Talking about my generation is profitable
Major companies have to come up with right benefits to hang on to young employees
Liu Xinfang works as a barista at Starbucks and used to worry about health insurance for her aging parents.
Her father was a farmer from Weinan city of Shaanxi province while her mother worked in a factory before they retired.
In her late 20s, Liu is employed by the world’s leading coffershop chain in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi province in West China.
Earlier this year, she was delighted when Starbucks Corp rolled out a parent care program, which covers health insurance.
“My father is very happy to hear such good news,” said Liu. “Before the scheme, I tried to purchase insurance for my father but he refused.”
Starbucks has already financed critical illness insurance for more than 12,000 parents of employees.
“It’s a great relief that the company has taken a leadership position to support the health and care of our aging parents,” Liu said.
Staff such as her were born during the single child era and face huge financial pressure when looking after aging parents.
Hardly surprising then that employment packages with healthcare and family care benefits help retain employees in a cutthroat retail sector.
Starbucks, for example, has more than 2,800 stores in China, across about 130 cities. The company also has nearly 40,000 “partners” with the aim to “create a welcoming environment” where staff feel “a warm sense of belonging”.
“Supporting critical illnesses for aging parents exemplifies what we believe is our responsibility as a global public company and honors the family values deeplyrooted in the Chinese culture,” said Howard Schultz, executive chairman of Starbucks, who announced the scheme.
Another initiative rolled out is the “Bean Stock” program. Benefits include housing allowances for full-time baristas and shift supervisors.
The Career Coffee Break scheme also recognizes long-serving partners. They have the option of taking 12 months unpaid leave after 10 consecutive years of service.
Staying competitive when it comes to hiring staff is crucial as China has become Starbucks’ largest and fastest growing international market since it opened its first store in 1999.
By 2021, the coffeehouse chain expects to operate 5,000 outlets in the country.
Simply put, that means in the next few years, Starbucks will open more than 500 cafes and create over 10,000 new jobs annually.
“To support this unprecedented growth agenda, we will need a store manager every 15 hours,” said Wei Chen, vicepresident of Starbucks China. “And a district manager every week.”
At the Seattle-based company, employees can progress from barista to coffee master to coffee ambassador, while the Starbucks China University offers courses in retail management and leadership.
Programs likes these helped Starbucks win the Aon Best Employers – China 2017 award in August for market-leading practices after a comprehensive study of 113 businesses here.
Millennials, people born between the 1980s and the late 1990s, have officially become the largest generation in the workforce, according to Aon Hewitt, the management consulting services.
“As companies grow, they will also need to consider how their consumer base is changing as well,” Aon Hewitt stated. “This means that understanding the desires of this segment is essential to recognizing future workforce trends.”
By 2020, they will make up 50 percent of the workforce, so it is crucial to find out their career ambitions and their consumer habits.
“Trust is very important when managing this younger generation,” said Melissa Lam, general manager and chief representative at EF Education First China. EF Education First is the world leading private educational institute based in Sweden.
For example, the institute’s social platform here is managed by Alison Wang, who is just 25.
The reason behind this is that most of the users are roughly the same age.
“We think the main audience on social media sites is the post-1990s generation,” said Lam. “Younger people of a similar age, who use similar language.
“They communicate on the same level and Alison actually did a great job,” she added.
The average age of staff at Education First is 29 with 66 percent from Generation Y or the under 30s.
Known as EF, the international institute specializes in language training, educational travel, degree programs and cultural exchange.
“The Y generation is active on social media platforms,” Lam said. “They are keen to share their experiences with friends.”
To cater for this, EF has launched BFF to EFF or “Best Friend Forever to EF Friend Forever”. The company has also rolled out summer parties for its staff in China.
These events help employees to “relax and talk” with colleagues.
“Every year our branches across the country hold summer breakfast parties, where we gather all the staff from that region,” said Lam.
“Free breakfast and coffee creates a positive feeling among employees,” she added. “Breakfast is a great occasion to relax and talk.”
Making sure staff are given the opportunity to enhance their skills and creativity is crucial at the Shanghai Disney Resort, where more than 10,000 “cast members”, or personnel, entertain and serve customers.
Most of them are Millennials and many are looking for a career path inside one of the world’s leading entertainment companies.
“The resort has created a variety of HR measures and programs to help cast (staff) and enhance their sense of belonging,” said Lara Tiam, vice-president of human resources at Shanghai Disney Resort and Walt Disney International’s Greater China.
“This in turn boosts their sense of belonging, builds enthusiasm and encourages them to achieve personal career goals, while at the same time delivering Disney’s signature quality service to all guests,” she added.
Disney’s staff scheme covers healthcare, as well as a mentoring program to support employees.
The resort also provides consultations for “cast members” who face problems or challenges at work and during their daily lives.
“Be Well” is another project which helps employees build a healthier lifestyle through talks and group activities.
Naturally, while “cast members” are encouraged to create “Magical Moments” for guests, a tradition at any Disney destination, they also take part in spellbinding events.
“Backstage Magic” appreciation shows reward “cast members” for their efforts and dedication.
“We organize a wide range of leisure activities, from singing concerts to sports games, for our cast members to enrich their personal lives,” Tiam said. “This also helps them better know their fellow (employees) who they work with every day,” she added.
It’s a great relief that the company has taken a leadership position to support the health and care of our aging parents.”
Liu Xinfang ,