocopying, sorting mail, filing, and fetching sandwiches. If you were lucky, there might be a company-wide picnic thrown in. Forget that image.

What happened to the days when internships were something put on your résumé—one that usually went to other employers? The answer is simple: Demand is high for entry-level workers, especially the cream of the crop. These days, employers are looking for an edge—any way to get their hands on prime candidates early, particularly in industries such as accounting and investment banking where there is intense competition for top students with specific skills or majors.

And not to put too much pressure on you, but just as the demand for entry-level workers is changing the nature of internships, it's also changing their scheduling... students should start working and interning earlier and earlier. Go on MyFirstPaycheck | Jobs for Teens today to find good jobs and internships and start building a resume so that one day you can intern for one of the companies listed in BusinessWeek

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