It is both risky and rewarding to try to cultivate younger employees. By helping them through their early career, you can increase staff loyalty and improve employee retention figures. As a result, this can help save time and money. Here are a few expert tips to get you started.
Work Directly with Students
Working with students can be beneficial for both your business and the students. You can help students learn valuable skills and contribute to the success of your business by giving them valuable experience and mentoring. Travis Preston of CalArts is a great example of a top leader. Like him, you can get more out of your student workers if you work with them in a direct and hands-on way that helps them learn about any topic through experience instead of studying.
Always Offer Feedback
Younger employees often want to know what to do. So giving them regular, helpful feedback can help them feel more interested in their work and keep them going. Be sure to tell them what they did well and give them advice on how they could improve. Do this as soon as possible after an event or situation happens so that the employee is still thinking about it. And be sure to give examples of what the employee did well and what they could do better moving forward.
Cultivate Your Younger Employees with Training
The most recent numbers show that 70% of companies have training programs. This is great because younger workers are often eager to learn and grow in their jobs. Giving them opportunities for training, skill-building, and career advancement can be a great way to keep them motivated. This could be done through job shadowing, mentorships, or professional development. Also, offer training opportunities, workshops, and courses to younger staff.
Incentivize for a Job Well Done
Workers can feel valued and appreciated if they see that their hard work and contributions are being acknowledged in public. You could start an employee recognition system or give bonuses or other rewards to employees who do a great job. It also helps to publicly thank your employees. This way, you can show appreciation for their great work and contributions. This could include award incentives like money, PTO and peer-to-peer recognition at work.
Give them a Sense of Purpose
Many younger workers are driven by the idea that their work is part of something bigger. Make sure to show how their work fits into the organization’s overall goal. And how their work is making a difference. Do this by giving younger employees a chance to take part in volunteer activities or community service projects that are in line with the values of your company. And always celebrate the achievements and milestones of your employees across the company.
Summary
There are many ways you can cultivate younger employees for a stronger workforce. It can be a challenge to implement all of these. But they offer a reliable long-term solution. You can work with students, provide training opportunities and give young staff a sense of belonging at work.
