As a manager, you often don't have enough time to supervise young talent intensively, while they desperately need the consistent support. How you still, despite your tight schedule, give the right guidance to young talent we tell you in this blog.
Change is confusing
Consistent guidance is crucial to the development and well-being of young talent. Frequent changes in leadership, especially changing managers, can be confusing for young professionals. They are orienting themselves within the field and have yet to learn the corporate culture.
In doing so, they need a regular point of contact with whom they can build rapport. "Young professionals need guidance on how to handle a first real job, a lot is changing for them compared to student life. They are looking for a steady mentor to help them deal with finding their place in the workplace," says talent manager Floris.
Strong, ongoing mentoring not only improves professional skills, but is also essential for building trust and cementing company loyalty. Managing young talent well requires more than substantive coaching. It requires guidance on practical issues and personal development. A talent manager can support managers in this regard by taking over soft skills coaching.
Implementing good coaching
To implement good coaching as a manager, you can do the following things:
- Regular, personalized 1-on-1 meetings: Set up monthly meetings where you discuss each young professional's progress, goals and well-being.
- Develop a feedback culture: Encourage open and continuous feedback within the team, both from peers and managers. You can do this by, for example, holding a session at the end of projects where there is room to collectively discuss successes and areas for improvement.
- Implement a mentorship program: Pair each young professional with a more experienced mentor within the team. This not only provides an additional perspective, but also valuable insights into company culture and career opportunities.
- Use technology: Implement digital tools such as Leapsome, Lattice or 15five that help track development plans and facilitate regular feedback.
Expectations of young professionals
Young professionals, now often Generation Z, expect different things from an employer than previous generations. They want clear and regular communication about how they are doing in their roles, responsibilities and expectations of you as a manager. This transparency makes them feel valued and well integrated into the team.
They also need active support and dedicated mentoring to grow. Young professionals look for leaders who invest in their personal and professional development and guide them in their careers. "Managers need to feel that the young professionals can come to them with questions or doubts," says Floris.
"Because young employees dare to ask questions, they understand the organization better and why things go the way they do. As a result, they will be better at their jobs, be more comfortable in the workplace and, last but not least, want to work for you longer."
Feedback is becoming increasingly important
Regular, constructive feedback essential for the development of young professionals. Defining clear growth paths and development opportunities is crucial to ensure their long-term engagement and satisfaction. "When you don't provide feedback, you take away the young professional's opportunity to get better. Generation Z still sometimes gets a reputation for not wanting feedback, or being bad at it, but that's not true. They very much want it, just in a decent and constructive way."
Retain young talent with good coaching
Effective mentoring of young professionals is essential for both their development and retaining young talent within your organization. By providing consistent support and clear growth paths, managers can help young talent excel, contributing to a resilient and future-proof organization.
"The young professional can learn a lot from your knowledge and expertise, and vice versa you can use the fresh perspective the young professional has," says Floris. "Bringing that together creates a great collaboration."
