Employers and young workers
Mary Tresize-Brown Brotherhood of St Laurence
February 2005
Refereed paper presented to the
Transitions and Risk: New Directions in Social Policy Conference
Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne
23–25 February, 2005
Mary Tresize-Brown: Employers and young workers
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Introduction
The Employing Young Workers project emerged within the Brotherhood’s
Transitions Unit, which was established in 1997 to enhance young people’s
transition from school to further education, training or employment, ensuring the
decisions they make about their future are informed ones. The Transitions Unit
expanded in 2003 to assist parents become effective career and transition support
(through the Parents as Career Transition Support Program) for their adolescent
children through educating themselves about career transition and all the options.
Staff of the Transition Project became aware of differences between employers of
their young clients, and noticed that young people would recommend particular
employees to each other over another one and it got them thinking. If we are
assisting young people to become ‘work ready’, can we assist employers to
become ‘youth ready’?
Research on youth employment from an employer’s perspective has focussed on
what employers want young people to have. The report ‘Employability Skills for
the Future’ (ACCI 2002) identified an employer perspective and made the
education sector more responsive to the needs of industry. The subsequent
Employability Skills Framework was developed to identify personal attributes,
skills and abilities that contribute to the overall employability of a young person.
This framework is a key component of the many programs being undertaken in
schools to prepare them for the workforce.
The Employing Young Workers project sets out to discover the other side: what
are the possibilities for developing a framework that identifies the skills, abilities
and workplace practices that contribute to employer’s effectively inducting,
managing and retaining young workers; to be an employer of choice of young
people.
The Employing Young Workers project is a strategic component in supporting
young people and their transition to independence.
This paper is a summary of the research findings, based on the longer project
report, Employing young workers; How well are we managing them (Tresize-Brown
2004).
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Background
Employer groups and peak bodies recognise that young people are critical to the
future of business and the economy, but also acknowledge there is a deepening
problem in attracting young people into certain jobs, and/or keeping young people
as employees. According to Alison Rich from Industrial Psychology Consultants,
‘Younger employees are less likely to speak out about dissatisfaction, and more
likely to change jobs rather than go to their manager’. She also says ‘No longer is it
purely the case of employees selling themselves to employers; the situation has
flipped to an extent’ (Rich 2004).
Business results depend on your people. To
thrive, even to survive, businesses must meet the
challenge of today’s generationally diverse
workforce. (Raines, 2003)
Employers need to look closely at how they attract young employees to work in
their business, particularly in light of the national skills shortages. An
investigation by the Department of Education Science and Training (2002) found
that despite some of the issues being generic across all or most skilled occupations,
the solutions and plans for action really need to be tailored to the conditions
applying in particular industries.
For example, most industries believed that the skilled trades had an image
problem in terms of their appeal to young people thinking about potential careers.
The National Industry Skills Initiative (NISI) is being undertaken by government
to improve the image of industry and their recruitment practices, and to engage
employers in training.
Our present research should assist employers to consider what they are doing to
attract, recruit, manage and retain young workers.
Generational differences
Research conducted by the Australian Leadership Foundation shows that the
biggest divide facing our society today is the generation gap, and for those
involved in engaging young people it must be remembered that the gap between
us and them is constantly growing (McCrindle 2003). Each generation is shaped by
different values that define their age group’s beliefs and attitudes about work.
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Table 1: Features of each generation at a glance
Seniors Builders Boomers Gen X Gen Y
Born before 1925 Born 1926–1946 Born 1946–1964 Born 1965–1980 Born 1981–1994
5% of population 25% of population 15% of population 26% of population 28% of population
Factors –
World War 1
Factors –
Great
Depression
World War 2
Factors –
general
economic
prosperity
suburbia
colour
television
Vietnam War
Factors –
divorce
increase
technology
boom
recession
1987 stock-
market crash
dual-income
families
increased drug
abuse
cable TV
corporate
takeovers
personal
computers
Factors –
September 11
attacks
mobile phones
continued
leaps in
technology
environmental
awareness
increased
educational
opportunities
internet
Mark McCrindle (2003) says each generation is influenced by environmental,
social and economic factors that determine their view of the workplace, with some
key points as follows:
A generation ago our society was based on a hierarchical structure and so older
people were managers and leaders in the head office while younger people
were likely to be trainees, and workers in the field. This physical structure
meant that different age groups rarely mingled in the workplace, today it is
different.
