Publix among companies challenged to retain millennial workers

By Justine Griffin for the Tampa Bay Times

publix

For years, Publix Super Markets captured accolade after accolade for being one of the best places to work in the United States.

After all, the Lakeland-based grocery chain makes a contribution to each employee’s retirement account in the form of Publix stock every year. With more than 177,000 employees in six states, nearly 10,000 have worked for the company for 20 years or more, which is significant for a company of its size. Publix keeps a running, competitive list of the top 200 employees with at least 40 years logged with the company.

But like many other companies, Publix is struggling to come up with new ways to keep the millennial generation engaged — and employed for the longer term.

“Millennials lived through the economic crisis in 2007 and beyond. They saw their parents and other family members get laid off, so their perception of loyalty is very different,” said Moez Limayem, dean of the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business. “They expect companies to keep them engaged, and if they’re not getting that, they’ll leave.”

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