Emily Goldsack and Alanna Harrington explore how learning and development can be the deciding factor for early career talent. Their research reveals what young professionals expect from employers — from onboarding through to long-term growth — and how L&D can help organisations meet these needs to build engagement, trust and future-ready leaders.
In a world where organisational success is defined by speed and adaptability, attracting early talent is essential to stay ahead. They bring innovative ideas, a hunger to learn, and the potential to develop into future leaders. To effectively attract young talent and stand out as an attractive employer, companies first need to understand the unique needs and motivations of young people.
The research highlights the importance of learning and development in career advancement and the development of a talent pipeline
Global talent management firm, Talogy, undertook some research among early career professionals, and the organisations hiring them. The research, Hiring Future Ready Early Talent, surveyed 1,200 early career job seekers, recent employees and managers from across the world, and set out to evaluate what both are looking for. This study offers valuable insights about the expectations of early career professionals and what employers can offer.
L&D for the talent win
Most notably, the research highlights the importance of learning and development in career advancement and the development of a talent pipeline. This is an important motivator for the current generation, with 63% of early career professionals sampled rating it as one of the most important factors when applying to an organisation. To attract, and later retain early talent hires, it is crucial to have a clearly outlined onboarding and ongoing development process.
This is an area where some organisations may be lacking, as when asked about key challenges, managers emphasised the difficulty of finding growth opportunities for early career professionals. Additionally, they cited challenges with the level of training required for new hires and the necessary time and resource investment. Early career professionals often lack previous work experience and require additional support to develop new skills and build confidence in a professional environment.
The reality is that every organisation is dealing with its own set of financial burdens. Budget cuts are common in L&D due to economic uncertainty, a tight labour market, and the rising cost of living. So, how can organisations avoid disheartening new early career hires and ensure they follow through on any commitments to developmental opportunities made during the selection process? And how can L&D support with these efforts in a sustainable way?
Act as an advocate
Meeting the expectations of early career professionals can be challenging and based on responses provided by managers in the survey, it appears that many organisations may be reluctant to raise to some of their asks.
L&D can help by advocating for the strategic importance of early talent. It can help organisations to recognise that early talent is important not only to fulfil the requirements of their current roles, but also to provide a talent pipeline to fill senior positions in the future. This is especially important in the context of an aging workforce. With an increased proportion of workers nearing retirement age there may be high demand for workers to fill these jobs.
Start strong
Showcasing a commitment to development should start even before the individual is hired. A desire for transparency was a recurrent finding throughout the research. Early career professionals were most likely to be put off from applying to an organisation where there was a lack of information available about the job, organisation and salary. L&D can support the recruitment effort in this area by providing transparent information about what new employees can expect from their role, and in terms of onboarding and development.
An effective recruitment strategy should be followed up with a clear onboarding and ongoing development plan that uses valuable data from their performance in the assessment process. Onboarding should include knowledge and skill development but also an introduction and integration into the organisation’s culture and practices.
Provide clarity
Clarity continues to be important whilst on the job. Early career professionals prioritise career development, but they may not yet have a clear picture of what they want their future career to look like. L&D can help them to identify their career goals and journey to achieving this in the organisation by providing information about the different career paths available to them and what skills are important for success in each.
Other ways to support this include encouraging them to participate in cross-functional teams or providing shadowing and rotation opportunities to broaden their understanding of different roles and opportunities.
Nurture potential
It is crucial both for the organisation’s succession planning, and to keep early talent engaged, to have a clear path to identify and develop high potential talent. There is some indication that the current generation is seeking a more stable, long-term career. In the Prospects 2024 early careers survey, 20% of new graduates expressed a desire to move on from their current job, down from around 40% in recent years. However, the top reason given for wanting to leave was to advance their career.
It’s important to ensure that high potentials are recognised early and these employees are provided opportunities to support their growth. For example, through targeted development programmes focused on specific skills, leadership development and mentoring or coaching opportunities. This can prevent them from stagnating at their current level and becoming demotivated.
Support managers
Line managers are key for early talent development, both to guide development conversations and future planning and to advocate for further learning opportunities in the organisation. L&D needs to support managers with the skills and resources to do this.
In our survey, managers mentioned that finding the time to train and support early career hires, as well as a lack of available growth opportunities, made it difficult to provide the development young professionals are seeking. Training for managers should highlight the options available for their direct reports, as well as setting clear expectations and providing guidance about how managers should support early talent development.
Match with mentors
An effective way to bolster the developmental support early career professionals are receiving from their managers is to connect them with a mentor. This could be a more senior colleague who possesses valuable knowledge or skills the mentee is trying to acquire – or even someone at a similar level with a complimentary skillset.
Consider non-traditional models like reciprocal mentoring where parties provide mutual support. Mentoring has added benefits beyond providing the individual with guidance. It can strengthen relationships, help to break down siloes, and aid building strong organisational networks, which is especially beneficial for women and ethnic minorities.
Learning to develop
L&D has an important role to play in meeting the expectations of early career professionals who want to grow and develop to their full potential. This is essential for organisations to maintain trust, engagement, and commitment among newly hired young professionals.
To do this, a strong strategic partnership between L&D and recruitment is vital. L&D should support the recruitment effort by providing a strategic view of what talent gaps they foresee for the organisation, and what skills should be prioritised. In turn, having insight into the hiring process and methods used to assess skills means that L&D can effectively leverage this data to identify developmental areas and recommend learning paths for new hires. This will help lay the foundations for a culture of continuous learning, which is essential to retain and engage early talent today.
Emily Goldsack is R&D Consultant at Talogy and co-author of the report Hiring Future Ready Talent, 2024
Alanna Harrington is Managing Research Consultant at Talogy and co-author of the report Hiring Future Ready Talent, 2024
