Attracting Millennials To Jan/San With Technology

Do you see the use of technology as a selling point to attract young professionals to jan/san?

Yes, and it gets asked about in the interview process. Candidates are checking out our website and typically inquiring about the technology tools we have and offer.
— Mark Melzer, President, NASSCO, New Berlin, Wisconsin


Yes, technology is the key to attracting younger professionals into our industry. Young professionals are used to an environment with technology. Many of them have recently come out of education environments where they were technology involved, so they are looking for careers that follow what they have learned and used.
— Eric Cadell, Vice President of Operations, Dutch Hollow Janitorial Supplies, Belleville, Illinois


I believe the technology we are developing at Maintex is interesting to the younger generation. Although we are not thought of as a "high-tech" industry the tools we use to deliver our products and messages we send are the same as high-tech companies. Whether people are selling cars, food, travel or other devices it will be on the internet. It is becoming as much about how we sell things than what we actually sell. Forward thinking jan/san firms can be an exciting place for the younger generation to work.
— Linda Silverman, President, Maintex, City of Industry, California


For H.T. Berry our technology is a road map for the future success of our company and I believe our technology is a main asset for luring new talent to our people.
— Chris Nolan, President, H.T. Berry, Canton, Massachusetts


Absolutely, the younger generation has been brought up using iPads, smartphones, tablets, etc. This is why we are upgrading our current system. Our sales representatives will be able to have real time data at their fingertips using a tablet or smartphone. The quicker we as an organization can respond to our customer’s needs, the better.
— Andrew S. Parker, Vice President, T. Frank McCall's Inc., Chester, Pennsylvania


Yes, they’ve grown up with it and it’s a normal portion of their life. By being able to easily communicate with others in their age group, they can develop a trust and professionalism with customers through the use of these tools. Technology offers them the ability to more in less time, leading to more productive commissioned sales representatives.
— Jim Smith, Executive Vice President, HP Products, Indianapolis


Absolutely. As the younger generation who grew up with technology enters the workforce, I think they will be looking for forward-thinking companies to work with rather than being eternally frustrated with "old fashioned" oriented companies.
— Scott Uselman, Manager and Director of Sales, High Point Sanitary Solutions, Houston

Dan Weltin is the editor-in-chief of Sanitary Maintenance and Contracting Profits