Cast Member Standards

DisneyHead123

Well-Known Member
I’m fortunate my predecessor hired a good team (and I’ve attempted to keep that going with my hires), but I also recognize the different traits among the various generations - and most importantly, the WHY behind that. Which is how I learned to turn their traits into a benefit.
I was kind of between Gen X and the Millennials, back when we had latchkey kids, lots of aimless time during childhood, and very questionable educational standards. 😆 Honestly some of these kids coming up today who walk in the door with their 20 color coded spreadsheets and time management app make me feel like a slouch - some of them grew up in that pressure cooker, test-scores-first, extra-curriculurs-every-second environment and that's just what they're used to. I do think there are some generational differences - like often the younger generation needs a lot of praise, while I will hiss and scuttle back under my rock with too much effusive language, lol, but overall I don't see any decline in work quality. If anything I feel standards in my field have gotten higher.
 

mkt

When a paradise is lost go straight to Disney™
Premium Member
I was kind of between Gen X and the Millennials
Same generation, Xennial.

In my case, having younger talent on the team has motivated the "less young" employees to up their game. I push for a really collaborative environment, and my younger employees are great at sharing their newer knowledge with the "less young" ones. At the same time, the younger folks soak up as much wisdom from the more experienced members of the team as they can.

I'm right in the middle of the generations on my team. Even though I manage the team, I jump in and work alongside them during busy periods. I've picked up a lot of new processes and skills from the younger employees, while the more experienced team members have helped me navigate office politics and find ways to avoid duplicating work.
 

DisneyHead123

Well-Known Member
Same generation, Xennial.

In my case, having younger talent on the team has motivated the "less young" employees to up their game. I push for a really collaborative environment, and my younger employees are great at sharing their newer knowledge with the "less young" ones. At the same time, the younger folks soak up as much wisdom from the more experienced members of the team as they can.

I'm right in the middle of the generations on my team. Even though I manage the team, I jump in and work alongside them during busy periods. I've picked up a lot of new processes and skills from the younger employees, while the more experienced team members have helped me navigate office politics and find ways to avoid duplicating work.

That sounds like a great approach!
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
I don’t think I agree with this (except of course about being managed better). They wouldn’t need the absolutely massive college program if Central Florida had enough people willing to work these jobs. It doesn’t. With Epic coming I honestly think all the parks are gonna be struggling for adequate staffing.
College program are expendable. Hiring them give them the shifts the senior cast don’t want, pay them less , also keep those Disney college apts full when charging them rent.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
I was kind of between Gen X and the Millennials, back when we had latchkey kids, lots of aimless time during childhood, and very questionable educational standards. 😆 Honestly some of these kids coming up today who walk in the door with their 20 color coded spreadsheets and time management app make me feel like a slouch - some of them grew up in that pressure cooker, test-scores-first, extra-curriculurs-every-second environment and that's just what they're used to. I do think there are some generational differences - like often the younger generation needs a lot of praise, while I will hiss and scuttle back under my rock with too much effusive language, lol, but overall I don't see any decline in work quality. If anything I feel standards in my field have gotten higher.
Companies some of them love hiring the younger ones off the street pay them less give the more responsibility while the older senior crew making more money are pushed out the door.
 

Vegas Disney Fan

Well-Known Member
Regarding whether Gen Z workers are any different than previous generations - I think every generation is initially bemoaned when they enter the workforce. I suspect part of it is that people forget what it's like to be that young. Human brains don't finish developing until around age 25, and everyone tends to have some blinds spots where they're clueless when they first start working. Everyone talked about how fragile Millennials were, and they ended up being the ones at the core of "Hustle Culture". I think that Gen Z will find their way,
I don’t even think it has to do with brain development or anything like that, everyone just needs time to figure jobs out, even easy ones, I worked with a fairly new hire today (a 20 something who’s been with us a couple months) and it was driving me crazy that I’d send him to get something and he’d come back with just that one thing, or he’d come back empty handed because he couldn’t find it in the “normal” spot… it’s easy to forget that what’s simple and straightforward for me, after 20+ years, isn’t so simple for someone who’s only been doing it for a month. A casino is a giant place, he hasn’t had time to learn all the storage areas, the backup storage areas, the efficiency of combining a dozen tasks into a single trip, what other departments we can cost transfer with if we run out of something, etc. Even for something as simple as grabbing product it takes time to become efficient. Despite being frustrated I didn’t get mad, I just told him the other places to look and sent him back out, it’s the only way he’ll learn. It takes time.

The funny thing is in a few years he’ll know all the tips and tricks and he’ll probably be frustrated when he gets stuck with a new guy who doesn’t know what he’s doing yet, it’s just how it works.
 

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
like often the younger generation needs a lot of praise, while I will hiss and scuttle back under my rock with too much effusive language, lol, but overall I don't see any decline in work quality.
I think it's more that we want a lot of feedback, both good and bad. I don't like it if a boss just says to me "you're doing fine." I want to know specifically where I'm doing well and where I'm doing poorly; lack of feedback makes me anxious about my overall performance. And if I never hear anything positive, I question whether the role is a good fit.

I've known others in my age group who are also like this.
 

nickys

Premium Member
I think it's more that we want a lot of feedback, both good and bad. I don't like it if a boss just says to me "you're doing fine." I want to know specifically where I'm doing well and where I'm doing poorly; lack of feedback makes me anxious about my overall performance. And if I never hear anything positive, I question whether the role is a good fit.

