On Hiring Teenagers and Young Adults

A tale of two teenage employees… I walked into a restaurant, and a teenage employee with an indifferent attitude served me. She didn’t even say “Thank you.” Later that week, at a different restaurant, a young employee welcomed me with a smile and a warm greeting. And as I was leaving, she smiled and thanked me for coming in.

When you hire a teenager, I’ll argue that any positive attitude they have at work does not come from an employee training session. No, they had that positive attitude before they ever applied for the job. Bruce Nordstrom claims that at Nordstrom’s Department Stores, the employees’ original training came from their parents, not the Nordstrom’s sales training program.

I’ve been fortunate to have several fabulous high school and college students work their summer internships with me. In the interviewing process, it is so easy to spot the positive attitudes. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and the pride in their work is to be admired.

This leads me to introduce Eric Chester, the recognized expert in hiring and motivating the young workforce. He has just announced a program called Bring Your “A” Game to Work.

An individual’s work ethic develops when they are young. They are influenced by their parents, friends and their first employers. This program helps kids develop a great work ethic and mindset. It sets them up for their future. As Eric says, “We would never allow a 16-year-old to get behind the wheel of a car before they learn how to drive. We must also stop allowing teens into the workplace until after they have learned what is expected of them and how they can succeed. The “A” Game is going to become the driver’s ed for the workplace.”

I’m plugging his website because I believe in his program. In most cases, the root of any employee delivering great customer service starts with the jobs they had as a teenager. Check out Eric’s program. Even if you don’t hire teens, the information is relevant to a workforce of any age.

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.

(Copyright ©MMXII, Shep Hyken)