And she isn’t alone. The store’s front-end arm comprises of equally young and vibrant people with diverse backgrounds but with a common purpose of having fun at work! Take the case of 29-year-old DJ Gokul Kadam, who works as the Diesel Store Patrol or 26-year-old model or yoga instructor Komal Kriplani or even Irish engineer Joseph Flynn. The Diesel outlet is undoubtedly, a melting pot! Such is the recruitment strategy adopted by some of the premium brands like Timberland, Hard Rock Café & Diesel to reach out to the target customers of India, which spells new territory.

These brands have left no stone unturned to succeed in the new endeavour. Be it social networking sites, informal gatherings like parties, discotheques, salons or even employee referrals, they are just all over the place. The reason behind this new way of targetting the market is to get the youth on board who are all for rock music, fashion, adventure sports and are part of the target group, to promote and sell their products.

Darshan Mehta, CEO, Reliance Brands, which brought Diesel and Timberland Stores to India, clearly points out the importance of such innovative marketing techniques, “These people can easily understand the needs and aspirations of young consumers, being of the same age group and share the same tastes. Besides, identifying preferences of customers correctly is important for any brand to succeed.”

If the expansion plans of these brands are anything to go by, Diesel is kicked about opening up three new outlets, whereas, two have already started business. Hard Rock Café(HRC) is managing five stores in the country, while, Timberland Stores is all set to start four stores with a front-end employee strength of 24 people.

The total number of employees working at HRC all over India is approximately 200 to 250, of which the majority is under 30. For instance, 27-year old Vasim Sheikh an operations supervisor at Hyderabad, who has been with HRC for a total of four years, is probably the oldest! . “I was searching for a job when an ad helped me locate the opportunity at HRC. A blend of music and work seemed too alluring,” he asserts.

Another music enthusiast, Kugglen D’souza, a fan of musician DBoy,was destined to be at HRC which can be made out from his tale of realisation. He narrates, “Whenever I came here, everything looked great — the music, people, their clothes, hairstyles… I loved the way they worked. So, I walked in one day asking for a job and they happily agreed.” He joined HRC this January after completing Class 12.

He further explains that his craze for hip-hop made things easier for him during the interview. It must be noted that, the employees at HRC are trained to equip them for such roles.

“We have two extreme retail talent pools in the country — one for mass retail and another for luxury brands. For brands like ours, neither of the two fits in. We need a cool, easy-going pool of individuals to whom buyers can communicate their requirements,” says Jay Singh, co-founder and executive director, HRC India.

One of the crowdpullers is the environment at these outlets, which tends to be easy-going and informal. “It’s difficult for me to work in a tightly regulated work place. At Diesel, I get that freedom,” says Gokul Kadam, who transforms into a disc jockey on weekends with Fashion Bar and Lounge, Ashoka Hotel in the Capital.

Despite the success of the strategy, roadblocks are unavoidable. Here, they come in the form of unavailibilty of candidates in India. So how do they manage it? “Any model, when tried for the first time, poses a huge challenge but once established, yields good results. We have already started getting cold calls from many who have visited the stores asking for a job,” says Mr Mehta.

Share this article

Older Americans, Baby Boomers in particular, have watched as their retirement and investment accounts have decreased significantly in value and their retirement plans have gone out the window. A great many Baby Boomers did not plan adequately for retirement and have come to the realization that Social Security won’t provide them with enough money to live on. These factors are contributing to a shift in America’s employment demographics.

When employers review their employment practices, they have to look at both sides to this issue. Should they try to maintain an older, more experienced workforce or is it in their best interests to lower the average age of their employees? There are pluses and minuses to both of these strategies.

A great many employers believe that it makes more sense to keep their Baby Boomers working because they have more experience and job knowledge. Would you rather have an employee with 2 or 3 years of experience, or 25 years of experience? In the past, employees over 50 had health issues and declining mental acuity. Today, that is not the case. The Baby Boomer generation is healthier and more energetic than past generations. Score one for the Boomers.

Other employers, particularly those in emerging technologies and creative fields are looking for employees that can provide more “out of the box” thinking and innovative approaches to problem solving. The younger generation workers argue that they are better equipped for these types of positions. Steve Jobs, a Baby Boomer himself, might argue this point, although I am sure if you look at the age breakdown at Apple, their workers probably tend to be younger.

Another issue is cost. Younger employees tend to be less expensive than their older counterparts both in salary and benefits. I know a number of folks who have lost their jobs to younger workers simply because the employer wanted to reduce personnel costs and improve their bottom line.

On the other side of the coin, some employers believe that the older workers are more reliable, dependable and have a stronger work ethic. Then again, some employers believe that younger workers can’t match older workers in math and reading skills.

Younger workers are generally more skilled in using and applying technology to their jobs. Most have grown up with cell phones, social media and computers. So they have no fear when it comes to using or embracing new technologies to solve problems.

Each group has its pluses and minuses. And my observations are for the most part, demographic generalizations. You will find that some older candidates are more in tune with technology than their younger rivals and some younger candidates are more likely to be more dependable than their older rivals. Some older candidates are willing to work for less and some younger candidates are able to do more with less experience.

Are you totally confused about who will make the best employee for your organization? What is the best approach to hiring? The best approach is to determine which candidate is the best fit for that particular position. But do remember that past history is the best predictor of future performance.

What is your take on this topic? Who would you hire? Does age play an important role in your hiring decisions?

About the Author:
Mr. Mac McKinley is in high tech marketing and management for last 27 years.

Share this article