Grooming young talent is the future

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. This is the ethos today’s businesses need to build their human capital on. Bring them in young, groom them and the return on investment will be greater.

Not everyone has the same aspirations in life and career; within organisations not everyone will be team leaders or managers. As an employer, the best asset you can have is your people. Humans are an asset that never really depreciates, so it is important that you groom them well from day one.

Employees are the face and soul of our business, so how do we accomplish this grooming? First, remember it is not a one-time event. Grooming your employees is an ongoing duty: keep them motivated, periodically offer training, and constantly look for areas for potential development.

Here are a few points that over time have helped me develop young talent into valuable team members and employees:

Teach: leaders in the company must make the effort to teach young talent in a way they can understand. Think about how particular projects would be accomplished in a different setting and then give some background on how it helps the company.

Think about new forms of communication: old ways may not work. Find ways that will keep your young talent engaged and eager to learn more.

Let them show what they can do: give them space, let them explore and make sure they are comfortable and not worried about making mistakes. Let them contribute their part to a project, which gives them the feel of ownership.

Be willing to help them: go as far as offering them a buddy, someone you can trust which can get them integrated within the organisation.

Most businesses are not interested in having their business hit a dead end. On the contrary, most businesses have big plans for the future and it’s their people who will take them there. That is why it pays to invest in your future by cultivating your people’s skills.

If you intend to expand your business, you’re not going to be able to run it alone. Make sure you grow your people as you grow your profits.

It’s never too early to start grooming young talent within your organisation. Growth is part of being successful in business, as without people to drive this growth a company might not realise its full potential. Young talent needs mentoring and training only your leaders can provide, as young employees would be shadowing and learning from experienced people within the organisation. The trick is recognising who your most promising employees are, nurturing them and retaining them for the long-term success.

Youths are not only eager, but also bring new energy and help refocus those who are experienced. Pushing someone to take on more roles helps them mature quickly and furthermore, fosters a sense of belonging to the team. Urging young talent to approach senior management for help or guidance creates an environment whereby employees are not afraid to ask and can learn from others.

Unless we are prepared to look at things from a fresh perspective, it will be difficult not only to bring home the talents but also to prevent future talents from being taken from our shores. One of Malta’s main resources is our people; therefore investing in our talent and providing them with the experience and opportunities to become tomorrow’s leaders should be one of the priorities for all employers.

Today’s imperative for talent is less about recruiting and more about internally grooming to become tomorrow’s professionals. Developing young talent can be risky. However, if it is done right, your company can benefit from it. Young, hardworking team members can easily turn into loyal parts of the group who really enhance your company culture.

https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20180520/business-news/Grooming-young-talent-is-the-future.679515