I've known others in my age group who are also like this.
This is not just a generational thing. 😊

I’m somewhat older than you and I too want constructive feedback. Without it how does anyone improve their performance?

I do have a lot of sympathy for your generation. It’s going to take a while for some to adjust to work.

And at school we are seeing drastic effects of complete isolation for 18 months both for those who hadn’t started school, and also the kids who had on-off home learning for that time.
 

Mark Dunne

Well-Known Member
Cant complain, they've always looked after us when ever we ask them something, even the C.M from the WDW TRAVEL COMPANY over the phone are very good, these people deal with thousands of people on a daily basis, with all different personalities, i wouldn't be asking the question C.M standard's, id ask the question, why are some people so rude these days, like they have a given right to abuse these helpful folk, and by the way there pretty young some of them, imagine if your teenager was being shouted at by the public, Yes its become expensive, but lets not yell at the C.M for that, or complain, there still the heart beat of the company .
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Same generation, Xennial.

In my case, having younger talent on the team has motivated the "less young" employees to up their game. I push for a really collaborative environment, and my younger employees are great at sharing their newer knowledge with the "less young" ones. At the same time, the younger folks soak up as much wisdom from the more experienced members of the team as they can.

I'm right in the middle of the generations on my team. Even though I manage the team, I jump in and work alongside them during busy periods. I've picked up a lot of new processes and skills from the younger employees, while the more experienced team members have helped me navigate office politics and find ways to avoid duplicating work.
One thing the new blood young talent helps out us older team members is when we get our newest iPhones these guys are more tech savvy and can help us navigate and understand our new phones that we just purchased or were given to us by our division. Information is at our fingertips as opposed to going to the library back in the day looking up info on microfilm.
 

Eric Graham

Well-Known Member
Cant complain, they've always looked after us when ever we ask them something, even the C.M from the WDW TRAVEL COMPANY over the phone are very good, these people deal with thousands of people on a daily basis, with all different personalities, i wouldn't be asking the question C.M standard's, id ask the question, why are some people so rude these days, like they have a given right to abuse these helpful folk, and by the way there pretty young some of them, imagine if your teenager was being shouted at by the public, Yes its become expensive, but lets not yell at the C.M for that, or complain, there still the heart beat of the company .
The WDW travel company is always such a complete gem to deal with always through and through. Oftentimes, I actually enjoy being on hold just to hear the wonderful Disney music. I always praise them highly in their reviews bc they are always so nice and so very kind. Thank you and have a magical day. (Heard that from somewhere else, who knows where...). Take care everyone...
 
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DisneyHead123

Well-Known Member
I think it's more that we want a lot of feedback, both good and bad. I don't like it if a boss just says to me "you're doing fine." I want to know specifically where I'm doing well and where I'm doing poorly; lack of feedback makes me anxious about my overall performance. And if I never hear anything positive, I question whether the role is a good fit.

I've known others in my age group who are also like this.

I can see that perspective for sure. As long as you’re not being micromanaged or dealing with unrealistic expectations, getting feedback can be helpful, especially when you’re new to the workforce and trying to find your footing.

Regarding being super independent at work - 90% of it is probably my personality, but I do think overall feedback was less prevalent in my generation. If you got feedback it meant you were doing something wrong, typically. Checking in to say “Btw, great job!” just wasn’t really a thing. So we learned to bristle at the attention, because it probably meant someone was unhappy. Also, in my school district there was this huge push towards “critical thinking skills”, and there was a kind of paranoia almost about “spoon feeding” information to students. I remember some girls in my class who were extremely organized and would ask for very detailed directions about every assignment, and at some point they would get a reprimand because this was considered “spoon feeding” and they were supposed to figure it out for themselves. (I think this would be considered very strange today!) We had more assignments where there wasn’t a definitive right or wrong answer, it was more about defending your position. I think that changed tremendously in the years following No Child Left Behind. There is a ton of focus on test scores now, and of course a test will involve right and wrong answers. I don’t think one way of doing things is definitely better or worse, they both have their pros and cons. But I do think there’s been a shift.
 

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
Four Seasons certainly does a better job than any WDW resort, by far. Disney basically doesn't know how to manage hotels, IMO.
They aren't a hospitality company, they're an entertainment company. I believe they're still planning to outsource their resort hotel operations, hence the homogenization of the decor over the past several years.
 

TalkToEthan

Well-Known Member
……..sat down at 9 Dragons very recently and the server was as pure USA as Mike “The Situation” Sarantino. Is Epcot hurting for authentic staff??
 

mkt

When a paradise is lost go straight to Disney™
Premium Member
They aren't a hospitality company, they're an entertainment company. I believe they're still planning to outsource their resort hotel operations, hence the homogenization of the decor over the past several years.
Your first statement is completely wrong.

The second they began to serve people food and drinks, and offer lodging, they became a hospitality company.

It may not be their core business, but it makes them a hospitality company.
 

Eric Graham

Well-Known Member
……..sat down at 9 Dragons very recently and the server was as pure USA as Mike “The Situation” Sarantino. Is Epcot hurting for authentic staff??
the staff has always been so nice and oh so friendly at 9 dragons...ive never had a problem...

It was also so very wonderfully and incredibly awesome how for my birthday one year that they gave me a very personable card..and they wrote a birthday message to me in Chinese. How wonderful was that. Isn't it the little things in life that make a difference!
 
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