Many Xers are now in their 30s and there is a new generation moving into the
workplace: Generation Y. This emerging generation have been empowered
from a young age to take charge of their own future … Throughout their
education they were empowered to choose subjects, assessments, and
outcomes … they want input over their career, their training, and their role. By
understanding what today’s youth most value, we can determine how to most
effectively engage them.
The core values of the Builders and Boomers generations included a strong
work ethic, respect for authority, loyalty and commitment, financial
conservatism, long-term planning, and delayed gratification … The values
today of Generation Y are drastically different: flexibility, variety, choice,
freedom, pragmatism, and personal leadership.
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Our research indicates there are obvious communication gaps between employers,
young workers and other workers that suggest generational differences are at
play, and no-one has realised it. In the words of one employer about managing a
team of people from varying age groups, ‘Some of the older ones have real trouble
understanding the young ones. I have to continually intervene between two
specific workers to smooth out ongoing issues about how each of them wants to
work’.
According to Robert Wendover, Managing Director of the Centre for Generational
Studies, being aware of generational differences is the first step in managing a
multi-age workforce. What do employers know about the new generations? The
way Robert Wendover puts it:
You have to look at yourself before you can figure out how other
generations tick. The generations are divided into four groups, each
shaped by different values and cultural icons that define their age
group. There are no rights and wrongs, just generational differences
based on shared experiences. (Wendover 2003, cited in Alexander
2001)
The labour market climate for this generation includes estimations that 300,000 full
time jobs for young people were permanently lost over the twenty-five year
period to 1991 (Youth Affairs Council of Victoria 1992). Full-time jobs for
teenagers and young adults have declined by 15.2 per cent in Australia since 1995
(Dusseldorp Skills Forum, 2003) and there has been an increased casualisation of
the workforce, particularly for young people. The labour market conditions and
their parents’ attitudes to work may have shaped Generation Y attitudes to work.
Dwyer et al. (2003) argue that the people of Generation Y are balancing a range of
commitments in their lives and have a tendency towards horizontal mobility
(across different work settings and experiences) rather than the upward social
mobility of their parents. Their study showed an overwhelming emphasis on
achieving balance in life, involving space for the development of personal
relationships and a downplaying of the centrality of work as a source of identity.
The young people of this generation do not live to work - but rather they work to
live. A job merely provides the income to do what they want to do. Once we have
a foundational grasp of their characteristics, communication styles, and social
attitudes, we will be well equipped to effectively reach diverse generations.
In completing this report, we investigate the specific needs that young people
have when first entering the workforce and how employers can effectively meet
The employer of choice for Generation Y has to be one
that demonstrates values, both environmental and social.
McCrindle 2003
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those needs. It documents the result of examining survey data collected from
employers and young employees, together with an investigation into services,
programs, activities or events that currently exist, and the extent to which they
contribute to skilling employers in all the facets of employing a young person.
Aim of this report
The overall aim of the report sets out to identify:
The needs of young people when entering the employment market, and the
extent to which employment practices examined are able to effectively meet
those needs
The views that employers have of young people and what they are doing to
assist young people entering their organisation, often in their first job
Effective techniques for managing young people in the workplace
Gaps in employment practices relating to young people and critical issues for
program development in this area
A summary of youth-friendly employment practices/models in Australia or
overseas
Identification of the need for any additional work/program development to be
undertaken
Stage 1: Interviews with employers and young employees
The basis of commencing the project was to learn more about the specific needs of
young people, and what employers currently do to effectively meet those needs.
Initially, interviews were held with a number of employers in big and small
business from a range of industries, the local group training company, young
people in employment, the Job Network and parents, where we collected
information about employing and managing young people in the workplace. The
purpose of these discussions was to provide a framework for development of the
research. The employers interviewed were a combination of large and small
business from the following industries:
Hospitality
Community services
Engineering
Automotive
Horticulture
Music
Clothing and design.
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The response from all of these employers was tremendous; they were very
enthusiastic to talk about their experience of employing and managing young
people. Some of the employers were unsure to begin with. This they indicated was
because the majority of contacts they receive by agencies were asking for job
vacancies or some kind of support. They appreciated the opportunity to have their
say and spend some time focusing on their role.
