In my job as a talent coach, I often peruse local job openings online. I came across one intriguing role recently and clicked through to find out more. The company did a great job of encouraging seekers to apply and said they were looking forward to receiving “my” information.

Great!

But as I read a bit further, I came to the fine print. The company listed their directions to apply. After filling out an application and submitting a cover letter, resume and salary requirements, the employer went on to say, “We will only contact you if we have questions; otherwise, you will not hear from us.”

Huh. My first reaction was to think, Hey, thank you for being honest about the fact that you’re not going to contact me or send me a canned e-mail.

But that thought quickly turned to disappointment. Somewhere in this process of attracting job seekers and encouraging them to apply, we talent professionals took a wrong turn.

We have removed the human element from human resources.

When a job posting encourages an applicant to submit their information on paper—with no plans to follow up if the paper doesn’t make the cut—we send a message saying all we care about is whether or not an applicant has the skills we need, and nothing else. What about character, drive, teachability and integrity? Skills tell us an applicant can do the job. But it’s the intangible factors that tell us if a person can succeed at the job. And we won’t glean those from an electronic application alone.

As I reviewed that job posting, I wondered if the company would treat its customers the same way it treats its potential talent—or worse, its actual employees.

When a customer submits a request to do business, would this company present the same disclaimer—We will not be reaching out to you for any reason unless we have questions? I don’t think so. And yet we do this to job applicants all the time. We neglect to realize they are our customers, too.

Candidates are human beings with unique stories to tell. One of the grievances I hear constantly from job seekers is, “I just wish I could have a conversation and tell my story.” Unfortunately, as an industry, talent management has reached a point of judging a person’s story based on an outline of work history or worse yet, a bunch of words on an application run through a machine, without ever hearing the human side. Therefore, we miss the complete person—i.e., the actual employee.

Now I know many organizations receive hundreds of applications and you’re arguing, “Chad, we don’t have time to connect with every one of those individuals.” First of all, kudos that you’re attracting hundreds of applicants to your opportunities. I hope you are finding the top talent among them. If so, you must be doing something great.

My second response, however, addresses the “we don’t have time” aspect. If those applicants were potential customers, what would you do? Chances are you’d figure out a solution to give all customers the attention they deserve.

It’s time to treat our employees—and applicants—like customers. Many companies claim talent is actually their most important asset—but then they treat potential talent like second-class citizens. No communication, no personalization, no acknowledgement. Then these employers wonder why the top talent goes other places.

In today’s competitive environment, in order attract top talent, employers must invest in not just employee morale but also job seeker perception. When an applicant is treated poorly—including some truly stellar candidates that your electronic filters are missing—he or she will not think highly of your organization. And a community of job seekers can influence public perception of your organization more than you may realize.

You can argue you don’t have time to treat applicants like customers. But the way I see it, you can’t afford not to.

I spent twelve years running a managed internship program at a state university. My program was run very much like a temporary staffing agency; companies came to us for interns, and I placed talented students in those roles.

At my first job fair on campus, I watched students walk up and down the aisles trying to connect with recruiters from dozens of companies on site. I realized I was competing with some very large firms that could out-pay my opportunities, outshine my booth, and offer better swag to take home.

It didn’t take me long to conclude that in order to compete, I would have to be different.

So, I left my booth and started walking up and down the aisles just as the students did, talking with the recruiters at these firms. I asked them questions—especially about resumes. What were they looking for in a resume? What do they do with them? Most recruiters said they collected a stack of resumes then went back to the office to sort through them based on noted experience, skills, and GPA.

And that’s when I decided to do just the opposite. I tossed aside resumes and GPAs.

You might be wondering what I did, then, to screen the candidates.

I didn’t.

I met with them. Every single one of them. I invited anyone interested in any of our opportunities to come in and interview. Did this take time? Yes, it did. But did I discover some amazing talent—including tons of students who would have “failed” the initial resume/GPA screen? Absolutely. And today many of them are knocking it out of the park in their professional careers.

See, a funny thing happens when you start piling up a stack of resumes. They all look pretty much the same. What I’ve since learned is that this principle applies at every level of experience, whether interns or entry level, middle management or executives. The true differentiator is the person sitting across the table from me.

