Each year, National Careers Week celebrates and promotes careers guidance in education to support young people as they leave schooling and enter the world of work.
Traditionally, a career used to mean progressing through one organisation for the duration of your working life. Now, however, the term is much more fluid. Definitions vary from referring to a series of jobs, to progressing in one sector, to the journey of earning more money.
According to a recent article by Careers Advice Online, the average person will now change careers between five and seven times in their lifetime, with 30% of the UK workforce changing jobs every year.
Between higher staff turnover and the Covid-19 pandemic completely changing the relevance of location as an essential part of recruitment, there is now even more talent for employers to choose from. Yet, this also means more choices for employees and an increasingly competitive job market.
So, as the next cohort of school and university students prepare to take their next steps, what do they want from their careers? And what do employers need to offer to capture their hearts and secure that all-important recruitment and retention?
Here are six key areas employers will want to think about now to entice these young people to come on board in the future:
- Value-added
Young people are increasingly looking for organisations that add value to society, either through the work they do, their support for important causes and charities or corporate social responsibility (CSR).
- Transparency
Employees desire open communications with leaders and want to understand the successes and challenges of the business in real-time in order to be an active part of its journey.
- Wellbeing
Mental health is on the agenda in a way it has never been before. Young people value companies that support their physical and mental wellbeing through innovative schemes and company culture.
- Progression and continued learning
Workers look for companies that provide opportunities for continued learning and development to support their progression. Organisations that offer training programmes tailored to all levels will recruit and retain the best staff.
- Flexible working
The pandemic has shown that a huge range of roles can be performed effectively from home. Flexi-working and home-working options are now seen as an essential benefit for many employees, and tech-savvy young people may find it easy to transition back and forth between home and office working during their work weeks.
- Competitive salary
Some things never change, and a competitive salary will always be appealing to the next round of workers!
As organisations consider the return-to-work post-pandemic, it will be an interesting time to reflect on their offer to staff. Careers will evolve for this new generation of employees, but clear communications from employers about what makes them a great place to work will always be key.
