The primary task of the Talent Acquisition professional is to attract, engage and recruit top talent, right? But once they land the job and join your organization, an equally important task is to keeping current employees engaged and fulfilled. Why? Because happy employees become brand ambassadors, and unhappy ones create negative reputation for your organization, making the entire talent attraction challenge even more difficult.
In an increasing number, young candidates are looking for more than just a pleasant work culture. They desire growth and development as a fundamental component of a positive workplace culture. In our TalentEgg Survey, 67% of high school students, 72% of post-secondary students and 73% of early-career professionals said that building their future career path, gaining experience and having access to professional development are the most important things they’re looking for in a career. Moreover, when two employers seem equally appealing, 28% of post-secondary students and 27% of early-career professionals agreed that career path and growth would be the deciding factor for them.
What does this mean to you? It is practically a win-win. When you invest in your employees’ continuous learning (either in-house or outsourced through post-secondary programs, online courses, trainings and seminars), you demonstrate your dedication to their development, engage with them in ways that are meaningful for them and you get more qualified and well-rounded team members. Young employees will also appreciate your company’s commitment to their growth and will be more loyal as a result.
“I think setting up new employees with a paid training session or program when beginning their jobs is a great way to teach them the skills they may lack.”
Mallory Thompson, Western University, 2019“Specifically assigning new employees with mentors is a very good idea, since it allows employees to have a relatable yet knowledgeable person to turn to for growth and development.”
Christine Mitry, McMaster University, 2020
But increasingly we hear from employers that the number one deficit they see in young job seekers is demonstrated soft skills, or core competencies. While many students have been focusing on their grade point average and the technical skills they gain from their degrees or diplomas, they are sorely lacking in the soft skills necessary for success in the workplace. Soft skills like communication, critical thinking, problem solving, team building, are increasingly in short supply among young job seekers – indeed, many employers perceive so-called soft skills as the critical skills for success within the workplace. Even if a job seeker might have them, career educators and employers struggle with how to sensitize the young candidates to the necessity of developing and demonstrating them to potential recruiters. Increasingly, students are aware they need additional training to successfully make the school to work transition and flourish in the workplace. Many of the students and recent grads that we surveyed believe that they need additional training/education to excel in their careers. 68% of high school students are interested in online courses for skills training and 88% of post-secondary students believe they need additional training to launch their career. Among early career professionals, 61% have taken additional training/certificate programs, an astounding 94% are interested in taking additional training and certificates while 33% say they think they need technical skills training and 77% say they needed additional training once on the job.
TalentEgg is here to help develop your current employees and also ensure that the candidates you hire are trained and eager. With our new eLearning platform at TalentEgg University (TEU) we are proud to launch this fall, a series of certification courses designed in collaboration with top elearning professionals and clinical psychologists to train young people how to develop and practice those critical soft skills in such high demand by employers. With TEU certificates & badges, candidates can include on their CV and their online profiles, demonstrable proof they were able to successfully complete their soft skills training that shows their commitment to learning and being successful in their career. We help students and recent grads polish their people skills, develop emotional intelligence and fill in the gaps in their core competencies. When they apply through TalentEgg, you can rest assured that these candidates are the best of the best.
In addition to providing learning opportunities for young employees at your organization, you can also sponsor a Career Guide on TalentEgg! Career Guides are highly popular among our users who want to enhance their understanding of a specific industry and choose the path that speaks to them. You can help them do just that and position your organization as a thought-leader in the industry in the meantime!
Reach out to us to find out more about our eLearning Platform and Career Guides sponsorship.