As an organisation, one of our main focuses is spreading awareness of the benefits of having an age-diverse workforce. This has mainly been done through the perspective of including older workers. However, following last week’s editorial, we shall be discussing the advantages of having younger workers, specifically those with very limited experience. This includes graduates fresh out of university and early talent. Many organisations miss out on this cohort as their job requirements unnecessarily specify 5-7 years of experience.

With older generations, a big benefit is their level of experience. For younger generations, their lack of experience is their biggest advantage and can help businesses. Because they are fresh slates with limited training and evolution, the firm can invest in their development and mould them into the perfect fit for the role they need to fill. Whilst this can be a costly endeavour, training employees can help boost retention rates as employees feel valued and more motivated to work. This means the business ends up having specialised workers who are likely to stay for a potentially large part of their working lives.

“There are financial benefits outside of increased productivity”

Another benefit of younger workers is they bring enthusiasm and innovative ideas. Fresh out of education, means they have gained a lot of recent knowledge that they will be eager to use in the real world. The inbuilt optimism can be infectious and help boost workplace culture and productivity. They also have a willingness to learn. Fresh out of education, they are used to it and have a growth mindset – they want to develop themselves as much as possible. This means they are more flexible and forward-looking, trying to get the most out of every experience. This may make them more productive workers and determined.

Younger workers are particularly useful for firms that have a younger target market. They will be more attuned to current trends and will be able to understand consumer’s behaviours, needs and wants more effortlessly. Gen Z are also more driven to focus on values like environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusion and human rights which could help the reputation of your brand.

There are financial benefits outside of increased productivity. Wages for younger workers are less expensive than those of someone with more experience. So companies can free up more experienced workers to work at a strategic level and assign entry-level positions to young people. As previously mentioned, there is an argument for more expense in the long run due to training. However, the long-run benefits of employing these workers early on in their careers balance it out.

The best way for employers to get the most out of their workforce is through having a mix of ages. Older generations bring their benefits alongside younger generations. A business can’t just have workers in the middle of their careers, with the right level of experience. They need to be willing to take on those with limited experience and understand the benefits of training to their tastes.

The questions to ask are why don’t more firms employ more graduates? Why does the data suggest that they choose graduates but in reality, many young people struggle to find jobs? What are the other benefits that young people bring?

 

Sonya Knight | ADF Comms Team

Read our previous editorial here and our editorial on older generations here

To respond and/or for more information, please contact the ADF Comms Team at: [email protected]