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Elyssa Allahyar-Steiner, vice pres- ident of sales and marketing at Avanti Markets, agrees. The advancements of technology, she said, have made this industry exciting and excited, especially for younger professionals looking for careers. When Allahyar-Steiner entered the industry fve years ago shortly after college, she didn't think it would be a long-term plan. With the swift growth of micro markets, however, she saw manufacturers and operators alike have a new view of the industry and of the future of their businesses, and that was refreshing. Today, Allahyar-Steiner does some hiring for Avanti Markets and from a manufacturer perspec- tive she looks at candidates who are best qualifed, but notes that some- one with a technology background is a huge plus. "I just hired a 25-year- old sales representative, which is out of the ordinary, but I saw potential in him," she said. "It's also nice to get someone with a fresh set of eyes who is not familiar with the indus- try but has a technology background. Those candidates bring the innova- tion." When she looks at candidates, she says she looks for those who can evolve. "Because we are evolving every day." Brittany Morales, Millennial and senior business analyst with 365 Retail Markets, uses technol- ogy to intrigue the next generation of employees when she travels to college career fairs. A 365 kiosk at the company's booth at these college career fairs, she says, draws a lot of attention and interest from soon-to- be grads. "We thought we really had to compete with bigger brand names — 'sexy' brands, so to speak — to get the attention of the students," she said. "But we found that when we promoted our technology, we didn't need to sell the company, students were naturally interested and wanted to know more." Vending offers more responsibilities In order to appeal to the Millen- nial workforce, vending operators frst have to understand the Millen- nial employee. Among many other preferences, Millennials generally favor a clear work-life balance, an environment of collaboration and responsibilities, said McCall. The vending industry, he says, is a perfect offering for Millennials. "I think our new young professional hires were surprised by the amount of respon- sibility they could take on early into their career with us," he said. "They found out that the industry is fast- paced and dynamic and quite frankly our organization gave them far more responsibility than they would fnd with other larger companies." McCall points to one intern tasked with the responsibility of handling all of the company's social media. "She started with a few projects and then Tips To Attract & Retain Millennials HOST A MEET & GREET/ATTEND COLLEGE CAREER FAIRS Every operator can host a meet & greet for Millennials or visit a local college career fair. There, the operator can showcase his or her company and explain future outlook to perspective applicants enticing top talent. It is also an op- portunity to engage with a number of candidates in search of the ideal ft or strong potential. Don't have any positions open? No prob- lem. Going to a career fair gives businesses the chance to collect resumes so that when a position does come open, the operation already has resumes on fle with candidates that might ft the needs they're looking to fll. UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY/ SOCIAL MEDIA This is another way operators can at- tract Millennials to apply for openings. Vending operations can and should create online job opportunities and share them via social media. Social media is a free form of advertisement for vending companies; posting videos and photos of what's happening around the offce is one way to attract prospective employees. CREATE & PROMOTE A COLLABORATIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT As you're attracting young professionals, create and promote your company's fex- ible and collabora- tive work environment. Although vending operations may not be able to have fexible hours, they can certainly foster a fun environment where different ideas and views are heard and appreciated. Try hosting an 'employee night out' or offer 'perks' for fresh ideas that can save money or improve a process. GIVE RESPONSIBILITIES Millennials like to feel like their work is meaningful. Delegating projects and tasks early on is important. Vending operators can start with small tasks that grow, but the overall goal should be to offer the employee the freedom to make decisions on his or her own. Another way of attracting and retaining Millennials is by inviting them to participate in company meetings when decisions are being made. This inclusion not only lets the em- ployees know that their opinion is valued, it also can be a positive for vending operators who need a fresh perspective to a persistent problem. 20 Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com April 2016 W O R K F O R C E T R E N D S