Where and How to Successfully
Recruit the Millennial Generation
COLLEEN STANDRIDGE, SENIOR
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM,
GE HEALTHCARE CLP INTERN
AND
THOMAS DECARLO, PH.D. AND
BEN S. WEIL ENDOWED CHAIR OF INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
HMMC NATIONAL CONFERENCE
NOVEMBER 1– 3, 2011
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Overview
 Sales talent acquisition and the Millennial generation

Who are they? What motivates them?
 University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Medical
Equipment and Supplies Distribution Program
Key to Future Success
 Recruit, train, motivate and retain talented young
medical representatives.
 Significant drain of experienced sales reps by 2020.

50% of companies anticipate losing 15 – 30% of their
sales force talent by 2020.
 Costs associated with poor hiring decisions can be
significant.
Total Quality Management Comparisons
Six Sigma
Standard
6 Sigma +
Error Rate
3.4 per million
Business Application
Airline flight safety
Source: “Total Quality Sales Management, The HR Chally Group, 2008
Total Quality Management Comparisons
Six Sigma
Standard
Error Rate
Business Application
6 Sigma +
3.4 per million
Airline flight safety
5 Sigma
300 per million
Typical world-class manufacturers
Source: “Total Quality Sales Management, The HR Chally Group, 2008
Total Quality Management Comparisons
Six Sigma
Standard
Error Rate
Business Application
6 Sigma +
3.4 per million
Airline flight safety
5 Sigma
300 per million
Typical world-class manufacturers
4 Sigma
6 per 10,000
Manufacturing average
Source: “Total Quality Sales Management, The HR Chally Group, 2008
Total Quality Management Comparisons
Six Sigma
Standard
Error Rate
Business Application
6 Sigma +
3.4 per million
Airline flight safety
5 Sigma
300 per million
Typical world-class manufacturers
4 Sigma
6 per 10,000
Manufacturing average
3 Sigma
30 per 100
IRS phone tax advice
Source: “Total Quality Sales Management, The HR Chally Group, 2008
Total Quality Management Comparisons
Six Sigma
Standard
Error Rate
Business Application
6 Sigma +
3.4 per million
Airline flight safety
5 Sigma
300 per million
Typical world-class manufacturers
4 Sigma
6 per 10,000
Manufacturing average
3 Sigma
30 per 100
IRS phone tax advice
1.6 Sigma
45 per 100
Typical employment selection and
deployment
Source: “Total Quality Sales Management, The HR Chally Group, 2008
Millennial Generation Quiz
 The Millennial Generation was born in what years?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
1946 - 1964.
1965 - 1980.
1981 – 1996.
After 1996.
Are you kidding? I can’t remember my own birthday.
Millennial Generation Quiz
 The Millennial Generation was born in what years?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
1946 - 1964.
1965 - 1980.
1981 – 1996.
After 1996.
Are you kidding? I can’t remember my own birthday.
Millennial Generation Quiz
 The Millennial Generation makes up what percent of the
world’s population?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
5%
10%.
18%
25%
I don’t understand the question.
Millennial Generation Quiz
 The Millennial Generation makes up what percent of the
world’s population?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
5%
10%.
18%
25%
I don’t understand the question.
Millennial Generation Quiz
 What percentage of the Millennial Generation has a tattoo?
a.
b.
c.
d.
38%
32%.
15%
6%
Millennial Generation Quiz
 What percentage of the Millennial Generation has a tattoo?
a.
b.
c.
d.
38%
32%.
15%
6%
Millennial Generation Quiz
 Biggest complaint of Millennial’s?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Hearing you say, “When I was your age.”
Age discrimination
Office politics
No one asks their opinion
Millennial Generation Quiz
 Biggest complaint of Millennial’s?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Hearing you say, “When I was your age.”
Age discrimination
Office politics
No one asks their opinion
Millennial Generation Quiz
 Which of the following would best motivate a Millennial?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Tell me what you want. Give me the tools. Leave me alone.
No news is bad news. Feedback is essential.
Micromanage them and you’ll lose their loyalty.
What? You can’t motivate a Millennial to do anything.
Millennial Generation Quiz
 Which of the following would best motivate a Millennial?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Tell me what you want. Give me the tools. Leave me alone.
No news is bad news. Feedback is essential.
Micromanage them and you’ll lose their loyalty.
What? You can’t motivate a Millennial to do anything.
Defining Characteristics of Millennials
Defining
Characteristic
Characteristic
Development
Application
“Special”
•Rewards for
participation
•Provide rewards for individual & group work
•Provide feedback
•Teach to self-reward and self-monitor progress
“Sheltered”
•Structured
•Enforcement of rules
and regulations
•Clear instructions and expectations of
assignments
“Team Oriented”
•Works well in groups
•Socially active
•Collaborative learning
•Interactive learning
“Confident”
•High level of optimism •Provide clear definitions and paths to success
•Technologically savvy
•Include variety of technology in assignments
•Want to assist in creating •Provide feedback
own knowledge
It Takes More than Money
 Manager feedback needed for continued motivation
and performance.


