Think about training : if you are older like me , you probably learned those essential softer skills by sitting next to and absorbing the ways of working and communicating from your boss and your peers . So , in this new world of hybrid working , how are you going to ensure that the next generation learns these skills ? What sort of communication strategies and community management programmes do you have in place , and how are you going to support junior employees in their home-work life ? Not only do they lack experience of the events industry , but they don ’ t have much experience of working with others either , so how are you going to help with this ?
Time and place Where will you recruit ? Look up and look outside of your usual circles and tap into some of the amazing organisations who are already connecting with the next generation of eventprofs , such as Event First Steps , Fast Forward 15 or Elevate . What do you do with your local university ? Do you offer internships and work experience to help the next generation gain a foot in the door ?
Consider the bigger picture : the next generation cares about the climate , cares about politics , cares about DEI in a way that us more mature workers are only just really waking up to . They are not just focused on the role , they care about the wider spectrum of what your business is achieving too . What are you doing for your locality , your local community , with universities or helping the wider events industry ?
I ’ ve gathered quite a bit of intel over the past few years , from working with multiple universities and some of the organisations who encourage next talent into this industry .
All the above advice ties into the need for the biggest employer mindset shift of the past decade : employers don ’ t know best anymore , they cannot dictate their terms , or what they want their employees to do . Employers need to understand and listen , because the next generation of job-seekers are not putting up with being told what to do , how to work and what they need from their career .
Quite rightly so . www . conference-news . co . uk