As a manager, you want to give starters the right guidance. Yet with packed schedules and limited time, that’s often a challenge. The irony is that support matters most at the start: learning how to handle new situations, work in a team and shape a role with confidence. That’s where a talent manager steps in. They take part of this responsibility off your plate and make sure the young professional develops quickly and sustainably. Talent manager Floris Foekens shares how he helps you as a manager.
The role of the talent manager
When a young professional joins your team, they receive two years of intensive guidance from a talent manager. During this time, the young professional is supported to grow as much as possible. In the first months, the talent manager works closely with the team lead to ensure a smooth landing in the new role. This allows the young professional to focus fully on the job and unlock their potential.
Floris explains: “We keep a close eye on the young professional, help with practical matters and provide deeper support in developing soft skills. Each month, we schedule a one-hour session to track progress and offer targeted coaching.”
For over three years, Floris has been one of our talent managers. Together with Sophie, he guides our young professionals in their development. “It’s inspiring to see from up close how quickly they grow. The shift from student life to a full-time role is a big one. Talent management makes that transition smoother and ensures managers are supported along the way.”
Managers often have limited time to give starters the guidance they need. And as a manager who has advanced from the field, supporting a starter in their personal development can be challenging. That’s where talent managers step in: coaching young professionals on soft skills so they become more effective, clarify their ambitions and find their place in the organisation more quickly. This support makes the step into work smoother - and increases the likelihood that talent develops and stays.
What do you, as a manager, gain from a talent manager?
A talent manager keeps the supervisor actively informed about the young professional’s development. “Every three months, we organise a quarterly meeting where the young professional, the manager, and the talent manager come together. This is when we discuss the young professional’s progress,” explains Floris.
Before these meetings, Floris speaks with both parties to gauge the current situation. By taking on this role, you can focus more on the young professional’s development of hard skills, namely the technical aspects of their job.
The talent manager coaches the young professional on topics like MBTI, helping them discover their personality style, and how to handle setbacks. Floris adds, “We work collaboratively around the young professional. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship that creates a dynamic synergy.”
Recognise and highlight talent
Managing talent is important. "As talent managers, we have a signal function, both in a positive and negative sense," says Floris. "When the young professional is doing well, I look at how we can grow the person further using our study budget." From smaller training courses such as Power BI to heavier courses such as Financial Risk Management (FRM) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), each person's needs vary.
But even when things are not going as well, the talent manager raises the alarm. "High workload and putting in lots of hours means that personal problems can become more visible, especially during that drastic transition from study to work. Within the work context we can think along, but if things are not going well psychologically and this affects work, we indicate that the young professional could benefit from external help." Floris emphasises that they are not psychologists.
"A boy worked through us at ABN AMRO as a business analyst," Floris illustrates. "The first year he worked incredibly hard. The manager saw it, but didn't really see it. While the manager really has gold in his hands with this young professional." So Floris's coaching with the young professional focused on being less modest and showing yourself. Proudly, Floris says, "He has since advanced to lead and is hiring young professionals himself."
And this is no exception. Other young professionals are also growing, making a difference and now coaching talent themselves. Ferdi Leenders of ABN AMRO Hypotheken and Peter Ahsmann of ABF work closely with our talent managers.
Why generational insight matters
Supporting starters is never one-size-fits-all. Every generation brings its own values and expectations to the workplace. Some look for stability and clear structure, while others seek freedom and growth opportunities. Gen Z, shaped in part by the pandemic, places high value on work-life balance and has a different view on when and where work gets done. For managers, it’s key to recognise these differences and tailor guidance accordingly. That’s exactly where our talent managers stand out: it’s their daily focus and area of expertise.
Bridging cultural differences
With internationalisation, this customization comes in even more handy because of cultural differences between employees. Floris: "In our work, it is important to respond to the influence that culture has on work and the perception of work. For example, it is not effective to have a conversation about personal performance with someone from a collective culture. The trick is to build the bridge between the culture someone knows and how it works here in the Netherlands. This can be practiced well with the talent manager." In the preliminary process of the young professional's traineeship, the talent manager also takes the manager along precisely to bring the cultural worlds together.
Floris, just like Sophie, has completed training to better coach internationals and to advise their managers on this. Thus, the talent manager helps a team, which is becoming increasingly international, to eliminate cultural misunderstandings in the workplace. Floris: "We really want to think with managers, especially now that more internationals and Gen Z talents are entering the workplace, and work together from knowledge sharing."
Want to know more?
Interested in discovering how talent management can revolutionise your team? Floris is eager to discuss this with you. Our expertise extends beyond just recruiting and selecting young professionals for your organisation; we also offer comprehensive mentorship to ensure their success.
