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How Should Companies Connect to the Next Generation of Talent?

Pearson Futures: January 27, 2025

Last year, we asked over 1,000 HR leaders and hiring managers what types of jobs are hardest to fill and 37% said that they struggle most with hiring those who are just getting started in the labor market. To put that in perspective, according to these business leaders, entry level talent is actually harder for them to find than executive level talent. Similarly, when it comes to retaining entry level talent, things appear to be even more difficult: 43% (the highest percentage) report it as their top struggle. This seems counterintuitive. How can it be harder to hire people with little-to-no experience, where you can presumably have your pick of the litter, vs those at the executive level, where there is a much smaller candidate pool?

What can businesses do to connect to early talent?

If your business is having a hard time connecting to a new generation of workers, here are some of the key things you need to know. First, in a 2023 survey conducted by XXXX of XXX high school students confirmed that they aren’t necessarily avoiding you for lack of interest. On the contrary, the majority of high schoolers (59%) said they would be open to working in an industry they hadn’t previously considered if a company in that industry reached out.

The fact is, high schoolers are actually very open minded when it comes to their future careers. A major factor is simply whether or not a company has expressed interest in them. To better understand this, we asked students if they would apply for jobs at companies that they have very little interest in or awareness of. As many as 64% of high school students surveyed said they would apply to jobs at specific businesses in unfamiliar industries if those businesses made an effort to get to know them. All of this illustrates that businesses can command a lot of interest if they get in front of early talent, well… early. In other words, if industries show, express interest, and communicate with students, it immediately starts to create a future talent pipeline.

So, what are the best ways to engage high school students? What should you talk about when you do? There’s frequently a big disconnect between generations. Such differences are often easy fodder for comedians and can make for some well-known memes. 

You might even think that you need to do all sorts of gimmicky, cringy things to appeal to the youth of today. But fear not. You don’t. And… you shouldn’t.

Here is a quick list of what will make your business really appeal to today’s high school students.

Skill

Even before knowing about pay, an impressive 76% of the students we surveyed would be more likely to work at your business if they knew what skills they would develop by working with you—even at an entry level job. Once you recover from your shock that Gen Z is actually thinking about skills (much like many businesses are), you should make sure you have a good answer to this question. Do you place a heavy emphasis on communication and customer service?

Do you help them gain technical skills like product development, money management, or account management? Gen Z wants to know. The skills conversation has been front-and-center in the workforce-education world for several years now and it appears to have trickled down into the high school audience. They are very aware that they need a wide range of marketable skills if they want to do well, and are keen to find those skills via entry level positions that businesses are willing to offer.

Even before knowing about pay, an impressive 76% of the students we surveyed would be more likely to work at your business if they knew what skills they would develop by working with you—even at an entry level job.

Compensation

The only thing surprising about this is that it wasn’t first. High school students are motivated by the desire to make good money and 67% of the people we heard from mentioned money as key to engagement. A 2023 article in the Guardian outlines the increasing pressure and anxiety that high school students (and younger) have about money. If you want to engage high school students, be prepared to talk about money: how much do you pay for entry-level jobs? For apprenticeships? Internships? Further, because skills are so top-of-mind, many students will likely be willing to trade some money for experience and the opportunity to gain real-world skills. Just be clear about the value of the skills they’ll learn, and be prepared to offer them some level of compensation. The days of the free or overly-low paid entry level job are over.

Location

As the old-adage says, location, location, location. Here is the thing to note: many students today would prefer in-person work over an entirely remote situation. It is hard for them to build relationships and gain hands-on experience if all of their work is remote, so be ready to talk about your location and what it has to offer. Or if you are totally remote, be ready to talk about how you will help them with the ins-and-outs of remote work.

Internships and Apprenticeships

58% of the students surveyed would be more likely to engage with you if you offered internships and apprenticeships. In another article we recently wrote, we delve into the fact that the greatest hurdle for young talent is simply figuring out what to do. Internships and apprenticeships offer a low-risk, high-reward way for students to dip their toes into a particular industry. And given the importance they place on skills, experience, and building valuable relationships, it’s no wonder that internships and apprenticeships are highly attractive to young job seekers.

Paying For College

56% of the students we heard from would engage with your business if you helped them pay for college or offered learning and development opportunities. This echoes a 2022 survey from Junior Achievement USA and Citizens Bank, which found that 54% of teens are worried about “financing their future.” Students are aware of the importance of education, know that college is increasingly pricey, and are on the look-out for alternative ways to offset those costs. Businesses that will help them with their education and learning will gain a ton of affinity and will see a lot of success in engaging a new generation of talent.

Mentorship

Much like internships and apprenticeships, mentorships are a great way to engage early talent. Some 40% of the students surveyed said they would be more likely to apply for jobs if they could be mentored. Beyond the simple experience offered by other programs, mentorships can go a long way in assuaging the fears of students who are unsure about their future, or haven’t yet built up the confidence to pursue a particular direction. Of course, they may require additional resources, but that extra effort could easily win talent that’s more committed and loyal to your business in the long run.

Summary

Establishing relationships with students early on could be the single biggest factor in  developing and retaining talent long term. For the sake of their current and future workforce, businesses that introduce themselves earlier in the game stand to win. We live in a world where more businesses (and entire industries) have the opportunity to come to students and parents directly. This will allow them to inform many of the tough conversations that families are having about what their students should do, how they should get there, and whether or not the traditional four-year college route is right for them.

student meeting

Creating mutually beneficial and cooperative opportunities like skill-developing entry level jobs, apprenticeships, internships, mentorships, scholarships, and tuition assistance programs is more than a short-term good deed. It is a long-game investment in people that will pay massive dividends. While colleges and universities have traditionally been at the forefront of marketing and recruitment, businesses and industries that want to build better relationships with a new generation of talent can benefit by running the same play. Several models for recruitment already exist online and on-campus, yet perhaps even new models for industry can be established to market this “win-win” to students directly, locally and nationally. Apprenticeships, internships, scholarships, or tuition reimbursement programs are enticing long term options for both parties.

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