Is this really the primary responsibility for our schools and education system? What responsibilities do we, as employers, have in preparing the world of work for school leavers? Clearly, with youth unemployment at around 18.5%, the highest for 20 years, we do have a problem.
I believe employers should take a longer term ‘talent pipeline’ view and balance their hiring strategies between recruiting experienced, fully-effective staff and bringing in talent that can be nurtured and developed.
Yes, it costs money. Yes, they sometimes leave before you get the full return on investment, but my experience tells me it works in the long term. Seventy per cent of our team members at Fitness First are Gen Y and a significant number are under 25. As an employer, we feel a responsibility to support their development.
Fundamentally the role of any leader is to develop others. Time and time again, I hear from leaders that finding, nurturing and supporting others in their development and careers is the single most rewarding aspect of their role.
Even when hiring an experienced leader to run one of our health clubs, we spend six weeks with them helping them to understand our business, our culture and our mission. We then take another six weeks to review them in post, before we decide they have successfully made the transition into our business. We have a similar 12-week journey for all new staff.
Making your business a place for talent to grow is rewarding and makes sense in meeting longer term resourcing needs. It’s a long-term strategy but it works. Getting involved in projects and initiatives that help bridge the gap and offer work experience are great ways to start.
Read part one of the Hot Topic here.