Interviews were also held with a number of young employees. Again, the young
employees were happy to share their experiences, although some were cautious
about their responses, perhaps due to uncertainty about reactions from their
employer.
We also spoke with a group of parents to gain their views about young people in
employment. Many parents are grateful for an opportunity to talk about their
children and employment and this was no exception, they were enthusiastic and
willing to share. One parent pointed out that having other young people in the
workplace can be helpful, for example, a third-year apprentice linked to a school
leaver in a structured mentor relationship. Another parent said it was important
that employers respect young people and not just see them as cheap labour.
The interviews centred on:
what skills and knowledge are effective in managing a young person in the
workplace
the challenges for employers and their young employees
induction programs that may include a youth focus
ideas about what could be helpful for employers to develop skills and
knowledge to effectively manage young people.
Themes
Themes that emerged from employers were the need to have comprehensive
understanding of young people’s needs when first entering the labour force, and
the characteristics they present in the workplace. Communication between
employers and young people was possibly the most talked about topic during
these interviews, but views on this varied greatly depending on all the factors that
can influence how well this occurs. As the manager/director of a small engineering
firm put it, ‘You need to spend lots of time explaining lots of things, the why, how,
when and where’. Another manager in a child-care centre said, ‘Communicating
well on a regular basis is what’s important. You need to put aside time to make
yourself available’. Employers also expressed a keen interest to learn more about
generational differences and their impact on workplace productivity. Anecdotal
evidence from the interviews with employers suggests they would like to see
young employees better prepared for the workplace, with some commenting that
Mary Tresize-Brown: Employers and young workers
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schools and parents need to teach young people more about the realities of
starting in their first few jobs, including things like reliability, initiative and
common sense.
The young people we met with believe that employers need to understand and
acknowledge that they are learning, so adequate time to train and teach is very
important. They also talked about the need for clear expectations and boundaries,
as well as employers having realistic expectations about the young person’s
capacity in a new job with limited skills and knowledge. All of the young people
interviewed said that communication was critical to them understanding what is
expected of them, and that employers or supervisors need to give them the time
they need to learn. As one young employee in a motor mechanics business said,
‘Managers should know how young people think, and what their capabilities and
energy levels are. They shouldn’t expect too much too soon, and make sure we’re
well and truly ready’.
The Job Network agency highlighted the importance of communication between
young people and their manager/supervisor, and said that learning about
generational differences could help understand the different sets of values held by
each. An example of this was pointed out by an agency staff member who had
recently met an employer who made the following response when asked about
their young employee, ‘He’s still employed here isn’t he, if he wasn’t doing a good
job, he wouldn’t be’.
Communication in its broadest sense was highlighted by all employers and
employees as vital to the relationship with both the employer and other team
members.
Stage 2: Surveys of employers and young employees
Using the information collected from these interviews as the basis for questions,
two surveys were developed – one for employers, one for young employees. The
surveys concentrated on obtaining information about:
Induction practices
Workplace characteristics
Skills and/or practices in managing young people
Potential improvement
The Frankston Chamber of Commerce and the City of Frankston supported the
request to assist with distributing the surveys, focusing on the
Frankston/Mornington Peninsula region. We also approached the Business
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Council of Australia to distribute the surveys to large employers across a wider
area stretching from Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula to the Gippsland
region, and across the southern part of metropolitan Melbourne.
As Table 2 shows, surveys were distributed to 250 businesses, made up of 245
small businesses (employing fewer than 50 people) and 5 large employers
(employing more than 50). We received 139 responses, including multiple
responses from some workplaces. The response rate by large businesses was very
much higher than by small businesses. As a result, the findings are influenced by
the experience of large workplaces.
Table 2: Survey responses, by business type and survey type
Large business Small business Total
No. of businesses invited
to complete surveys
5 245 250
No. of businesses which
returned surveys
5 22 27
% of businesses which
returned surveys
100% 9% 11%
No of responses to young
employee survey
68 20 88
No. of responses to
employer/manager survey
31 20 51
Findings
What employers said about induction processes1
The induction processes adopted by employers varied greatly, with less than half
of the employers reporting that information given to new employees does not
form part of a formal induction process. Just over a third of young workers
reported they did not complete a formal induction program, so it appears that
induction receives varied importance. The most common type of information
provided to new employees concentrates on pay, work hours and superannuation
(Table 3). Of concern is the finding that 10 of the 51 employers surveyed did not
report providing OH&S training, information or support to new employees. In
spite of the efforts by Work Cover to raise awareness through the media about
workplace safety for both employers and employees, and the support offered to
assist employers implement OH&S processes, these results clearly demonstrate
the need for employers to seriously consider the potential risks of not including
this information for new young employees.
