How to futureproof your business with early career talent
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FUTUREPROOF YOUR COMPANY WITH EARLY CAREER TALENT
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By 2025, Gen Z will make up approximately 27% of the workforce, even outnumbering their closest generational group - millennials. ‘Early’ talent can add immense value to your business, making an impact that sets you apart from the competition.
Find out how and why you should focus on attracting top talent from the newest generation of rising stars.
How do you define early talent?
Early talent refers to workers with less than five years of professional work experience. This group of people includes students about to graduate from or leave school, college or university. However, the term can also include people upskilling at industry bootcamps or through another certificate programme, such as Hays Skills.
What are the benefits of hiring early talent?
Including new talent in your long-term workforce plans can have many benefits for your business. This generation are often:
Digital innovators: Gen Z are the first generation to have no memory of a time pre-internet. This group is often quick to pick up new platforms and technologies. For companies looking to innovate and stay ahead of the curve, the tech skills of early talent can be invaluable.
A cost-effective investment: Even with a competitive benefits package, hiring a capable employee with less experience will save money on yearly salaries. These individuals offer a cost-effective investment in the future of your organisation.
More diverse: Early talent often want to work for companies where diversity, equity and inclusion are part of the employer brand. Embracing diversity through hiring early talent will help ensure these values are more than just afterthoughts.
Creative problem solvers: Gen Z grew up with infinite knowledge at their fingertips. This generation of early talent knows how to find answers to their questions with ease. Simply give them a problem and they will discover a creative solution.
Career focused: The struggle of the 2008 global recession is a childhood memory for many of Gen Z. As a result, job stability and career advancement are important values. Many are also aware of just how quickly the world is changing around them, with recent developments in natural language processing and automation reshaping our understanding of work. Upskilling and being proactive about learning online can help Gen Z make a meaningful impact in their role.
How can early career recruiters help with talent acquisition?
Using a specialist supplier that you can trust to support your early careers pipeline is a great investment in the future of your organisation.
Our Early Careers experts will help you identify opportunities to tailor your recruitment processes and secure the brightest talent. Whether you are looking for end-to-end support, a toolkit to address a specific challenge or bespoke consultancy, we will work closely with you. Our goal is to build an early talent pipeline that meets the needs of your business.
Plan for the future with an early career talent strategy
Which early talent recruitment strategies are most effective? Young talent want reassurance that a clear career path lies ahead of them. Make it clear that your business offers learning and development programmes, in addition to opportunities for growth and progression. It’s also important to communicate your corporate social responsibility. Be clear on your values and share your diversity, equality and inclusion (DE&I) strategy.
Your approach should always have a personal touch. Mass communication over email or social media will feel disingenuous. Think carefully about how you engage, the content you share and how you reach out to potential employees.
Why is attracting early career talent so important right now?
Every business needs innovators to keep up with the competition. Employers are currently competing for specialists in their field in order to bridge talent gaps.
By recruiting early talent, you can build a workforce eager to make their mark. As such, this generation may quickly match the skills of their counterparts in other businesses, with the support of a strong development and training strategy. Through effective early career talent management, you can develop your workforce for long term success and build all the skills you need – becoming a talent creator, not just a consumer.
When planning for future success, be proactive in building partnerships with education providers and relevant networks so you don’t miss out in the competition for early talent. By doing so, you’ll be transforming your company for the better, for generations to come.
Find more advice on hiring early in career talent with Enterprise Solutions
Looking to future proof your organisation? Get in touch today, or dive deeper into our library of content here:
- The importance of EVP for the next generation of employees
- How to manage your multi-generational workforce: 3 top tips for leaders
- Energy companies: How to attract Gen Z talent