I got to know my applicants, heard their stories and passions even when their resumes did not check the boxes of the job description. At their stage, as students, many of them had experience in retail, babysitting, waiting tables and summer construction jobs. And they were aiming to get experience in HR, finance, accounting, operations, social work and teaching. Their resumes couldn’t claim a background in those fields—not yet. But we hired them based on universal skills, teachability, and passion. And they flourished.

My experience managing this college internship program created the foundation of my current approach to talent management at every level. Here are some key truths I observed:

• Students with less than stellar GPAs were working three jobs to stay in school and couldn’t dedicate as much time to studying as other students. They traded higher grades for the chance to earn that all-important degree.
• “Job hoppers” brought a variety of valuable skills sets to the table.
• Many students held passions for things that did not exist yet. Ten years ago, an IT intern mentioned he wanted to work in artificial intelligence—before AI was a buzz word. Same with social media and many other rising technologies.
• Students were interested in learning on their own via avenues beyond the classroom—such as podcasts, webinars and other certifications. School transcripts were not necessarily an accurate or full picture of the student’s knowledge and experience.
• Each student shared a unique story that added value through a different perspective. I could never have discovered this in the recruitment phase had I not met with the applicants personally.

All of this led to one profound conclusion: I was daily discovering top talent that other companies missed because they were focused on checking the boxes.

You might argue that businesses seeking talent at higher levels are different. But I disagree. Our marketplace is teeming with strong talent looking for their next opportunity—but they’re getting screened out because they don’t check the boxes. That’s why I’m so passionate about doing what I do, operating against the grain of most recruiters. And it’s working—for the great benefit of my clients and talent alike.

For more information on talent coaching and recruiting solutions through NextGen Advantage, contact me at chad@nextgen-advantage.com.

Each week I meet with new people who are going through a job search and exploring their options in the marketplace. Their stories, backgrounds, skills and passions vary. But one common factor unites them all.

They are unhappy with the way they’re being treated.

“I’m just a number.”

“Nobody ever calls me back.”

“They make assumptions based on my resume but don’t give me a chance to tell my story.”

“I got a rejection email within 10 minutes of hitting submit. The whole place must be run by robots.”

Now, let me be the first to say there are some companies out there doing it right. As recruiters your priority is on communicating well, valuing your applicants, and you’re aware that filling roles with the right talent is a two-way street. If that’s you, then bravo. Keep doing what you’re doing.

However, from what I’m hearing from job seekers, unfortunately many companies fall into the “poor treatment” category. What do I mean by that? Well, let’s look at it this way.

Applicants know that in order to make an impact, they need to stand out, be different, devise new ideas and challenge the status quo. Yet as I look at the talent landscape, I wonder if companies are doing the same.

For example. When was the last time you made a significant change to your recruitment strategy? What processes do you have in place to screen and interview candidates, and how is your process different from other companies in your space? How much energy do you spend managing technology vs. getting to know the people behind the screen?

Are you now reaping the benefits of your process? Or are you, like many other employers, screaming that you can’t find great talent?

Maybe you can’t find the talent because you’re looking for it all wrong.

The way everybody else does.

The way it’s always been done.

I’m here to tell you—it’s time for a change.

In today’s competitive market, job seekers are evaluating potential employers based on how they are treated during the application process. That means companies can no longer thrive by doing things the same old way—which typically means collecting applications through an electronic funnel, rarely providing personal feedback nor human interaction of any sort. Do you want to be known as an employer that values it people? Then you must shift gears and treat applicants like people.

How?

Here’s a crazy idea. Determine what “everybody else” is doing, then do the exact opposite.

For example—let’s talk about resumes.

Why do we evaluate talent based on a piece of paper? If we’re looking for standout applicants, why do we train them all to format their worth in the same face-in-a-crowd way? How does this help us determine who’s a better fit than all the rest?

It doesn’t. So let’s ditch the resumes. Find a different way to discover who your applicants are and what they have to offer.

But Chad, we can’t do that. Resumes are just how things work. We can’t possibly scan through hundreds of applicants efficiently without resumes.

You’re right, you can’t. Not if you’re focused on quantity rather than quality.