1 Induction is a process that introduces a new employee to all the aspects of the organisation. Workplace orientation is
one part of induction and includes information about things like organisational structure and departmental functions.
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Table 3: Training, information or support provided to new young workers
Type of training, information or support
provided to new young workers
Percentage of employers
who report providing it
Information about pay, bonuses/incentives 96.1%
Information about work hours 94.1%
Information about superannuation and tax 92.2%
Internal job-related training 90.2%
Workplace orientation 84.3%
Occupational Health and Safety 80.4%
A mentoring system 64.7%
A ‘buddy’ system 45.1%
Job rotation system 43.1%
External job-related training 37.3%
It is interesting to note that buddy systems and job rotation are not commonplace,
and yet there are many organisations that have benefited from implementing these
systems. For example, the Australian Public Service Guidelines for Workplace
Diversity list the establishment of mentor and buddy systems as one of the
methods for attracting and developing people from culturally and linguistically
diverse backgrounds (APS 2001). A report from the Adult Learning Inspectorate in
the UK (ALI 2004) highlights the benefit of assigning a workplace buddy or
mentor to young trainees, with one of the key messages saying ‘If you want young
trainees to succeed, provide a mentor or buddy’. The report ‘Successful Learning
at Work’(Hatton 2003) looks at effective methods of guiding people through work-
based learning and finds that offering a new trainee a ‘buddy’ (a more experienced
trainee who befriends them) or mentor makes it more likely that the new learner
will attain their work-based qualifications.
External job training is a low priority for employers, yet in contrast, internal and
external job training is a high priority for young workers, with more than a third
of them indicating they would like internal and external job training (see Table 12
below) – higher than any of the other categories of ‘additional support and
information’. Despite the low number of employers who indicated that they
provide information about external job training to new employees, over half of
them said they recognise that the provision of opportunities for training and
development is of greater importance when managing young people.
How do young workers rate their induction?
Young workers were asked to rate the quality of the information they received at
induction (see Chart 1, which shows their average ratings, on a scale where the
lowest score indicates the highest satisfaction), with results indicating a high degree
of satisfaction with information about working conditions (hours and leave), and a
moderate level of satisfaction with information about training. The information
received about other areas was rated as less satisfactory.
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Chart 1: Young workers’ average ratings of quality of information provided
Scale 1 to 6, where 1 = very good and 6 = did not receive any
Type of information
Orienta
tion
Tra
inin
g
Ent
erp
rise a
gre
em
ent
Hou
rs a
nd le
ave
Sup
era
nnuation, ta
x
Pay
OH
S
Ave
rage
rating
3.0
2.8
2.6
2.4
2.2
2.0
1.8
1.6
The ‘Maximising Youth Employment’ report conducted by Penrith Chamber of
Commerce details the results of conducting focus groups, where highlighted as
one of the common mistakes made by employers is poor induction. It was noted
that very few employers admitted to having an induction procedure, yet there was
almost universal agreement as to its importance (MYE Report 2002). Induction for
any person in a new job is absolutely critical, for a young person it is even more so
to ensure there is clear understanding about how an organisation functions and all
the practices and systems that are particular to that business. They don’t have the
benefit of previous experience in other workplaces to draw from, so their need for
this information is much higher than others.
Some 14% of the young employees (see Table 4) ranked the quality of information
they received about the award/enterprise agreement or contract as poor or did not
receive any. Employers and young workers need to become more aware of the
importance of this information both now and in the future with the introduction of
more contract based work.
According to ‘The Future of Work’ (Department of Education, Science and
Training 2002):
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The world of work has changed fundamentally in the past twenty years
and is set to change even more radically. The notion of a job-for-life has
been turned on its head. The workplace is now responsive to constantly
changing global needs. Some of the changes that will have an impact upon
traditional ideas about the labour force in Australia and worldwide are:
o The workplace will be dominated by contractors rather than permanent
employees.
o Working life will extend beyond the nine-to-five.
o A larger percentage of the population will be in paid work.
