Want new talent? Change the culture

Mark A. Rosner

Why is the railroad industry having a hard time attracting-and more important, retaining-young, high caliber management talent? From my perspective, the whole issue is not about recruiting the candidate with the "right" college degree or "pedigree"; it's about fundamentally changing the industry's culture.

Let's face it: Why would anyone want to stay in an industry where they have to give up their family, social, and personal life? Why would young managers want to stay in an industry where the person who is their superior is, more often than not, lacking mentoring skills, is reactionary, and (in many cases) verbally abusive? Why would young managers want to stay in an industry where many, if not most, of the employees that they manage earn more than they do, yet work the same amount of hours?

What would attract a young person to an industry that isn't glamorous, is generally pretty far away from the "cutting edge," and is militaristic in nature? On my first wedding anniversary, I was working as an assistant trainmaster for a Class I. The property was fighting some severe congestion and it was decreed, "all off days are canceled until further notice." My disappointed wife pointed out to me that in our first year of marriage I had not had a single holiday off and I never had an off day that fell on a weekend.

After the "crisis" was over, I approached my superior and asked what the possibility would be of getting a weekend off, so I could spend some time with my wife. His response "It will never (expletive deleted) happen. You don't have seniority, and you should tell your wife to get a different (expletive deleted) job." I began to question what I was doing in the industry and came very close to walking out the door for good.

Ultimately I decided that I needed to get away from that dysfunctional Class I. When I finished my job search I ended up with a regional carrier that was known for its entrepreneurial style. My new employer allowed me to run somewhat unbridled and I became part of the management team as opposed to a management tool.

What's my point? It's simple. To attract, and more important, retain, new and effective management talent, we must do several things:

First we must change our culture. We must eliminate archaic job titles and outmoded management practices. We also need to eliminate abusive managers and make such behavior a dismissible offense.

Second, we must provide new management talent the same quality of life that other industries provide. A talented manager won't hesitate to work extensive hours, but there needs to be a reward, and that reward is not always tangible. Many senior executives came up through the management ranks when the number of managers in the industry was substantially higher than it is today. In addition, in the "good old days," a manager in this industry had additional resources to call upon (clerks, etc.). Those days are gone. Most managers today do the work of what took four or more individuals in years past, without assistance.

Third, compensation packages need to be adjusted to keep good talent interested. The psychological implications of a manager earning less than his or her subordinates (yet assuming all of the responsibility as well as all of the grief) can be self-destructive. A young manager who is expected to work 70-plus hours per week should have more than just two weeks of vacation. In addition, when vacation does come, the manager's peers shouldn't be expected to work 80 or 90 hours per week to pick up the slack.

Finally, make sure young managers have an effective mentor and a career path. Give them encouragement, direction, and feedback. Let them know that if they perform, opportunities for career advancement will be there. Allow them to "think outside the box" and encourage creativity.

Until we address these issues and make this industry more attractive, we will have a hard time attracting top young management talent. Follow the suggestions above and you will have management talent beating down the doors.

In case you're wondering what makes me qualified to write about this subject, I'm 33 years old, have a B.S. in Business, and have worked in the industry since I graduated from college. I haven't decided to leave the industry-yet.

Mark A. Rosner is vice president-operations for Rail World, Inc., Chicago, Ill.