Over the past few years, the world of industry has been facing a real challenge that has forced it to reinvent itself. The age pyramid in the industry is aging, and people under 30 don't seem very attracted to the sector, creating a real talent shortage.
Numerous initiatives have been put in place in recent years to make the industry more attractive to young talent. But what concrete measures can be taken at company level? Here are a few tips to help you recruit and, above all, retain young talent.
A company's values and raison d'être are important criteria for students when choosing their career path.
Young professionals are looking for companies that offer a stimulating work environment. They attach great importance to the values conveyed by the organization, as well as to the relevance of their work, often referred to as the "quest for meaning".
Your corporate culture needs to reflect these values and put development opportunities and benefits into perspective.
A well-developed employer brand increases the number of highly qualified applicants by 50%, and reduces turnover by 28% (source: LinkHumans 2022).
Inspiration: discover the video presenting Danone's employer brand. The brand takes you into its workshops, where employees share their daily lives and the company's values.
Young talent expects their employer to invest in their long-term professional growth. Regular training, mentoring programs and clear career advancement opportunities are essential to retaining the younger generation.
Establishing a culture of know-how transmission between employees is very attractive for young talent, as it enables them to benefit from the advice of experienced team members. For the company, it's also a way of ensuring that critical know-how held by experts who will soon be retiring is passed on. A key investment!
Companies in the industry that value diversity are more attractive to young talent!
Make sure your work environment is inclusive, and that all employees feel respected and valued. For example: take into account the needs of a multi-generational workforce, particularly in terms of modes of communication or flexible working hours. Reinforce anti-discrimination policies and promote fair compensation.
The younger generation of talent is "Digital Native". This means that it's natural for them to use intuitive digital tools in their personal lives! In their professional lives, they expect the same.
To recruit: use social networks, online platforms and recruitment events to reach young talent where they are! Involving your employees in the recruitment process also gives future recruits a concrete insight into the company's environment: create testimonial videos to share on social networks, for example.
Inspiration: Airbus has entered the e-sports arena by sponsoring a team from the "League of Legends" game. "The aim is not to recruit gamers, but to develop our employer brand among digital natives," says Airbus' General Manager of Human Resources (Source: Les Echos).
On a day-to-day basis, use modern, intuitive onboarding, handover and training tools. For example, avoid training your new recruits in operating procedures using paper or PDF documents. This heavy, uninviting format can be highly demotivating for a new employee.
It's time to offer engaging digital training courses!
Offer flexible working hours, to enable young professionals to balance work and personal life. You can also offer specific training courses on effective time management and organization.
Finally, a crucial element in maintaining work-life balance is to make employees aware of the right to disconnect. As an employer, you have the power to restrict or prohibit the sending of e-mails before or after certain hours, or during certain periods such as weekends and vacations.
Organize corporate events, team-building activities and social responsibility initiatives to strengthen a sense of belonging and team cohesion. It's also important to honor individual and collective successes by organizing special days dedicated to employee recognition.
In addition to a competitive salary, offer benefits such as health insurance, wellness programs, training on a variety of subjects, and performance bonuses to attract and retain young talent and create a work environment in which they feel good and won't want to leave!
By implementing these strategies, you can not only attract top talent, but also retain it over the long term.
"With Komin, we have documented our operating procedures 10x faster than with paper"
- J. Cerruti (Methods & Industrialization Manager)