Meanwhile, your competitor is going to figure out a way to meet with people in person, provide authentic communication, perhaps even set in place an effective barrier to entry that attracts not hundreds of resumes to wade through but just a handful of the right applicants. Which means, essentially, they are going to fill their roles with the top quality talent you’re looking for—and they’re going to do it more efficiently in the end.

If your employees are truly your greatest asset, it makes sense that your innovation and attention should be focused on making sure you’ve got the best employees for the job—which {and this is the kicker} may or may not be the ones who applied.

So what’s next? Call me. If you’re serious about attracting, motivating and retaining right-fit talent, I can provide a breakthrough approach to your recruiting needs that treats people like people—valued, understood, and celebrated. Best of all, my solution is cost-effective and ideal for filling those tough-to-fill key roles. It’s not business as usual, that’s for sure—but it is smart business. Together we can set your company apart from the rest.

I earned an undergraduate degree in marketing. However, my first jobs out of college were in finance then talent management, and by the time I earned my MBA I didn’t give much thought to that original marketing emphasis. I mean, after all, I hadn’t ever worked in a marketing role, specifically.

Until one day I realized that the recruiting world is, in fact, marketing. And for years since, I have been telling organizations that recruiting is now marketing and marketing is now recruiting. If a company doesn’t know what makes them better or different, they will compete for talent based on price/salary—which is not a good place to be. First of all, price is too easily beat by bigger employers with deeper pockets. And secondly, it’s not a true differentiator anymore, particularly for millennial professionals who value purpose and impact above salary.

Marketing can help overcome this hurdle.

I’ve worked with plenty of companies that bend over backwards to make sure their customers are taken care of, catered to, and prioritized. We train our sales and marketing teams on how to respond to certain questions, how to address issues and benefits of their products and services—to help differentiate themselves from the competition. We build massive customer service teams to address customer concerns about return policies, product functions and troubleshooting. These teams are measured by key performance indicators such as customer retention, Net Promoter Scores, conversion rates, average resolution time, complaint escalation rate, average reply rate, average first reply time and customer satisfaction, to name just a handful. Most of these should lead to higher sales, retention and customer satisfaction, which all helps to build the company brand. Customers, in turn, measure how they are treated and how quickly those issues are resolved to their liking to determine if they are going to purchase or come back.

So what does all of this have to do with the world of talent acquisition? Everything! In fact, you ought to be reeling right now from the two-by-four that just hit you upside the head. If you can’t see the correlation—and the gap that exists in your recruiting and employee retention strategies—then you might be in big trouble.

I often hear from companies that their most important asset is talent. But few are actually behaving as though that is true. Companies need to understand that employees are customers. Job candidates and potential candidates are your target market. So, how are you treating those “customers”?

Not great, in many cases.

On a weekly basis, I meet with individuals searching for new opportunities. Time and again they tell me about employers whose customer service toward job applicants is nothing short of terrible. These companies are turning away valuable talent that they should be working hard to attract and retain, because they do not see their candidates as customers worth serving.

I often hear insight such as this: “I applied for a position early Sunday morning and got a rejection response back by Sunday afternoon. Either that’s a ‘bot or somebody is working on a Sunday—and I don’t want to work there in either of those situations.” To which recruiters will retort that they just don’t have the time to invest in each individual. My response is—why not?

We talk about how important talent is, that everyone is looking for it and it’s a competitive environment out there, but we treat job seekers like crap. Bottom line, employers need to decide: What’s more important—your customers or your talent? You can’t maximize your potential for the customers without the right talent. And if you believe your talent is your top priority, then why are you not putting forth resources to improve your “customer satisfaction”?

Don’t forget, your culture is not just internal. It includes everyone that comes into contact with your organization, how they were treated, and whether that matches the values you claim. If you think this isn’t an issue in your organization—are you so sure? Because if you’re struggling to get great candidates or to keep your top talent, then consider why. Employees talk. Candidates talk. Word spreads. If your organization becomes known in the talent pool as one that doesn’t truly value its employees or its applicants, well, it should be obvious by now—you aren’t going to get the best candidates no matter how much you offer to pay them.

Let’s wrap this up on a positive note. In addition to all the negative feedback, I am also hearing about some companies that everybody wants to work for—because they are known for treating their employees and their applicants well. Don’t you want to be one of those companies? Your customer service teams know that the little things make a huge difference, so why don’t we start making some little steps toward improving your talent customer service as well.

