Attracting and retaining talent?
4 tips from personal experience!
Blog by
Nelis Engel
The tightness in the labor market isn’t going away anytime soon. Organizations are investing heavily in recruitment and training programs, but after a short time, many young employees still start looking for ‘a new challenge’. Research shows that 64% of Generation Y will choose another job within the next two years. How can you prevent young people from leaving your organization (too) quickly? I’d like to share my experience in my search for a job where everything just fits, and where I’d love to commit myself for the coming years!
What my job had to meet
I’ve now had some experiences myself. After my studies, I started looking for a more serious work relationship with high expectations. I searched for the right match with both excitement and curiosity. The conditions my job had to meet were personal connection, room for personal development, and being intellectually challenged.
Everything seemed to fit
I came across a vacancy where everything seemed to fit! After a positive application process, I started the job full of energy, ambition, dreams, and a healthy amount of excitement, determined to have a real impact. The organization and I had high expectations of each other. After a while, the ‘challenge’ turned out to consist mainly of routine work tasks. The great promises that brought me in (work atmosphere, development, innovation) faded away. My manager was far too busy with his own business. Whenever I came up with new ideas or wanted to take a course, he told me to focus on the core business.
I felt like a number
The atmosphere/relationship between my employer and me became strained. I felt like just a number and saw no future for personal development at this organization. Ultimately, I started looking for something new. This is the point where many ambitious young people give up. Reality disappoints, and despite the company’s investments, they go looking for a new challenge. Such a waste, right? With just a little more attention and understanding for each other, our paths would not have had to part.
Why does it work now?
Now I have found a job where everything really fits; I go to work every day with great pleasure. So why does it work now?
- I’m given space to make connections and discover new forms of collaboration. There are opportunities to broaden my tasks in the future. In other words, there is plenty of challenge. And the trust my employer gives me is something I don’t want to break, which makes me feel very responsible.
- There is investment in a good working relationship. Promises for personal growth are kept. This means my development doesn’t stall due to high workload or other priorities. I trust in the future prospects at MEPD, and that makes me a positive ambassador.
- Work atmosphere is also very important to me. I’m not a number: I am Nelis, colleague for the South region, career coach, husband, and father. Mutual appreciation, the occasional fun outing, and good communication—these factors all positively influence the work atmosphere. They bind me to the organization, and the organization commits to me.
Bonus tip 4
My work-life balance is respected, and I am given the opportunity to organize that balance as I see fit. I really appreciate that. Thought is given to secondary employment conditions, such as a mommy/daddy day. As a new dad, I know how nice it is to have such opportunities. But you can also think about a permanent contract to get a mortgage.
My start in the job market felt awkward to me. But now that I’m in the right place, the challenging journey has been more than worth it. I wish that for everyone.
Nelis Engel
Career coach
How great is it to be able to contribute, to bring out the best in people and to encourage them in or toward a job. I believe that people who work with pleasure are happier and more successful.
