Early Career Professionals: Who They Are and Why They’re Important
The labor market is shifting.
As baby boomers retire, the workforce is shrinking—which has left organizations rethinking how to fill open roles, develop and retain top talent, and plan for the future. Faced with steep competition to hire top talent, companies are starting to look toward one key resource: early career professionals.
Keep reading as we break down the value of early career professionals for any organization and how you can create an early talent strategy that attracts top talent and drives retention.
Table of contents
- What is an early career professional?
- Why early talent is an important resource for organizations
- Why retaining early talent should be a priority
- The importance of early career professional development
- How to create early talent programs to drive growth
What is an early career professional?
An early career professional is someone who is in the early stages of their career. They’re often new to the workforce or might be still in the process of transitioning from education to full-time work.
Common examples of early career professionals include interns, co-op students, and new grads. Many also consider professionals in the first 5 years of their careers to be ‘early career’, regardless of their title.
In some instances, early career professionals might also include experienced workers who are making a switch in careers or industries. For example, a long-time legal secretary who has taken a coding bootcamp and is transitioning into software development would be considered early talent as a software developer.
Why early talent is an important resource for organizations
Recruiting and investing in early talent should be a part of any organization’s human resources strategy. Having a steady pool of early career professionals can play a huge role when it comes to staying competitive and maintaining long-term success in any industry.
Here are a few reasons early talent is valuable for organizations:
- Early talent offers a modern perspective: While senior employees bring a high level of experience to the table, younger and junior professionals often have a fresh, new perspective that can drive innovation and creativity.
- Early talent is often cost-effective: Underpaying employees is never an effective solution. However, there’s no denying that employees with less professional experience are often willing to work at a lower salary in exchange for meaningful opportunities to grow and develop in their careers.
- Early talent boosts diversity: Employees from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds haven’t always been afforded the same opportunities in the workplace. While it’s important to prioritize diverse hiring across seniority levels, diversity among early career professionals is an important step to creating a future pipeline of diverse managers and leaders.
- Early talent is adaptable: Newer talent is often more agile and adaptable as they are willing to learn and try new things as they enter the workforce. This can be incredibly valuable in fast-paced organizations that face changing goals and moving targets.
- Early talent is digitally savvy: As the younger generation enters the workforce, they’re bringing their tech skills with them. From AI to social media, early professionals often have a natural talent for embracing the digital processes that are needed to succeed in this new technology-first world.
“Companies can’t afford to lose early talent in the numbers we’re seeing today. They are a critical component of any company’s DEI strategy, key to building organizational bench strength, and, as digital natives, best positioned to advance any company’s digital transformation.”- Dave Wilkin, CEO, 10KC
It’s worth noting that while early talent is a huge asset to your organization, it’s important to strike the right balance of junior roles with more senior staff. Different industries and even different departments can also have different early talent needs. Early talent benchmarking can help your team understand how you stack up against similar businesses.
Why retaining early talent should be a priority
Roles geared toward early talent typically demand fewer qualifications, are more flexible with candidate experience, and cost less to hire. This tends to give off the impression that junior roles are easier to fill (even if there’s higher turnover), leading organizations to put the retention of senior employees first.
However, prioritizing early talent retention can be equally—if not more—important. When companies are able to retain talent early on in their careers, they benefit from:
1. Improved employee loyalty
A 2023 report from ResumeLab found that 83% of Gen Z workers, many of which are still early in their careers, consider themselves to be job hoppers. This is a stark contrast compared to previous generations, where employees often stayed with their employers for extended periods of time.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that employee loyalty is dead. It simply means that employers need to be strategic with how they retain their talent.
As companies contend with higher rates of turnover among the younger workforce, creating a positive impression for employees early on in their careers can go a long way in building a loyal workforce and helping employees stick around longer.
2. Superior succession planning
Succession or workforce planning is when businesses put a plan in place for future business needs. This typically includes planning for managerial and executive leadership roles that need to be filled when existing employees leave the business.