I’m happy to start some conversations around this topic. Reach out and let’s talk. I look forward to hearing from you!

Over the years, I’ve interviewed hundreds of people and asked thousands of interview questions on my quest to find right-fit talent. One of my mentors once pointed out that all these interview questions boil down to two raw questions that both sides are trying to answer.

1. Can they/I do the job?
2. Do I like them?

In my experience, two general observations hold true. First, most companies are stuck on the side of “Can they do the job?” This means they are looking for candidates who check all the boxes—someone who has this particular degree with these many years of experience in that specific type of industry, and so on.

Now I completely understand why we do this. If we as an organization can find someone that checks all the boxes, it lowers the risk. If the new hire doesn’t work out, well, the onus isn’t on the hiring manager or the organization because this person had all the “right” qualifications—as in, whatever had been required to do the job in the past. And if we can find a candidate that checks all the boxes, some would say this increases their probability of success.

And yet, as for my second observation, as I have sat down across the table from job seekers/transitioners to ask what’s next, where are you headed, why do/did you want to leave—their responses usually land on the “Do I like them?” side of the equation. Very rarely does a person seek to make a change because “I can’t do this job.” In fact, most are exceeding expectations. However, engagement—call it synergy, respect, enjoyment of the company or position—has been lost. So as talented professionals look for the next opportunity, they are far more focused on answering the question, “Do I like this employer” than they are on “Can I do the job.” They know they can do the job. What they need to discover is a company they can get behind—the “right fit” employer.

So, what if you are an organization that is primarily concerned about finding those resumes that check all the boxes? What kind of talent might you be missing? What kind of perception have you created in the marketplace because talent knows you’re a “check the boxes” employer, and now they don’t even apply?

I am reminded on a weekly basis, as I meet with skilled and passionate job seekers, how excellent talent is being passed up because of the systems we have created—checking the boxes. I’m hearing the frustrations from professionals who are trying to get out of one industry and into another but don’t check that box, so they never get a conversation.

Yes, I know there are some positions in which you need industry experience, but how did those people get that experience? They weren’t born with it. I think we often try to cover ourselves instead of taking a risk. Has someone ever taken a risk on you, and you proved them right? We say we want innovation and diversity, but if we never look beyond the boxes, we’re going to struggle to achieve it.

You can check all the qualifications boxes and still end up with the wrong fit. So why not seek first the right fit—Do I like them?—and put your mutual respect to work for the good of the entire organization. Remember, we cannot train for character, personality or passion. But we can train for skills. Employers who get this are headed toward greater long-term success and sustainability. And in today’s competitive marketplace, that is a key advantage indeed.

I’m fascinated by the way certain companies build a following. Take Apple, for example. When the new iPhone comes out, Apple doesn’t have to beg people to buy it. Rather, customers practically beg Apple to release it. They stand in line to get their hands on the latest device.

Mathews Archery is another one. If you’re a hunter, you know Mathews. When they introduce a new bow, you just know it’s going to be good. I once heard the Mathews CEO ask a room full of business leaders, “Would you rather buy a product or service from a company that says ‘good enough’ or from one that doesn’t know when to quit?” Avid outdoorsmen recognize Mathews as a name that stands for uncompromising quality—and when it’s time to upgrade their equipment, they know where to go.

Or just consider the most popular restaurants or coffee shops in the valley. Some places are buzzing from morning ‘til night, to the point where it’s nearly impossible to get a table. Why? Because people talk. They have a great experience—they love the food, the outstanding service, the ambience—and they tell their friends who tell their friends who tell their friends and neighbors and co-workers until more people are vying for seats than the place can handle.

What do all these examples have in common?

They deliver what they promise. Their message matches their product, which matches the needs of the customer. This kind of magic alignment is called a brand.

So what does this have to do with recruiting? Everything.

For years now I have been telling employers that recruiting is like marketing and marketing is like recruiting. Companies “sell” (post) a “product” (job opening). Those with established, trustworthy brands—whose message matches the product, which matches the needs of the customer—will more easily “sell” (fill) their “product” (role) than those who don’t.

