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Comment | Catalyst
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How HR can connect with
disadvantaged youths
recently attended
SNEAKRCON with my
15-year-old. For those of you
who don’t know what that is;
imagine 10,000 teenage boys
and girls walking around a windowless
exhibition hall trading trainers. And
calling them sneakers.
But what has this got to do with how
employers can engage disadvantaged
young people? Well, across the hall
was the New Scientist magazine expo
— hosting a talk about this very topic.
In two decades, I have not met
a young person who doesn’t want
to work. Finding and keeping a job
though, that’s a challenge. Young
people now are living through the most
complex times in history, where it’s
common to be switched on 24/7. A lot
of young people now are disadvantaged
simply because they are young today.
Engaging effectively with young
people is not just about them, it’s about
how you future-proof your business
at a time when an ageing workforce,
skills shortages in key sectors and the
increasing knowledge gap is impacting
candidate numbers.
Disadvantaged young people can
become your best hires, but they will
need enhanced support upfront. Will
the cost of this support outweigh the
financial impact of high staff turnover?
I’d argue not.
So, how do you engage young
people? There are a number of points to
consider, including making the process
engaging and ensuring
it is accessible and
attractive for local
young people. Do
they know
Esther
O’Callaghan
alexandermannsolutions.com
60
what you do and how you do it? Are
they aware of why you are a great
place to work? Do they even know
you exist? If you’re seeking to engage
with younger audiences, ask yourself
the following:
• When was the last time you updated
your hiring processes? If EY can
scrap its degree-entry requirement,
can you?
• How does your business engage with
young people at the moment? What
is the average age of your workforce?
• Does your company have links with
local colleges and charities? What
insights do you have about young
people in your area?
• What is the average age of the team
working on this? How many young
people, from diverse backgrounds,
are in the room with you when you
are designing processes?
• How many of your team are from
diverse and/or disadvantaged
backgrounds and how much of that
knowledge are you tapping into?
Identify key individuals within your
business who can mentor, coach and
train young people and bring them into
the engagement process. This helps
to reduce the attrition rate, which is
disproportionately high for younger
people. Be sure to define what you
mean by disadvantaged. Defining your
own perception – and challenging it
if necessary – will help you better
understand the audience you want to
attract – and what drives them.
Esther O’Callaghan OBE is founder
and CEO of THRIVE Youth Trust.
I
t’s rare for a day to go
by without us hearing
something about
artificial intelligence (AI),
whether it’s the advent
of self-driving cars or computers
confounding Chinese GO masters.
While it’s been an area of theoretical
study for over six decades, it’s only
in the past few years that we’ve been
able to create products that promise
to benefit society, governments and
companies in practical ways.
It’s no surprise that investment in
AI has recently soared. According to
PwC, funding to US-based AI start-
ups rose 21% in the second quarter
of 2018, following a 37% rise in the
year’s first quarter.
However, these advances have
been accompanied by scepticism
and fear. We’re all fully aware
of the potential of AI to impact
‘low-skilled’ jobs and have already
seen this happening in the
manufacturing, courier services
and retail sectors.
But the advent of AI will impact
white-collar workers who conduct
regular routine algorithmic