Young people need to have confidence in discussing and establishing workplace
contractual arrangements, while employers should be providing the full extent of
information that young workers must know about their workplace. ‘Young people
are set to encounter a workplace where contractual agreements are the norm, and
where individuals identify with fellow workers in their profession more than the
company that employs them’, says Michael Vitale, Dean of the Australian
Graduate School of Management (Vitale 2002).
Table 4: Percentage of young workers that rated the quality of information
received as poor
Type of information Percentage that rated the information
they received as poor or very poor or
indicated that they did not receive any
Award/ enterprise agreement or contract 14.4%
Superannuation and tax 12.2%
Pay arrangements, bonuses/incentives 10%
Workplace orientation 8.9%
Training on how to do my job 7.7%
Occupational Health and Safety 5.5%
Work conditions such as hours, breaks and leave 2.2%
Is the quality of information affected by the presence of a formal induction
process?
Over a third of employers reported that information given to new workers does
not form part of a formal induction process, and yet on average young workers
consistently rated information that was delivered as part of an induction process
as being of a higher quality. This implies that a thorough induction process could
enhance the ability of young workers to function well within the workplace.
Chart 2 shows the average ratings (again, on a scale where the lowest score
indicates the highest satisfaction) by young workers who received this information
as part of a formal induction process, compared with ratings by young workers
who received this information outside a formal induction process. Young
employees who had gone through a formal induction program were substantially
more satisfied with the information they were given about orientation, training
Mary Tresize-Brown: Employers and young workers
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and OH&S than those who had not had a formal induction program; however,
both groups had similar levels of satisfaction with the information received about
enterprise agreements/contracts, hours and pay. Interestingly, employees who did
not receive a formal induction rated the quality of information about
superannuation and tax significantly better than other employees.
Chart 2: Young workers’ levels of satisfaction with information as part of
induction Scale 1 to 6, where 1 = very good and 6 = did not receive any
Categories of information provided
Ori
enta
tio
nT
rain
ing
En
terp
rise a
gre
em
ent
Ho
urs
an
d le
ave
Tax,
sup
era
nnu
ation
Pa
y
OH
S
Ave
rag
e r
atin
g
3.0
2.8
2.6
2.4
2.2
2.0
1.8
1.6
Provision method
Part of a formal
induction program
Not part of an
induction program
How did young people assess the information received in small and large
businesses?
Table 5 shows that young workers from small business rated information at a very
good level from three of the seven areas covered. Also, a very good level of OH&S
information provided in small business was rated by over double the proportion
of young workers in large business. A small number of young workers in large
business did not receive any information about OH&S, agreements or contracts,
training or orientation.
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Table 5: Young workers’ assessment of information received when starting
work, in small businesses and large businesses
Rating OH&S Pay (incl.
bonuses,
incentives)
Superannuation and tax
Hours
and leave
Enterprise
agreement
or contract
Training
(how to
do job)
Orientation.
Business
type
Large Small Large Small Large Small Large Small Large Small Large Small Large Small
% Very
good
39.4 12.5 33.3 50.0 21.1 56.3 40.3 56.3 23.5 25.0 46.5 43.8 30.6 28.6
% Good 31.0 62.5 30.6 37.5 28.2 18.8 34.7 43.8 27.9 56.3 23.9 50.0 40.3 42.9
%
Adequate
23.9 18.8 23.6 12.5 36.6 18.8 22.2 30.9 12.5 19.7 6.3 19.4 21.4
% Poor 6.3 9.7 9.9 6.3 1.4 5.9 4.2 5.6 7.1
% Very
poor
2.8 1.4 2.9 1.4
% Did not
receive any
5.6 2.8 1.4 8.8 6.3 4.2 4.2
Table 6 (below) shows that managers and supervisors in large businesses were
more likely than those in smaller businesses to report that information was
provided as part of a formal induction program.
Table 6: Formal induction programs in small and large businesses
Business size Providing induction program Not providing induction program
Number % Number %
Large business 29 97% 1 3%
Small business 7 37% 12 63%
Note: More than one manager/supervisor responded from some large businesses
However, further data analysis showed that where small employers did provide a
formal induction program, 100% of employees rated the quality of the information
highly. By contrast large employers who provided a formal induction program
were not as successful in satisfactorily delivering information: of their employees,
20 individuals indicated that the quality of the information that they received was
poor and 9 individuals indicated that they did not receive any. Where induction
was not provided by small employers, 100% of employees still rated the
information that they received about pay arrangements, bonuses and incentives,
work conditions and training on how to do my job, as good.