There are a handful of companies in our area who don’t really need to recruit. Because the candidates are already coming to them. These companies are known as great places to work. The brand they convey both internally and externally is aligned with what they actually deliver to their employees, which creates a culture of trust and satisfaction.

Understand that employees talk. They tell their friends and neighbors when and why they love their job, their boss, their work environment. And rather than having to beg for candidates, this company already has them lining up, begging for the iPhone 8—I mean, an open position.

Or not. See, many companies today are really struggling to recruit, to attract new talent to their workplace—the kind of talent that can move the organization forward. I’m going to stick my neck out here and suggest perhaps it’s because their brand needs some work.

Once again, recruiting is all about perception. If you’re creating a culture that meets the needs of your employees and delivers what it promises, the talent marketplace will hear about it. You will become known as a desirable employer. Top candidates will seek you out. And all that effort you’re putting into attracting talent can then instead be used elsewhere—in continuing to strengthen your awesome culture, for example—because the talent is already drawn to you.

Do you want to be that kind of company? I can help. Contact me at chad@nextgen-advantage.com and let’s talk about how NeXtGen Advantage can establish your organization as an employer of choice.

Are you ready to stop dieting and change your lifestyle instead? Oh, I’m not talking about your lunch break. I’m talking about the way you hire people.

Here’s my bold confession. I believe the recruiting process in today’s business world is seriously broken. I’ve been working in recruitment and talent acquisition for over a decade, sitting across the table from hundreds upon hundreds of candidates. I’ve also experienced the process from the candidate side—as the guy evaluating your opportunity and determining if we’re the right fit for each other. And in both roles I’ve had countless discussions with business leaders, HR professionals, entrepreneurs, and talented people looking for career growth.

It all adds up to this. Things have got to change.

Let’s talk about the employer perspective first. Here are the problems:

• In our current low unemployment environment, employers are struggling to find talent to fill the roles needed to help their companies move forward.
• Struggling recruitment results in lost productivity and resources spent chasing the talent you claim you cannot find.
• Or maybe you are finding the talent and enticing them into your organization, only to soon discover you’ve turned them over to another opportunity because of “fit.” In that case, recruitment problems bleed into retention problems.
• Often the people you hire become quickly disengaged because what was promised during the recruitment process was not delivered when they got on the job.
• This leads to “bad apples” spreading unflattering opinions of your organization, turning away other potential candidates and further propelling the struggle to recruit.

The bottom line is, this cycle of problems costs money and a lot of it. You may get results, but not the right kind of results.

Now let’s look at the candidate perspective. What problems do I see?

• I hear on a regular basis there is a serious lack of follow-up. Employers are terrible at communicating with candidates on a timely basis if at all, which creates a very bad taste in prospective employees’ mouths. They feel they are treated like a commodity, nothing more than a number through the process.
• It’s important to note that millennials in particular do not want to be treated like a number. None of us do. Candidates are people—talented people who could make a huge difference in your organization. But if you stink at following up with them, then you may lose the chance to ever find out.
• People often tell me they’re frustrated with the process they have to go through to “get into the system” of an organization. Let’s fill out an online application profile and enter all the stuff that is on our resume so that it can go to an artificial screening mechanism where people—talented, powerhouse candidates who would blow you away if you had a real conversation—are evaluated simply on how they “check the boxes.”
• Sadly, many of these candidates jump through all your hoops only to hear… crickets. If they’re lucky, a rejection email arrives the day after their info is submitted. There is never any additional discussion, no personal conversation about where the individual wants to go, what he or she can do, and why you should care. Do you have any idea how many amazing candidates you’re missing out on because they aren’t getting through your “helpful, efficient” screenings? I’ll tell you I have personally filled out several of these online profiles over the years, and some of the companies that never so much as sent back a reply are now, ironically, seeking my help to untangle their recruitment mess.
• Now here’s what’s really crazy. If a candidate does break through to the interview process, I’m hearing some are put through as many as seven rounds of interviews. Seven! That’s not seven meetings in one day, which might be typical for an all-day interview—I’m talking about seven rounds of narrowing down candidates, seven progressively scheduled dates, taking place over a period of months in which everyone is told to “hurry up and wait” before the employer decides who to hire. Top candidates are so fed up with dragging out the process that they often find a different opportunity meanwhile. Does it really take seven interviews to determine if somebody is right for your company? Candidates can typically make that call by the second interview. Can’t you?
• Finally, understand that a candidate’s perception of your organization is formed not by the salary you’re offering or the new office you built, but by the way they are treated during the recruitment process. All of the problems I’ve just described are creating a negative perception of local companies among the very people they are trying to attract. Candidates will share their poor opinions of you with their network, including other qualified candidates you want and need.

