In today's fiercely competitive job market, many companies are becoming even more selective about who they are hiring. This has made breaking into the workforce increasingly challenging for early-career professionals. In fact, a recent U.K. survey revealed about 7 in 10 jobseekers were rejected from entry-level jobs because of lack of experience.
Ask any early-career candidate how their job search is going or scour online chat forums, and you’ll likely find a grim consensus: not well. It's a classic catch-22 situation. Employers say candidates need experience to secure a job, but they need a job to gain experience.
By mistakenly putting the focus of entry-level job requirements on experience instead of skills, filling jobs in this category is nearly impossible. To break down the barrier for this group to gain equitable job access, many companies are committing to hiring early-career talent based on skills.
Organizations have their own biases on what entry-level represents, and many of them equate past experience with readiness for the next job. This assumption hurts all sides of the hiring process: The worker is omitted from opportunity, and the employer is left with unfilled job openings and unmet business goals.
Job board Indeed defines entry-level roles as ones requiring up to three years of work experience, and many other organizations define it similarly. Others say entry-level talent requires a four-year degree, using a degree as a proxy for immediate entry-level qualification. But true entry-level talent is anyone seeking a professional role that has skills leveraged outside of a four-year degree. No experience is necessary.
These misguided definitions have created a barrier for emerging talent to enter corporate America, limiting employers from accessing workers with in-demand skills and leaving them stuck on a talent treadmill.
Employers leveraging skills-based recruitment are 60% more likely to make successful hires. The strategy opens up the talent pool and reduces time-to-hire by considering previously excluded candidates and assessing based on quantifiable skills. On-the-job experience and learning is still one of the best and most predictive measurements of job success.
Industries like tech are embracing a skills-first strategy. This paradigm shift can lead to increased workforce diversity, enhanced employee retention and improved performance metrics. LinkedIn saw a 21% increase in job postings that advertise skills and responsibilities instead of qualifications from 2020 to 2021.
Most entry-level talent is part of Gen-Z, and becoming familiar with their wants and needs can help organizations effectively recruit and retain them. An incredible 65% of Gen-Z talent leave their jobs within the first year. They are known for job hopping, expected to change jobs 10 times or more between the ages of 18 and 34.
Many of these early-career professionals are committed to their own growth and well-being, and employers should take note. This group is looking to work for companies that commit to their career development. As these candidates are assessing job opportunities, internal mobility is often top of mind.
They value job stability and financial security, work-life balance and social impact. This generation is choosy about their employers and wants to join mission-driven and purposeful companies. Deloitte recently reported that to woo this group, companies “must demonstrate their commitment to a broader set of societal challenges such as sustainability, climate change and hunger.”
In addition to what this demographic wants, I suggest employers also pay attention to the traits and value they bring to an organization:
• Competitive and productive: Many of these professionals are highly motivated and eager to make their mark to advance within the company.
• Trainable and adaptable: Emerging talent adds fresh energy, which can strengthen company culture. They do not bring bad habits from other companies or baggage from previous toxic workplace cultures.
• Lower cost to entry: Hiring entry-level talent based on skills brings with it a big cost savings. This strategy can lead to better matches, reducing turnover. Quality matches at the entry level means a pipeline of ready talent when mid-level and senior employees transition out of the company, reducing the need for the higher cost of external hiring.
• Loyalty: Today’s entry-level employees are future managers. By nurturing entry-level employees, companies can cultivate loyal and skilled employees who can grow with the organization, taking on leadership roles in the future and building a long-term workforce.
A sound strategy for hiring emerging talent starts at sourcing and continues well beyond day one on the job. Implement the following to successfully acquire and retain this valuable group of workers:
1. Strategy stage: Plan out a talent acquisition strategy that is intentional about hiring skills-based entry-level talent. Include specific steps for different members of the organization to take, including HR, hiring managers and the C-suite. Choose a champion of the strategy.
2. Sourcing stage: Get rid of the laundry list of qualifications. Choose the top five for success in the role. Determine the must-haves and the nice-to-haves. Include trainable job skills. Remove degree requirements.
3. Hiring stage: Ensure the interview process is objective and that no one is omitted because of technology. Pay competitive salaries and fair market wages.
4. Retention stage: The program must include employee development and growth—a major draw for entry-level talent. Build mentorship programs and oversee them to ensure success. Internal mobility is a catalyst for sustained employee engagement and loyalty, and ongoing training and skills development is pivotal in retaining early-career talent.
If you don’t know how to start, seek out resources that can support you in your efforts. Network with other organizations that have already started on this journey and can share lessons learned.
The decades-old recruiting strategy of requiring years of experience for entry-level talent is both flawed and limiting. An early-career hiring strategy with a skills-first mindset is critical in today’s labor market to stay ahead of the competition, attract the best talent and compete in the future.
