Generalizing people based on the generation they belong to is seemingly apparent in the current zeitgeist. What should have been an opportunity to better understand people and provide support based on each segment’s strengths and weaknesses, unfortunately, created divides between each generation.

Colonel Brenda Deitzman joins Justice Clearinghouse to help us understand each other’s insights and motivations as it relates to the generation they belong to. Brenda is a resource speaker and the co-founder of Wayfinder Consulting, LLC, an organization that provides evidence-based training solutions and inspiring presentations for individual and organizational improvement.  Her prolific law enforcement and corrections career gave her the experience to tackle some of its most pressing issues as recruitment, retention, leadership, and resilience.

This course’s specifics include:

• A rundown on the different generations seen in the current workplace.
• Unpacking the various facets that influence how each generation is as such.
  • The concept of motivation framed based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and how Millennials and Gen Zers are motivated by the topmost needs on the pyramid – esteem and self-actualization.
  • The parenting style that shifted from a parent-centric approach to one that is focused on the children and their activities.
  • Learning through play: The external factors that created the differences and the values and qualities that these instilled into the kids.
  • The concept of Everyone Gets A Trophy that Millennials and Gen Zers are used to and how this can either develop or compromise them.
  • The amount of change the generations are exposed to particularly technological advances that impacted their consumption of information.
  • The apparent impatience that Millennials and Gen Zers and how this manifests in the workplace.
  • Other Millennials and Gen Zers characteristics to consider.
• The key factors that Millennials and Gen Zers consider when it comes to their workplace/employer.
• Attracting Millennials and Gen Zers into your agencies through engagement instead of traditional marketing.
• Engagement strategies, programs, and tools to employ in recruitment and retention that capitalize on Millennials’ and Gen Zers’ inherent motivators.

Webinar attendees’ questions were about:

• How the negative image of policing is likely to impact recruitment and retention.
• Not solely relying on generational stereotypes but on each individual’s unique motivators to better work with them.
• Going beyond self-actualization.
• What Baby Boomers and Gen Xers can do to add value to Millennials and Gen Zers’ careers and lives.
• Holding accountability in a team setting.

Other Webinars in this Series Include:

• Marketing and Hiring: How to Stand Out When You’re a Small Fish in a Big Pond
• Creating a Constant Stream of Recruits: Finding Great People to Meet Your Agency’s Goals
• Responding to a Recruiting Crisis: Using Innovative Tactics to Transform Your Recruiting Practices
• The Workforce Crisis and What Law Enforcement Agencies Are Doing about It.
• Recruiting and Retention of Police: Strategies for Small and Medium-Sized Agencies
• (This Webinar) The New Generations: How to Recruit, Retain and Motivate
• July 28: Creating an Agency Culture of Excellence that Attracts the Right Recruits, Keeps the Right Team, and Promotes the Right People
• Aug 27:  The Secret Sauce to Finding the Best Candidates
• Nov 3: Creating and Maintaining a Great Workforce: Recruiting and Retaining Quality Employees
• Dec 10: Recruiting the Next Generation to Your Agency

Audience Comments

• “The instructor’s style – very engaging and easy to follow. Very practical.” — Alex
• “Learning about the generational differences was extremely insightful and even more so how to navigate through those differences.” — Andrew
• “Brenda takes the lead on best presenter on your medium!” 🙂 — Alan
• “Best ways to reach out to other generations in an effective manner for recruiting purposes. This was very useful, and I will share it with the recruiting department.” — Alexandria
• “Speaker is a WEALTH of KNOWLEDGE – one hour was too short! I should have taken a snapshot of the 4-generations info – VERY helpful for workplace and family/friends situations! Maslow is timeless. With all agencies having difficulties hiring and retaining, Thank you for this timely topic. GREAT suggestions.” — Roseann
• “This was a great down to Earth speaker and her message really hit home for me.” –Cris
• “Speaker was great. Interesting discussion on the different generations in the workforce and how each needs to be handled differently.” — David
• “This was fantastic information. It helped me personally understand my family structure in addition to helping me professionally.” — Dawn
• “My children fall into the Millennial and the Gen Z generations and now I have learned why they are so different, which is kind of strange based on the fact that they were all raised the same way. Knowing what is important to people in various age ranges is very valuable in how you address, reward, and interact with people/staff in different generations.” — Eugene
• “Enjoyed this training, I’m a Millennial and I hope/wish my supervisor and chain of command sat in on this presentation.  This presentation has made me hopeful, someone actually understands me.” — Malcolm