When organizations can retain employees early on in their careers, they can get insight and measurable performance data to identify high-potential employees. This allows you to provide the right employee development opportunities and proactively close any skills gaps, so you have folks ready to step into these future roles when the time comes.
With early talent in particular, there is plenty of room for growth, making them a key part of filling your internal talent pipeline.
Of course, succession planning is good business in more ways than one. Not only does it promote business continuity and boost employee mobility but promoting within can boost your bottom line. Hiring external talent costs 18% more and external hires are also 21% more likely to leave within the first year.
3. Elevated productivity and business performance.
The longer an employee stays with your company, the more familiar they become with their responsibilities as well as the systems and processes in place. This means that they’re more efficient and productive in their roles. These benefits are often more apparent in junior roles where it can take longer to build the necessary competencies to be successful in their roles.
While retaining all employees is important, supporting early talent shows that employees of all levels are equally valued—which can create a positive culture across the entire organization. This increased sense of belonging and connection has a positive impact on employee engagement and productivity, all of which are tied to better business outcomes.
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The importance of early career professional development
When it comes to your employees, career development matters.
But that importance matters perhaps even more so among early talent. A study found that the top three factors that Gen Z professionals look for when choosing an employer were all related to development opportunities. 95% of respondents say they value career advancement opportunities, which is closely followed by having a manager they can learn from and professional development and training opportunities (at 93% and 91% respectively).
So, let’s explore a few ways that professional development can boost early career employee retention and engagement.
1. It creates purposeful learning opportunities
We’ve all heard the tropes about the intern fetching coffee and twiddling their thumbs. But the reality is that most early career professionals are looking to go beyond mundane tasks in their careers—whether they’re an intern, in a co-op program, or in their first full-time role.
However, as early talent employees attempt to navigate the professional world, creating those opportunities for themselves is easier said than done. This can leave them feeling aimless and unable to contribute to larger company goals. A McKinsey study found that 70% of employees feel like their purpose is tied to their work, which makes creating meaningful work even more important to retaining early talent.
Professional development opportunities, including upskilling, mentorship, and sponsorship, ensure that early talent have access to the networks and resources they need to grow in their existing roles. Early talent who feel like they’re making an impact are much more likely to be satisfied with their work and stay with your organization.
2. It helps provide a clear career path
Modern career pathing can be difficult for even experienced employees to navigate. Unlike decades past, no one career path looks like the next.
One study found that 45% of Gen Z employees say they’d expect a promotion within two years, with 31% that would consider quitting if they didn’t receive one. And lack of growth and career opportunities is the reason 41% of employees choose to change jobs
Without guidance, it can be challenging for early talent to understand the right next step in their careers. Professional development opportunities can help employees identify their career goals and put a plan in place to help get them there—whether that’s addressing skills gaps or simply connecting them with the right peers.
So this much is clear: employees don’t see a solid career path, even early on in their career, they’re likely to seek employment elsewhere.
3. It attracts top talent
In today’s highly competitive job market, employers need to find strategic solutions to stand out from the crowd. While many organizations lean toward compensation, professional development strategies can also go a long way in bringing the right early talent in the door.
The benefits of professional development opportunities for early talent are twofold. Not only do employees benefit from opportunities for growth and career progression, but it also doubles as a signal that you’re willing to invest in people from day one.
This shows potential candidates that if they choose to join your team, they’re more likely to feel valued as part of the company.
4. It fosters employee networks and connectivity
The 70-20-10 learning model states that 20% of our learning comes from those around us. Which is why opportunities for early talent to connect with their peers and senior staff in a professional setting can accelerate growth and development.
One valuable approach to community-driven professional development is mentorship. Mentorship and employee connectivity has been tied to a 50% increase in employee retention. In fact, 65% of early talent would consider leaving their current employer to join one with more opportunities for mentorship.