Now I know some of you are ready to blast me for speaking so bluntly. You might dismiss my points as the ranting of a bitter, never-got-the-call candidate—and I want you to know that is not at all the case. I want to fix the problem. I’m on your side—you, the company, and you, the candidate. Believe it or not, we all have one thing in common: we want the Fox Valley to thrive. That can only happen if we wake up and face the problems head-on. That’s where I come in. I’m the guy in the middle positioned to mediate the issues and create a resolution that will benefit everyone for the sake of long-term success.

Employers, you have no idea the talent you’re missing out there. I know because I’m meeting them every day, and these bright men and women only confirm again and again what I’ve just laid out in this article. These are not my opinions. They are collective truths.

Imagine, though, being the employer where everyone wants to work. My passion is to make organizations better at creating an awesome culture and perception where talent runs to you. It can happen. How? By differentiating your company from what everyone else is doing—which, we’ve already established, is not working.

As the founder of NeXtGen Advantage, I have stepped into an underserved gap in the recruiting space and created a new and innovative way to recruit talent. I call it my Brand Ambassador model. It’s an entirely different approach to looking at talent and helping candidates connect with companies that want them.

How is it different? Here’s an analogy. Right now most companies approach recruiting like we approach weight loss. We realize we need to drop some pounds (an open position). So we drastically change our diet and nutrition plan (throw all of our resources at the open position) for a couple of months until we hit our goal (a position filled). Then we go back to doing what we’ve always done and soon discover we’ve put most of the weight back on and now we have to lose it again (another open position to fill) and so on and so on. This yo-yo diet approach to recruiting dries up continuous resources with no real, lasting change. If you’ve ever been on a diet like this then you know what you really need is not another short-term diet but a complete change of lifestyle.

My Brand Ambassador model is exactly that.

I’ll warn you it’s not for everyone. I’m talking couch potato to Ninja Warrior. But some of you are ready for it. Some of you are forward-thinking enough to recognize the issues and want to do something about it. If that’s the case, then let’s have a conversation about how I can help differentiate your organization from the rest of the dieters. This kind of effort requires close alignment in goals and values. You’ll be evaluating me, and I’ll be evaluating you, too. So I guess, in a way, we’re about to embark on an interview of our own sort. Sounds like fun to me. Who’s in?

Pop quiz: What is the greatest threat to the workplace as we know it?

A) Social media
B) Economic instability
C) Terrorism
D) That kid sitting in the cubicle outside your office

If you said anything but D, it’s time to wake up and smell the four-dollar mocha.

Yes, today’s workplace is facing its share of challenges from options A, B and C. Yet in a way, they’re nothing new. The modern world of work has always evolved with new technology, bull and bear markets, political unrest and shifting consumer needs.

However, never in recent history have we seen such a big clash of culture within our own organizations. I call it the millennial takeover—and I believe it is the greatest impending disrupter to the way business has always been done.

Why?

If you’re asking that question, then you’re already in trouble.

By year 2025, well over half the American workforce will be millennials. These are defined as people born between 1981 and 2000. We’ve seen the first wave of millennials infiltrate our colleges and companies within the past several years, and more are still to come. As the huge generation of baby boomers retires and the equally huge generation of millennials swoops in, culture will clash.

It already has.

Surely you’ve noticed your 60-year-old supervisor has very little in common with the 25-year-old IT guy. In fact, he has some not-very-nice things to say about that IT guy—because he doesn’t understand him. And that 25-year-old IT guy is probably thinking the 60-year-old supervisor has a chip on his shoulder and won’t give him a chance. And he might be right—yet he, too, does not fully understand his supervisor and all the knowledge he has to share.

Maybe you are that supervisor.

