InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - The millennial generation or generation Y (Gen Y) is the demography person who were born from 1981 to 2000. Knowing that the generation is the sign to the new millennium, which is, millennia 21, the millennial generation is more popular called as generation Y. They are the persons from Baby Boomers era (1946 – 1964) and few from Gen X (1965-1980). Millennial generations are about 17 to 38 years old (productive age).
The result of many researchers revealed that the millennial generations tend to be unique compared to the previous ones. The unique is from the thick technology usage and pop culture or music. The millennial always connects to internet, entertainment, and travelling. These generations use gadget and instant technology communication, such as, facebook, Instagram, whatsapp, twitter, path, and they love to play online games.
It can be said that the characteristic of the millennial generations is to make technology as their lifestyle. But they also have many positive characteristics, such as, creative, optimist, open minded, more reactive to the changes, have self-confidence, pay more attention to ‘wealth’, and hard worker in the business they do to be enjoyed by making challenging adventure.
The weakness of the millennial generations is instant mentality. They tend to get fast outcome, like to complain on the work that needs power and spends more time, not ready to up – down or fail for many times, insecure in the work environment that could not immediately be in the higher position. They who work in the plantation are mostly as assistant, head assistant, and few could be in manager up.
Based on the age, the plantation leaders were mostly from Gen X and few of them were from Baby Boomers. Gen X has significant character in the most which is significantly different from Gen Y. Gen X could accept the changes well and called as the tough generation, has independent character, loyal, and prioritizes self-image and hard worker. Gen X also has disadvantages, such as, always calculate the contribution he has given to a company with his outcome. Gen X and Y certainly have the positive and negative. By understanding their differences, it is hoped that the management or company leaders could understand their characteristic to develop the leadership style and culture of company to be more effective.
In Indonesia, the proportion of the millennial generations are about 34,45% of the total citizen (Aziz 2018). It means that the numbers of millennial generations would have the significant roles to the future of this country and would influence the future of palm oil plantation in Indonesia. One future key of palm oil plantation in Indonesia depends on how we should be more creative to manage the millennial human resources. If we as the leaders could manage them well, they could support the progress in the company. But if we are not sensitive to their characteristic (of Gen Y) and do not change our behavior to manage them, the company would have issues.
The re-open crude palm oil (CPO) trade to Europe and China that would multiply CPO imports, the policy of biodiesel and bio-avtur for the flight, these would be new ‘vitamin’ to get more stamina to develop palm oil plantations in Indonesia. But the progress would face the crisis of human resources, not because of the numbers but because of their character, demand, and interests to work at palm oil plantations to decrease.
Human capital practitioners do know the human resource crisis because they are difficult to get talented students from the university. The preferences of the candidates tend to work in the urban and non-plantation sectors. In brief, if it is difficult to get workers as staff level, it is more difficult to get harvesters. On the other hand, Central Bureau of Statistic noted that the unemployment in Indonesia per August 2017 reached 7,04 men. These are the challenges. What would palm oil plantation do to be existing and developing in the future?
To re-develop and re-increase the interest of working in palm oil plantation, it needs support and strategy collaboration from the stakeholders. Re-branding is one way to make the company as employee of choice (EOC). Branding could be done internally and externally. There are five factors for the company to be EOC, they are, V.O.I.C.E which stand for Vision of the company; Opportunity in career; Incentive to get; Community, and Entrepreneur to give to the talents. (*)
By: HR Vice President Teladan Prima Group, Sutarto Hadi (Member Executive - Indonesian Planter Society/IPS)