Ten per cent of employees who did not receive a formal induction rated the
information that they received about occupational health and safety,
superannuation, tax and orientation as poor. Again, a small number indicated that
they did not receive any information about award/enterprise agreement or
contract. Even where there was no formal induction process, the level of
satisfaction recorded by employees of small businesses was higher than the
satisfaction levels recorded by employees of large businesses.
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How young people rate the importance of various workplace characteristics
The young workers we surveyed consistently rated workplace characteristics that
involved their employers, supervisors and managers possessing effective
communication skills more highly than other workplace characteristics, as
illustrated in Table 7.
Table 7: Workplace characteristics regarded as important by young workers
Workplace characteristics Percentage of young employees
who considered this important
or very important
Having things well explained 98.4%
Clear and regular communication 93.3%
Adequate information and support 92.3%
Good rapport with supervisors 92.2%
Patient and tolerant supervisors 92.2%
Clear explanations from my supervisors 92.2%
Being encouraged to ask questions 91.2%
Having clear responsibilities 91.1%
Opportunities for training and
development
90.8%
Having scope to use initiative 90.0%
A well structured job role 89.2%
Reasonable expectations of my work 88.9%
Understanding where my job fits 87.8%
Regular feedback from supervisors 85.6%
Being allowed to make mistakes 71.1%
The two workplace characteristics that young workers rated as the most important
were having things well explained and clear and regular communication. These
results support anecdotal evidence that effective communication skills in the
workplace are a feature that young employees consider to be very important. The
flip side of this is that young workers rated being allowed to make mistakes as
considerably less important than other workplace characteristics. This is a point
where employers and young workers held divergent attitudes. Forty-one per cent
of employers indicated that allowing young people to make mistakes was a more
important skill/practice when managing young people, which meant that it was
the eleventh most important workplace characteristic for employers out of 16
characteristics.
Work undertaken by a US firm specialising in customer loyalty and customer
retention makes a significant argument about employees making mistakes:
Let employees make mistakes. Give new employees more than adequate training,
assign them a mentor, and then know and accept that they will make mistakes. If
the mistakes are significant, discuss what could be done in the future to prevent
them from occurring again. With the rapid pace of change in the working world,
Mary Tresize-Brown: Employers and young workers
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we all are constantly learning. Most workplaces have an environment where
employees are fearful of making a mistake. The result is that employees work more
slowly, overanalyse situations, are reluctant to take a stance, and do not offer new
and innovative solutions.
Mistakes are the stepping stones to great solutions (Thomas, 1999)
What employers said about managing young people compared with managing
others
Over 50% of employers indicated that they considered the first five characteristics
in Table 8 as being of greater importance in the management of young people. It is
important to observe that the employers were not asked ‘Are these workplace
characteristics important?’, they were asked to indicate whether these
characteristics are ‘more important when managing young people’; therefore these
statistics provide an indication of what employers believe are more important
when managing young people. In this light it is interesting to compare what
employers identified as being more important when managing young people,
with the characteristics that young people indicated they thought were most
important. Clear and regular communication is ranked second highest by both
employers and young workers, and is further verification that communication at
all levels is one of the key factors for both groups.
Table 8: Employers’ views about practices with greater importance when
managing young workers
Skills/practices Percentage of employers who
believe that these are of greater
importance when managing young
people.
Encouraging to ask questions 68.6%
Clear and regular communication 54.9%
Having clear expectations 53.1%
Opportunities for training and development 52.9%
Making responsibilities clear 51.0%
Being patient and tolerant 49.0%
Being aware of differences in behaviour and
attitudes
49.0%
Spending time explaining things 47.1%
Providing scope to use initiative 45.1%
Encouraging feedback 43.1%
Allow them to make mistakes 41.2%
Providing structure in the job role 41.2%
Developing rapport 39.2%
Taking time to explain processes 39.2%
Encouraging good time management 37.3%
Adequate information and support systems 35.3%
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Over 55% of employers indicated that they felt that the following characteristics
are of no greater importance in the management of young people:
Developing rapport
Taking time to explain processes
Encouraging good time management
Adequate information and support systems.
