Engaging your younger workers
As the number of young Australians out of work begins to fall, it has never been more important to attract and retain fresh talent.
The pandemic hit young workers particularly hard as hospitality and tourism took a beating.
Border closures, lockdowns and the enforcement of strict patron limits meant for many businesses, it was too difficult to bounce back.
Now, new statistics by ME Bank paint a bleak picture for young workers hoping to achieve the ‘Great Australian Dream.’
Of those surveyed, 53% said they felt it was unlikely they would find a dream job that was about more than paying the bills.
But what can HR leaders do to create an engaged, hopeful workforce?
Chloe Hamman, Culture Amp’s director of people science, says that for a young workforce, engagement is everything.
The top three drivers for engagement among workers aged 18-24 are satisfaction with how decisions are made, contribution towards learning and development, and a sense of belonging.
But when it comes to young people leaving a job, there is one driver that stands out among the rest.
“People aged 18-24 are more likely than older age groups to leave their company within six months if they don’t feel a strong sense of belonging early on,” Hamman said.
“It’s incredibly important to look at that driver in relation to young people.”
The onboarding process goes a long way to creating that sense of belonging from an employee’s first day.
Hamman said that despite going virtual, you need to develop a well-honed process that supports your new hires.
By implementing a buddy system and several points of contact for each employee for example, your newest staff members will quickly feel a part of the team.
While all employees are valuable to a business, motivating and engaging your younger staff is more critical than ever.
If you don’t take care of your employees, your competitors will.
Tony Delaney, CEO Brownie Points