Pairing early career professionals with senior mentors can enhance skills development, foster a sense of belonging, and propel employees toward their own career goals. Mentoring relationships also provide visibility and access to senior leaders that early talent may otherwise never have the opportunity to interact with.
Where traditional 1-1 mentoring relationships aren’t possible, group mentoring can be equally effective at building networks for early talent.
How to create early talent programs to drive growth
Structured early career programs are vital to supporting employees in the beginning stages of their careers. They are designed to help early talent develop the skills and networks they need to grow as professionals.
Here are a few steps you can take to create an early talent program that drives employee engagement and retention.
1. Define early talent in your organization. While there’s a general consensus around the definition of early talent, not every organization necessarily needs to focus on all early career professionals. One organization may opt to prioritize new grads and entry-level employees, while another may choose to focus on students in internship and co-op programs.
2. Set organizational goals. There are plenty of benefits to investing in early talent. However, setting targeted goals helps program managers and talent leaders stay on track. For example, common objectives might include increased internal mobility or higher employee satisfaction among early talent.
3. Set learning objectives and curriculums. Using development programs and curriculums in your early talent programs can help your organization and early talent participants reach your goals. This ensures that you’re facilitating learning and discussions around the right objectives.
4. Implement your program. Once you’ve defined your participants and objectives, it’s time to let the program do its work. Employee experience platforms, such as 10KC, can help you launch your early talent program at scale while minimizing the lift on talent teams and program managers.
5. Collect feedback from participants. The ultimate goal of any development program is delivering value to those who matter most—in this case, your early talent participants. Gathering feedback is crucial to making sure your organization and your early talent are getting the most out of your program.
6. Review and track progress. Be sure to take the time to measure and review outcomes. When you measure the impact of your program, you can help make sure that you’re on track to reach your early talent goals. Reviewing progress along the way can also surface any issues, so you can course-correct in real time.
LEARN MORE: Early Talent Mentoring Solution
Early Career Professionals: Who They Are and Why They’re Important
The labor market is shifting.
As baby boomers retire, the workforce is shrinking—which has left organizations rethinking how to fill open roles, develop and retain top talent, and plan for the future. Faced with steep competition to hire top talent, companies are starting to look toward one key resource: early career professionals.
Keep reading as we break down the value of early career professionals for any organization and how you can create an early talent strategy that attracts top talent and drives retention.
Table of contents
- What is an early career professional?
- Why early talent is an important resource for organizations
- Why retaining early talent should be a priority
- The importance of early career professional development
- How to create early talent programs to drive growth
What is an early career professional?
An early career professional is someone who is in the early stages of their career. They’re often new to the workforce or might be still in the process of transitioning from education to full-time work.
Common examples of early career professionals include interns, co-op students, and new grads. Many also consider professionals in the first 5 years of their careers to be ‘early career’, regardless of their title.
In some instances, early career professionals might also include experienced workers who are making a switch in careers or industries. For example, a long-time legal secretary who has taken a coding bootcamp and is transitioning into software development would be considered early talent as a software developer.
Why early talent is an important resource for organizations
Recruiting and investing in early talent should be a part of any organization’s human resources strategy. Having a steady pool of early career professionals can play a huge role when it comes to staying competitive and maintaining long-term success in any industry.
Here are a few reasons early talent is valuable for organizations:
- Early talent offers a modern perspective: While senior employees bring a high level of experience to the table, younger and junior professionals often have a fresh, new perspective that can drive innovation and creativity.
- Early talent is often cost-effective: Underpaying employees is never an effective solution. However, there’s no denying that employees with less professional experience are often willing to work at a lower salary in exchange for meaningful opportunities to grow and develop in their careers.
- Early talent boosts diversity: Employees from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds haven’t always been afforded the same opportunities in the workplace. While it’s important to prioritize diverse hiring across seniority levels, diversity among early career professionals is an important step to creating a future pipeline of diverse managers and leaders.
