Lately, I’ve been thinking about something Andrew Ritschel, president of EOS in Fairfield, New Jersey, told me when I interviewed him for our April cover story, “The Future of the Independent Dealer Channel.”
“Millennials are very transient; they don’t want to be tied into owning a home,” Ritschel said. “They want to pick up and go somewhere else two or three years later. That makes it hard for our business because how are you going to hire somebody and train them to become really good in our industry? It takes eight months to a year just to get them to do some things on their own. And then, year two, they’re gone.”
That’s Ritschel’s experience, and speaking with other dealers, this is not a unique perspective. This is a concern not only for the independent dealer channel, but also for the entire document imaging industry. This industry hasn’t quite figured out the formula for appealing to and retaining young professionals. We hear this concern again and again. I prefer to keep family businesses out of the discussion because that’s a different dynamic, and young people following in a parent’s footsteps is different than hiring someone with no familial connections to this industry. One might say that’s true of many industries, but focusing on this industry, it’s an ongoing challenge and no BTA seminar, trade press webinar, or OEM breakout session on the topic has been able to remedy the situation.
Even though that’s a hard truth to accept, there are exceptions, and we have discovered five not-so-hidden gems who we are featuring in this issue. Our Young Influencers cover story profiles millennials that are thriving in our industry, some of whom stepped into our industry without any previous ties. Perhaps reading about their career paths and their thoughts on making our industry more appealing to young people will provide new clues on recruiting and retaining young talent.
Already logged into the site? Download The Cannata Report’s diversification issue from this page as prompted.
Not logged in? Log in here, click on MAGAZINE, and download the issue as prompted.
You can also go back to the previous page and read the stories featured in the issue directly on our website, which follows this edition of HARD COPY | From the Editor’s Desk in our MAGAZINE section.
Access Related Content