Somebody has to bridge the gap. It’s critical. Because over the next 3 to 7 years, your boomers will retire and the workplace will change according to the next generation’s preferences for culture. By sheer force of numbers millennials will have tremendous influence on the way work gets done. You can’t stop it. But you can work together now to make sure the most talented millennials select your company as their employer of choice.

In other words, companies who welcome millennials—attracting, retaining and motivating this younger generation for the good of the entire organization—will be more likely to succeed in the future, when millennials (and their values, their ideas, their skills) comprise the majority of workplace talent.

As an Xer with experience working closely—and amicably—on both sides of my generation, I know how to do that. And it begins with communicating. When you give everyone a voice at the table, you can begin to understand one another. Then respect can take root, despite your differences. And respect makes way for collaboration, loyalty, innovation and so much more.

Sadly, some of you won’t get there. You’re paralyzed, either ignoring the problem or refusing to change. That usually means as an employer you’re expecting your millennials to conform. Or as a millennial you’re resigned to waiting it out and grumbling. So let me ask—how’s that working for you?

The problem exists. But so do the solutions. NeXtGen Advantage can help. For details on consulting services and speaking availability, email chad (at) nextgen-advantage.com or call 920-419-7710. Together we will discover how to work together for the success of everyone involved.

I am a Gen Xer. I literally sit smack dab in the middle of that generation; my birth date is just a few days shy of the exact halfway point between 1965 and 1980, the years that bookend Gen X. I do my best to make myself feel good about my generation, as we are often overlooked because of our size compared to baby boomers and millennials. We lack the numbers, which means we lack the power. I often hear from other Gen Xers, what about us?

I hear you, compadres. And let me tell you something. As we embark on this great generational shift in the workplace, you and I—the proud Xers—will be key to helping organizations make the transition.

Xers are often described as the latchkey kids. This, for many of us, was the driver to who we are today. Many of us grew up in an environment in which both of our parents were working. So we were often left to take care of ourselves and siblings, managing our own schedules and operating within a certain degree of autonomy. This created some very independent, entrepreneurial and responsible individuals. And we question everything because of what we saw and were expected to do. The problem is, our generation was so small compared to the baby boomers that we couldn’t force the change we wanted.

For example, I believe we were the first generation that craved work/life balance because we saw the boomers “putting in their time” (50, 60, 70 hours/week) in the office and we questioned it, saying there is more to life than work. But we couldn’t do anything about it—at least not at first. Now that millennials are on the work scene, they’re big enough to have a voice. And guess what they want? Work/life balance. Their solutions might look different from ours, but if we recognize that at the heart of it we really want the same thing, we can work together to shift the landscape for everyone’s benefit.

Here’s how.

Employers—If you have Gen Xers on staff, you need to take care of them. Pay them some attention. They have “put in their time” and “played by the rules.” They know how business has “always been done,” but they also see the changes that need to take place in order to move their organizations forward. Give them a voice. Do not skip over them in favor of the larger millennial crowd. If you expect to survive and succeed through the massive generational shift, you will need change leaders with experience as well as vision. Xers are your team captains. Lean on them.

Gen Xers—Don’t let this go to your head. First, continue picking up the skill sets you need to step into those key roles, as you have been doing throughout your careers. We are already in a situation where top talent is very difficult to find. I believe opportunities could increase as boomers continue leaving the workplace. And secondly, you need to be open to the generations following in your steps. My experience working with millennials has been outstanding when we engage them. This requires us to be open to their ideas, value their seat at the table and truly take an interest in mentoring them.

Millennials—Don’t dismiss the Xers. They’re not just on your team; they are your coaches and trainers. Share your ideas with them, allow yourself to be mentored, and keep an open mind to their expertise. Your own professional development depends on wise teachers and guides, and Xers can be just that.

Let’s look at it this way. The three primary generations in today’s workplace are like a big sandwich. Boomers are the slice of bread on top. Millennials are the slice of bread on the bottom. And the Xers? We’re the meat in the middle. And what good is a sandwich without the meat?

Like I said, I try to make myself feel good about my generation. And you can feel good about Xers, too. Remember them. Utilize them. Value them. And just watch all those customers start lining up to take a bite into your sandwich.