Windshield time is considered a waste and detrimental to
morale, job satisfaction, and motivation.
Self-training modules in an easy to digest format derived from
relevant academic research and extensive field experience from
successful veteran medical reps.
 Provide leadership opportunities.
 E.g., technology adoption, research opportunities
Recruiting Challenges
 Where would you find young, technically competent,
medical salespeople that you can rely on to expand
your business?
 Answer: UAB’s Medical Distribution Program.
OUR ASSETS
STRENGTHS
School of Health Professions
University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Medical
Distribution Program
 Collaboration between UAB’s Business School and Medical School.
 Required classes from the School of Medicine or School of Natural Sciences and
Mathematics including anatomy, biology and chemistry;
 Required classes from the School of Health Professions such as health care
administration and health care financial management;
 Required “days in surgery” with a Professor of Neurosurgery and sessions with
multiple industry representatives

Students observe the use of surgical devices and the application of medical
implants in the OR;
 Required hands-on participation in procedures involving cadavers.
Medical Equipment & Supplies Manufacturers
OUR
DOMAIN
Hospitals
Clinics
Medical Equipment,
Supplies and
Drugs Distributors
Medical Specialists
(Dentists, Optometrists,
Specialty Doctors, etc.
Health Care Customers
Assisted
Living Centers
Medical Equipment & Supplies Distribution
DEGREE PROGRAM. 30 hours of directed professional course studies.
MKID Classes (17 hours)
MK 320
3 Industrial Distribution
MK 330
3 Professional Selling
MK 408
3 Marketing Research
MK 430
3 Industrial Distribution
MK 435
3 Industrial Distribution
MK 495
2 Industrial Distribution
Management
Operations
Problems
Practicum
Medical Distribution Classes (13 hours)
BY 115 4 Human Anatomy
AHS 330 3 Health Care Systems
AHS 350 3 Medical Terminology for Health Professionals
AHS 416 3 Financial Management in Health Care Organizations
• Med ID Majors must complete CH 105/106 Introductory Chemistry I and Laboratory.
• Students are encouraged to complete one core course in Biology.
MKID
Core
Med
Courses
Who Hires Our Medical Distribution Graduates?
 Cardinal Health
 GE Healthcare
 Beckman Coulter
 Stryker
 Medtronic
 Synthes
 McKesson
 Henry Schein
 And many others
To Learn More About This Program and
Our Students
Dr. Thomas DeCarlo
Ms. Kristen Craig
tdecarlo@uab.edu
kcraig@uab.edu
Marketing, Industrial Distribution & Economics
Business and Engineering Complex Suite 219
School of Business
University of Alabama at Birmingham
1150 10th Avenue South
Birmingham, Alabama 35294
Telephone 205.975.5810