Stop Failing Your Future: Train Your Front Line Managers NOW or Lose Early Career Talent
Wally Bruner
Sales & Services Enablement & Onboarding Leader | Clifton Strengths Coach "Believer" | Early Career Programs Global Expert | Passive Home Activist
In the battle for early career talent, companies are firing on all cylinders when it comes to recruiting and onboarding. But let's cut through the BS – most organizations are failing miserably in one critical area: training front line managers to effectively lead and nurture this fresh talent. This oversight is not just a gap; it's a gaping chasm that threatens the very future of your company.
The Reality Check
It's time for a reality check. Companies are pouring resources into attracting top talent from universities and beyond. They boast about their comprehensive onboarding programs. Yet, they forget one glaring truth: the day-to-day experience of these new hires hinges on the competence and preparedness of their front line managers. If these managers are not adequately trained to handle the unique needs of early career professionals, all that investment goes down the drain.
For Generation Z, the quality of management is paramount. According to a survey by Deloitte, 61% of Gen Z respondents said they would leave their job within two years if their managers were not supportive and empathetic. Moreover, a study by Gallup revealed that Gen Z employees are three times more likely to be engaged at work when their managers hold regular meetings with them. This generation values authentic leadership and seeks managers who are mentors, not just bosses.
The Stakes
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Early career professionals are not just employees; they are the future leaders, innovators, and culture carriers of your organization. Neglecting their development means jeopardizing the long-term success and sustainability of your business. It's not just about filling seats today; it's about building a robust pipeline for tomorrow. As I have written in prior articles, you should plan for a seven year journey for you early career employees.
The Hard Truth
Here’s the hard truth: most front line managers are ill-equipped or not equipped whatsoever to manage early career talent. They lack the training, support, and resources necessary to guide, mentor, and develop these new hires. Additionally, they struggle with managing multi-generational teams, which adds another layer of complexity to their roles. Without proper training, many managers default to outdated, ineffective methods, leading to disengagement, high turnover, and wasted potential.
Consider this: according to Gallup, managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores across business units. Furthermore, a study by the Work Institute found that 22% of turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment, and the primary reason cited is poor management.
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Urgent Call to Action
This is a call to action for Executives, HR leaders, and every leader who cares about the future of their organization. It’s time to prioritize front line manager training with the same intensity and urgency as you do recruiting and onboarding. Here’s how to start:
The Bottom Line
No more excuses. The future of your company depends on your ability to develop early career talent. And that starts with equipping your front line managers with the skills and tools they need to succeed. This is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. Act now, or be prepared to watch your most promising talent walk out the door – straight into the arms of your competitors in the short timeframe of just about 18 months.
Wally Bruner, founder of Early Career Partners, is a recognized leader, pioneer and activist in the early career arena, having designed, launched, and led award-winning onboarding and training programs for front-line sellers and solutions engineers at CA Technologies, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, and Oracle. Additionally, Wally co-leads the Cross Academy Association for Early Career Programs, a global professional association that develops best practices and frameworks for early career practitioners and organizations. Wally's mission is to cultivate nascent talent and create a synergistic force that propels the early career field to new heights.
Customer Success | Program Management | Learning & Enablement
4 个月Great thoughts Wally! Manager enablement in general is critical, and particularly in managing early career people. One thing I found that worked was peer support: When managers of early career people hear the experience & successes of other managers of early career people, they get the message. And also a little 1:1 coaching for managers goes a long way. Keep up the great work Wally!
? Director & Co-founder at J21A ?Author | Professional Services | Management & Leadership | Consulting Excellence | Project Management | Learning & Development
4 个月An important perspective, Wally Bruner. Thanks for sharing. Stats vary but some indicate that as much as 82% of managers have had no proper management training. This is a particular issue for first-line managers who are often promoted out of IC roles with the assumption that, because they were excellent in their IC role, they will be good managers. But, as I always say, a move into management is not promotion, it's a change of career. Good training is needed. I suspect this deficit in management professionalism has particularly significant impact on people in early careers, which I know you're very much an expert on. I wonder how many training programs even cover this as a topic. It's great that you can help organisations get better at this...because it is something that needs focus rather than relying on hope that things will work out somehow.
Retired from Corteva Agriscience
4 个月Unfortunately what you describe isn’t new. I was fortunate to work for an employer who supported leadership development for all leaders and our company’s performance consistently “punched above our weight class”