Seven tips to rejuvenate your organization
successfully
The days when employees worked for the same company their entire lives are over. People come in, move up, and eventually leave the organization again. This turnover rate seems to be increasing these days, especially among the younger generation. The biggest challenge? Attracting and retaining talented young people in your company. How can you successfully rejuvenate? Read our tips.
Start rejuvenating early
Companies where only older employees work have a harder time attracting starters. And if they do find them, they’re often gone again quickly. When new hires walk in and see only ‘colleagues’ their parent’s age, it’s hardly appealing. Many companies are already facing this problem. And considering today’s job market doesn’t allow for much pickiness. As the first baby boomers retire and more positions open up, the issue will become even more pressing.
Analyze your need for young talent
Make an analysis. The ideal age composition of your company depends on two questions: What product do you offer and what kind of employees do you need for that?
Mix young talent with experience
Next, investigate what the average age in your company actually is. Not just company-wide, but also by department. Map out where you need new blood and in which roles. Often, you’ll see that especially the higher positions are only filled by older employees. Are they able to pass on their knowledge to younger colleagues?
Start the conversation
Be critical and keep communicating. Why is an employee in a certain role? Are they still helping the company progress? What are their ambitions? If an employee no longer enjoys their job but stays out of fear of unemployment, you’ll only discover that by (openly) having ongoing conversations.
Offer development opportunities
Many organizations assume that young starters are mainly looking for a good salary and perks. This often leads to offering a company car or bonus right away to attract or keep young talent. However, it turns out that starters value good development opportunities the most. Challenging work and job security also play a big role when choosing a job. If you want to recruit those highly sought-after young talents, it’s vital to offer extensive opportunities for development and advancement.
Good guidance is essential
In addition to the right match, solid guidance is crucial for maintaining enthusiasm. Since every talent has their own character, experience, skills, etc., it’s important that guidance is tailored to the individual. Furthermore, guiding them with a ‘learning on the job’ approach is a key principle. Because working well and productively isn’t learned solely from textbooks. This way, your young employees get the chance to truly contribute. There needs to be room to fully participate in working life and earn positive feedback and appreciation. This builds confidence and self-worth. Moreover, by continually reflecting, performance can be adjusted proactively.
Provide a clear future perspective
Because starters sometimes have just come out of school, they still need to ‘discover’ themselves in terms of knowledge, attitude, behavior, competencies, and skills. They still have to build up the necessary experience. Without the right support, this can easily lead to an early departure. As an employer, you can set yourself apart by offering solid coaching and career planning. By working with the talent to determine that career goal on the horizon, you create a clear outlook for the future. This can be both clarifying and motivating. This way, the starter knows what they’re working towards. By looking beyond the current role, both organization and talent can assess each other’s added value.
Using assessments, personal coaching or a job scan (DISC and motivators) are important tools to help effectively rejuvenate your organization.
Need help with any of the above points? Or want to brainstorm about this topic? Feel free to contact us without any obligation.