- Early talent is adaptable: Newer talent is often more agile and adaptable as they are willing to learn and try new things as they enter the workforce. This can be incredibly valuable in fast-paced organizations that face changing goals and moving targets.
- Early talent is digitally savvy: As the younger generation enters the workforce, they’re bringing their tech skills with them. From AI to social media, early professionals often have a natural talent for embracing the digital processes that are needed to succeed in this new technology-first world.
“Companies can’t afford to lose early talent in the numbers we’re seeing today. They are a critical component of any company’s DEI strategy, key to building organizational bench strength, and, as digital natives, best positioned to advance any company’s digital transformation.”- Dave Wilkin, CEO, 10KC
It’s worth noting that while early talent is a huge asset to your organization, it’s important to strike the right balance of junior roles with more senior staff. Different industries and even different departments can also have different early talent needs. Early talent benchmarking can help your team understand how you stack up against similar businesses.
Why retaining early talent should be a priority
Roles geared toward early talent typically demand fewer qualifications, are more flexible with candidate experience, and cost less to hire. This tends to give off the impression that junior roles are easier to fill (even if there’s higher turnover), leading organizations to put the retention of senior employees first.
However, prioritizing early talent retention can be equally—if not more—important. When companies are able to retain talent early on in their careers, they benefit from:
1. Improved employee loyalty
A 2023 report from ResumeLab found that 83% of Gen Z workers, many of which are still early in their careers, consider themselves to be job hoppers. This is a stark contrast compared to previous generations, where employees often stayed with their employers for extended periods of time.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that employee loyalty is dead. It simply means that employers need to be strategic with how they retain their talent.
As companies contend with higher rates of turnover among the younger workforce, creating a positive impression for employees early on in their careers can go a long way in building a loyal workforce and helping employees stick around longer.
2. Superior succession planning
Succession or workforce planning is when businesses put a plan in place for future business needs. This typically includes planning for managerial and executive leadership roles that need to be filled when existing employees leave the business.
When organizations can retain employees early on in their careers, they can get insight and measurable performance data to identify high-potential employees. This allows you to provide the right employee development opportunities and proactively close any skills gaps, so you have folks ready to step into these future roles when the time comes.
With early talent in particular, there is plenty of room for growth, making them a key part of filling your internal talent pipeline.
Of course, succession planning is good business in more ways than one. Not only does it promote business continuity and boost employee mobility but promoting within can boost your bottom line. Hiring external talent costs 18% more and external hires are also 21% more likely to leave within the first year.
3. Elevated productivity and business performance.
The longer an employee stays with your company, the more familiar they become with their responsibilities as well as the systems and processes in place. This means that they’re more efficient and productive in their roles. These benefits are often more apparent in junior roles where it can take longer to build the necessary competencies to be successful in their roles.
While retaining all employees is important, supporting early talent shows that employees of all levels are equally valued—which can create a positive culture across the entire organization. This increased sense of belonging and connection has a positive impact on employee engagement and productivity, all of which are tied to better business outcomes.
The importance of early career professional development
When it comes to your employees, career development matters.
But that importance matters perhaps even more so among early talent. A study found that the top three factors that Gen Z professionals look for when choosing an employer were all related to development opportunities. 95% of respondents say they value career advancement opportunities, which is closely followed by having a manager they can learn from and professional development and training opportunities (at 93% and 91% respectively).
So, let’s explore a few ways that professional development can boost early career employee retention and engagement.
1. It creates purposeful learning opportunities
We’ve all heard the tropes about the intern fetching coffee and twiddling their thumbs. But the reality is that most early career professionals are looking to go beyond mundane tasks in their careers—whether they’re an intern, in a co-op program, or in their first full-time role.