If these results are compared with the values of young workers some quite
significant differences are revealed (see Table 9). Over 90 per cent of young
workers indicated that having good rapport with supervisors was either
important or very important, and yet more than half the employers indicated they
did not consider this workplace characteristic as being of greater importance when
managing young people. Additionally, young people said they need clear
instructions, yet employers do not believe that time to explain processes is more
important in managing young people. It is possible that these results come from
employers who believe these characteristics to be important in dealing with all
employees, rather than of greater importance for young workers. However a
general lack of recognition of the importance of good rapport and of explaining
processes could severely affect a young person’s capabilities to meet employer
expectations. With an increasingly diverse workforce, managers of every age are
encouraged to be a teacher and a learner at the same time.
Table 9: Comparisons between young workers’ and employers’ views of
workplace characteristics for young people
Young workers’ views of importance of
workplace characteristics
1. Having things well explained
2. Clear and regular communication
3. Adequate information and support
4. Good rapport with supervisors
5. Being encouraged to ask questions
Employers’ views of workplace
characteristics which are more important
when managing young workers
1. Encouraging to ask questions
2. Clear and regular communication
3. Having clear expectations
4. Opportunities for training and
development
5. Making responsibilities clear
Next steps: What employers and their young employees want
We gave employers and their young employees a list of supports that might assist
workplace relations, and asked what would be useful.
Mary Tresize-Brown: Employers and young workers
Page 18
What employers are saying
It is enormously encouraging that employers are most interested in services that
help facilitate communication about expectations after starting a new job and
education about different attitudes and expectations across generations (see Table
10). On the other hand, they also said that they would not be interested in these
options being provided by an external agency. This could be related to the cost of
engaging an external agency but it also raises the question about employers and
their perceptions of external providers, which was also indicated in their response
to seeking external job-related training for young workers. This ranked lowest in
the types of information that employers give to new employees, yet most young
workers indicated they valued all opportunities for training and development. We
might also presume from this that employers prefer to provide the training
themselves, nevertheless, they also require the skills, knowledge and ability to be
able to do so.
Table 10: What employers thought would be useful in the workplace for
managing young workers
Service Percentage of employers who consider
that service would be useful in supporting
their management of young people to a
medium or a great extent.
Workshops for young people about employer
expectations after starting a new job
54.9%
Education about the different attitudes and
expectations between generations
50.9%
Workshops for young people about workplace
and employment practices
47.0%
Facilitating communication between young
employees and others in the workplace
39.2%
Network meetings with likeminded employers 27.4%
What young workers are saying
Young workers were most interested in workshops that helped them
communicate with others in the workplace; Generation Y value personal
relationships and their development (see Table 11). Both employers and young
workers rated workshops for young people about workplace and employment
practices as useful.
Mary Tresize-Brown: Employers and young workers
Page 19
Table 11: What young workers thought would be useful in the workplace
Service Percentage of young workers who considered
this service would be useful in their workplace
to a medium or a great extent
Facilitating communication between young
employees and others in the workplace
50.0%
Workshops for young employees about
workplace and employment practices
46.6%
Workshops for young people about employer
expectations after starting a new job
42.2%
Supervisor/manager training about the
different attitudes and expectations between
generations
41.1%
Communication between young workers and others was rated by half the
respondents as a useful service, further confirmation of the pattern emerging
around enhancing communication in the workplace. This is not surprising when
you consider the experience of an Apprenticeship Liaison Officer with the
Department of Education and Training who meets with employers and young
people every day, mostly to resolve issues in the workplace, especially ones that
involve training for young apprentices and trainees. This person commented in
relation to communication in the workplace:
Schools are now more open to discussion, workplaces are still hierarchical. Young
people have to learn that they will go from being self-directed to directed. They get
to their first job where the boss has been taught as an apprentice in a directed style,
and he goes on to do the same. Their approach can be illustrated with statements
like ‘Do what you’re told, I’m the boss, don’t ask questions’. This is one of the
major problems with communication between employers and young people.
The two types of additional information and support that really stand out relate to
job training, which indicates that young people have a strong desire to learn and
develop in their jobs (see Table 12). On the basis of this result we can conclude that
young people are likely to be enthusiastic and committed participants in any
opportunities (to develop or enhance their job-related skills) that employer and
outside agencies may be able to offer them.
Mary Tresize-Brown: Employers and young workers
Page 20
Table 12: Ranking by young workers for additional information or support
Additional information and support Percentage of young workers who indicated
that they would like more information or
support in relation to these areas.
