Naples, Fla. — Plastics firms, like those in many other industries, are trying to understand millennials.
David Peterson helped plastics execs get up to speed on millennials — workers born between 1980 and 2000 — at the 2017 Plastics News Executive Forum, held March 28-29 in Naples.
Peterson is managing partner of Direct Recruiters Inc. in Solon, Ohio.
Millennials are gaining in importance as baby boomers continue to retire, Peterson said. Millennials can be “passionate entrepreneurs,” he said, but they don't always expect to stay in one place. A recent poll showed that 66 percent of millennials expect to leave their current firms by 2020.
They also can have different priorities than previous generations. The same poll showed that 90 percent of millennials would prefer benefits over a pay raise.
Other millennial traits, according to Peterson, include a tendency to believe what they read on social media and a desire for work/life balance. Companies looking to attract talented millennials, he added, should highlight their culture and core values, emphasizing aspects such as fundraising and flexible work schedules.