Building a future with the young people
Getting a job, gaining work experience and securing a stable income aren’t as easy to come by as before. For youth and young adults this has created a situation where it is impossible to answer the question: “what do you want to be when you grow up”? I explore why working with youth is beneficial to companies below.
Young people can be your current or future customers, so try and get on the same level, even if you’re in a hurry to your next meeting. Early cooperation with you builds stronger customer relations, and it also allows you to build trust, which is essential in customer service. Young people are looking for a leader who they can trust, and products and services which fit their values and beliefs.
Young people can be your future employees. During internship and training periods, you can build trust with youth, which supports development and workflow. During training it’s possible to gain work experience, which enables future employment much easier than without training. When the young person is familiarized with the job beforehand, it makes it easier for them to know what type of job they’re coming into, and what kinds of jobs they’re interested in.
Young people will also be able to find their own strengths while working. This requires the support of team leaders and the work community, however. Encouraging feedback is important. When confidence grows, so does the quality of work. Everyone wins. Work experience is a pathway to employment — perhaps the easiest one, because the young person can demonstrate their attitude towards work: that they want to learn, develop their skills and work. In order to build this attitude encouraging feedback is needed.
It may be topical to remind them of a possible post-training jobs opportunity which you can make money. I remember when I first started receiving a salary for my job, it created a feeling of freedom. This helped me become more independent and let me make some of my small dreams come true, which I would have been unable to do otherwise. Another thing I won’t forget is the team spirit at my first jobs. These improved my engagement and made me feel independent at the start of my career.
Young people bring ideas, which we older employees may not have thought of. Young people offer their team leader a new perspective, for example on social media, on which many of us are only on the level of Facebook. Regular conversations also help bring up hidden signals from the youth and predict future trends amongst them.
Cooperation with young people is sustainable. Through cooperation, an organization can show that they care about youth and their employment. Actions speak louder than words. Often, all that it takes is time and presence. It’s possible to show young people the good sides of work, as the current image of workplaces isn’t necessarily the most favorable these days. You can show the youth that work is communal and show them how their work can be used to make a difference. This should be possible in at least all customer service positions.
The above things make your organization and workplace more meaningful. In my own experience, many employees want to help and guide young people through the start of their careers, which makes the work of employees and team leaders more meaningful and more inspiring. This creates positivity for everyone: customers, employees and partners. This should be communicated through various channels, which spreads the significance.
What used to work before, might not anymore. You should bring young people into your organization, support them and listen to them.
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I’ve been involved with young people through various cooperative initiatives, such as: the Kaupan polku -initiative, which involves various organisations, The City of Helsinki, Finnish Commerce Federation, Ohjaamo Helsinki and Stadin ammattioppilaitos. In the Huippuharkka-initiative the Children and Youth Foundation trained store managers in e.g. positive pedagogy in order to make training smoother. We have organized several training sessions at Musti ja Mirri: both our own training as well as vocational education by the apprenticeship training (sales people, store managers, employees at well-being services). It’s been great to be able to cooperate with different institutes and training organisations.
