Over the next few years junior talent will make up half the global workforce and it’s predicted this number will have risen to a whopping 75% by just 2025.
Having grown-up in a digital world, they are the first fully connected generation and consequently have different behaviours, needs and aspirations in the workplace than those of previous generations. Comparing the attitudes of Baby Boomers to Millennials, shows this new generation are more vocal about what they want from their career; they are looking for financial stability and access to the property ladder, which in turn impacts on their expectations at work.
They tend to be more purpose driven; and often that goes hand-in-hand with an entrepreneurial mindset, which they will be looking to cultivate at work. They are continuous learners, collaborators, achievement-oriented, socially conscious and highly educated.
As a result, in order to attract the best talent you need to be offering more than just a monthly pay check.
Attracting Junior Talent
Whilst qualifications, job responsibilities and an overview of the company are still important factors in job adverts, they don’t necessarily give the in-depth perspective of what really motivates them. Companies need to re-think their marketing strategies and adopt a different outlook for attracting the best junior talent
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Show that you are invested in people
Job seekers want opportunities for progression - state in your advert how your company can help with their professional & personal growth. Show that you want them to develop and grow with your company.
- Ask questions
Posing conversational questions will increase engagement levels with your advert. It will make the reader think about what you are asking and whether or not they would be a good fit. e,g “Are you the type of person that loves talking to people?” By getting the person engaged they’re more likely to keep reading your advert.
- Show the personality of the business
As well as candidates ‘selling’ themselves to you through CVs or portfolios you need to make sure your company makes a good impression and stands out for the right reasons. Your advert is a great opportunity to showcase your company culture e.g. do you have a cool workspace, monthly social events, beer Fridays?
We spend most of our days at work, and research shows these ‘additional perks’ play a huge factor in the decision-making process.
- Don’t waffle
Long text heavy adverts will lose people’s interest fast. So, keep to the point and think about your formatting: bullet points, sub-headings etc… Try to make your advert easy to skim read from mobile devices, as people don’t want to be scrolling through endless pages on their phone. Stay focused and succinct.
Retaining Junior Talent
So, you’ve hired someone, but how do you ensure they’ll stay? Well, alongside thinking about how to best market your advert, you need to be thinking about your retention strategies too.
Here are a couple of thoughts to consider:
- Listen to them
The best way to learn about what people want from their job, is to talk and listen to them. Find out what they are hoping to achieve and accomplish within the company and see if you can help facilitate this.
- Regular feedback performance
Rather than relying on annual reviews, encourage regular feedback on the employee’s performance. People want to know if they are doing the right thing, so whether it’s good or bad, keep an active involvement in how they are getting on and let them know ways they can work to improve.
- Recognise and praise work
Make sure the person feels their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Most employees want to make an impact in their company, so show that their work matters, even at a junior level.
- Opportunities for career development
Most people want to see opportunities for them to learn and develop within their careers. Consider implementing training strategies, or buddy and mentor schemes – if you invest in your employees, they will invest in you.
- Flexible work environment
Are you able to offer flexible working times or the possibility to work from home? Giving employees more control of their schedule will help make them feel more responsible for performance and take ownership for their role. The more flexibility you can offer, the more attractive your business will become.
This is an exciting time for bringing in new talent to your business – a chance for you to shape someone’s career; inspire the next generation and allow your company to grow and develop with them.
So now that you feel well versed on attracting and retaining junior talent, it’s time to upload your advert and put your vacancy out there! To help you do this, we have launched a special offer on all Junior positions advertised throughout August. Check it out here!
If you need advice on how to write an effective job advert, check out award winning Senior HR consultant Hanna Smith’s blog.
And don’t forget we’re only a phone call away! We're keen to help all our members with their recruitment challenges; whether that’s advice on writing the perfect job spec, bench-marking salaries or some added social media promotion. We’re happy to help!
Got a recruitment challenge of your own? Get in touch if you’d like to chat - mia@wiredsussex.com