However, as early talent employees attempt to navigate the professional world, creating those opportunities for themselves is easier said than done. This can leave them feeling aimless and unable to contribute to larger company goals. A McKinsey study found that 70% of employees feel like their purpose is tied to their work, which makes creating meaningful work even more important to retaining early talent.
Professional development opportunities, including upskilling, mentorship, and sponsorship, ensure that early talent have access to the networks and resources they need to grow in their existing roles. Early talent who feel like they’re making an impact are much more likely to be satisfied with their work and stay with your organization.
2. It helps provide a clear career path
Modern career pathing can be difficult for even experienced employees to navigate. Unlike decades past, no one career path looks like the next.
One study found that 45% of Gen Z employees say they’d expect a promotion within two years, with 31% that would consider quitting if they didn’t receive one. And lack of growth and career opportunities is the reason 41% of employees choose to change jobs
Without guidance, it can be challenging for early talent to understand the right next step in their careers. Professional development opportunities can help employees identify their career goals and put a plan in place to help get them there—whether that’s addressing skills gaps or simply connecting them with the right peers.
So this much is clear: employees don’t see a solid career path, even early on in their career, they’re likely to seek employment elsewhere.
3. It attracts top talent
In today’s highly competitive job market, employers need to find strategic solutions to stand out from the crowd. While many organizations lean toward compensation, professional development strategies can also go a long way in bringing the right early talent in the door.
The benefits of professional development opportunities for early talent are twofold. Not only do employees benefit from opportunities for growth and career progression, but it also doubles as a signal that you’re willing to invest in people from day one.
This shows potential candidates that if they choose to join your team, they’re more likely to feel valued as part of the company.
4. It fosters employee networks and connectivity
The 70-20-10 learning model states that 20% of our learning comes from those around us. Which is why opportunities for early talent to connect with their peers and senior staff in a professional setting can accelerate growth and development.
One valuable approach to community-driven professional development is mentorship. Mentorship and employee connectivity has been tied to a 50% increase in employee retention. In fact, 65% of early talent would consider leaving their current employer to join one with more opportunities for mentorship.
Pairing early career professionals with senior mentors can enhance skills development, foster a sense of belonging, and propel employees toward their own career goals. Mentoring relationships also provide visibility and access to senior leaders that early talent may otherwise never have the opportunity to interact with.
Where traditional 1-1 mentoring relationships aren’t possible, group mentoring can be equally effective at building networks for early talent.
How to create early talent programs to drive growth
Structured early career programs are vital to supporting employees in the beginning stages of their careers. They are designed to help early talent develop the skills and networks they need to grow as professionals.
Here are a few steps you can take to create an early talent program that drives employee engagement and retention.
1. Define early talent in your organization. While there’s a general consensus around the definition of early talent, not every organization necessarily needs to focus on all early career professionals. One organization may opt to prioritize new grads and entry-level employees, while another may choose to focus on students in internship and co-op programs.
2. Set organizational goals. There are plenty of benefits to investing in early talent. However, setting targeted goals helps program managers and talent leaders stay on track. For example, common objectives might include increased internal mobility or higher employee satisfaction among early talent.
3. Set learning objectives and curriculums. Using development programs and curriculums in your early talent programs can help your organization and early talent participants reach your goals. This ensures that you’re facilitating learning and discussions around the right objectives.
4. Implement your program. Once you’ve defined your participants and objectives, it’s time to let the program do its work. Employee experience platforms, such as 10KC, can help you launch your early talent program at scale while minimizing the lift on talent teams and program managers.
5. Collect feedback from participants. The ultimate goal of any development program is delivering value to those who matter most—in this case, your early talent participants. Gathering feedback is crucial to making sure your organization and your early talent are getting the most out of your program.
6. Review and track progress. Be sure to take the time to measure and review outcomes. When you measure the impact of your program, you can help make sure that you’re on track to reach your early talent goals. Reviewing progress along the way can also surface any issues, so you can course-correct in real time.
LEARN MORE: Early Talent Mentoring Solution
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