Prepare your 20-Something Employee for Career Success

When I talk with training or human resources professionals who’ve invited me to speak for their organizations, one of the first things I hear is that this new crop of 20-something employees is different. On the good side, they’re innovative, entrepreneurial, and devoted to changing business for the better. On the negative side, they tend to come into their first jobs with a sense of entitlement, like it’s the responsibility of management to further their careers. And even though they have just finished school, today’s 20-somethings already know everything and want to get ahead right now.

Because of what they don’t learn in college, 20-somethings typically experience lower productivity and higher turnover than other employees. You should recognize, though, that simple training could make a difference in the degree to which they can contribute to the bottom line and increase your internal rate of return. I’ll highlight a few key lessons you need to share with them.

• Teach them the role of a mature professional. In their first jobs, 20-somethings meet lots of people important to their future success. To make the most of these interactions, they must develop a strong corporate persona—of the mature, professional, and competent face they project at work. You can help them achieve this by providing instruction on appropriate dress and appearance, effective on-the job communication, social be-havior, and attitude.

• Help them to establish profitable relationships. The 20-something employee needs to take responsibility for becoming professionally and socially integrated into his or her new department. Help by teaching strategies for getting to know fellow managers and navigating your company’s social scene. Basic networking skills and company-sponsored mentorship programs are useful as well.

• Encourage them to show controlled initiative. Today’s 20-somethings are blazing trails of ambitious fire. But have them look for ways to prove their worth, while still starting small (where their inevitable mistakes don’t hurt so much). Help them find a niche by asking them probing questions such as: What does the company or department need, and how can you use your unique set of skills and talents to provide it?

• Help them master skills that will take them anywhere. New 20-something employees should be taught to de-emphasize the importance of getting promoted as soon as possible. Rather, they should focus on making the most of their first jobs by setting short- and long-term career goals and developing critical, transferable skills such as problem-solving, time management, oral and written communication, and risk-taking, that will be useful no matter where they go or what they do.

• Show them how to be proactive about their own career growth. Rather than just facilitating the review process, HR professionals should coach new 20-something employees on how to approach reviews strategically. Review objectives that you can help them set that include soliciting feedback from their manager, identifying new goals and growth opportunities, and hammering out a long-term promotion plan.

These recommendations require an investment in 20-something employees that your company might be reluctant to make. But just think about how much productivity you can conserve by doing a day of "Welcome to the Business World" training at the beginning of a career, before a single preventable mistake is ever made. And, since well-prepared and successful employees are happy employees, you’ll keep your 20-somethings longer than your competitors—and long enough for them to make measurable contributions to the organization.