External job-related training 35.6%
Internal job-related training 36.7%
Information about pay, bonuses/incentives 21.1%
Information about superannuation and tax 22.2%
Occupational health and safety 11.1%
Information about work hours, breaks etc. 8.9%
Job rotation 14.4%
Workplace orientation (people departments
etc.)
10.0%
A mentor system 12.2%
A buddy system 4.4%
These responses are supported by a survey conducted by recruitment agency
Kelly Services who canvassed more than 1500 working youth in Australia about
their attitudes to the workplace. Kelly Services Managing Director, Dianne Ward
says:
Young people are attracted to a sociable work environment where they have the
opportunity for growth and learning. A stimulating workplace environment where
they have the chance to grow and learn amongst their peers is more attractive than
a job with a high salary but none of the developmental benefits. (HR Manager
2004)
Conclusions
The categorical message from employers and young workers about working
together is communication, with three key areas to focus on: induction,
generational differences and management skills.
Induction processes varied greatly between the employers responding to surveys;
the following highlights key areas from the findings about induction:
Young people rate the quality of training, orientation and occupational health
and safety information as significantly better when it is provided as part of a
formal induction program.
Large employers are more likely to provide formal induction programs.
Some employers do not provide a formal induction program.
The lack of information about occupational health and safety by some
employers is alarming.
Mary Tresize-Brown: Employers and young workers
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Employers recognise the importance of providing opportunities for training
and development for young employees; yet external job training is a low
priority for them. Young employees indicated both internal and external
training as important.
Young people need to be confident enough to discuss and establish
award/enterprise agreements or contracts. Some employers are not being clear
about this with their young employees.
Management skills in their broadest sense are critical to the workplace, and the
following key areas are highlighted in the findings about management skills:
Communication at all levels in the workplace is rated as important by both
employers and young employees.
Clear and regular communication is the one area that both employers and
young employees rated equally as highly important.
Over 90 per cent of young employees rated good rapport with supervisors as
important, yet less than 40 per cent of employers rated building rapport with
young employees as more important than with other employees.
Job-related training was ranked as the most important workplace characteristic
by young employees.
Employers and young workers are most interested in services that focus on
increasing knowledge to bridge communication between employers, young
workers and others in the workplace. More than half the employers surveyed said
workshops for young people about employer expectations would be helpful,
while half of the young workers said facilitating communication between young
workers and others in the workplace would be useful – both recognise that
understanding about other groups in the workplace is essential to being effective.
Research into generational differences concludes that to engage effectively with
young people, employers must work at understanding them. In this study, young
workers also expressed some interest in understanding the generational
differences between employers and young employees however they ranked this
below other options suggested. Employers were more positive about training
about generational differences, which they ranked second to workshops for young
employees about employer expectations.
Mary Tresize-Brown: Employers and young workers
Page 22
Table 13: Comparisons between employers and young workers about useful
services
Service % of employers % of young workers
Workshops for young people about employer
expectations after starting a new job
54.9% 42.2%
Education about different attitudes and
expectations between generations
50.9% 41.1%
Workshops for young people about
workplace and employment practices
47.0% 46.6%
Facilitating communication between young
employees and others in the workplace
39.2% 50.0%
Further investigation into induction, generational differences and management
skills is vital to continuing support for young people making the transition to
employment, whilst simultaneously assisting employers to maximise the potential
of engaging young people in the workplace. Employers have a level of
responsibility equivalent to schools and parents in providing adequate
management skills and workplace practices for young people. Additionally, they
need to be responsive to the values and beliefs of Generation Y as the future of
business.
Productivity and well-being in the workplace should be important to employers;
they should consider research conducted by Diener and Seligman who found that:
Job satisfaction and positive mood at work both contribute to the productivity of
organisations. Happy employees are better organisational citizens than unhappy
employees … The costs of unhappy workers to economic productivity are
enormous. Policies aimed at producing a happier workforce make sense both
because they can enhance well-being in an important realm of life and because
they can increase economic productivity and profitability … Furthermore, studies
reveal that experiencing more positive emotions on the job is associated with both
better performance and higher levels of organisational citizenship. (Diener &
Seligman 2004, pp.10–11)
Mary Tresize-Brown: Employers and young workers
Page 23
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