Written by: Jas Kaur, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Five years ago, I started my career journey in the credit union sector as a shy, inexperienced, 19-year-old apprentice. Having previously worked in the retail sector, adjusting to working in an office environment was an entirely alien experience for me.
In the 5 years of my transition from customer service apprentice to customer service supervisor, to my current role of chief operations officer, I have made it my personal mission to fully immerse myself in all training and networking opportunities whilst supporting and creating opportunities for other Young Professionals. I quickly realised that the best way to increase self-confidence and experience as a young professional is to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
I am passionate about supporting other young professionals and believe that often it’s only with the right leadership and mentoring that ‘superstars’ rise!
Here are a few ways which I firmly believe will help support and nurture young talent, to the benefit of them, the organisation, and the sector they work in: 1. Involvement
Allow the young professional to have hands-on training and get an understanding of different areas of the business. Alongside this, allow them to attend meetings to develop skills such as taking minutes and creating agendas. Everyone remembers a time in their career journey when a manager has entrusted them with a responsibility, and a little trust can go a long way in helping increase a young professional's self-confidence and ability to trust their initiative!
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn” ‒ Benjamin Franklin
Ideas on what involvement may look like includes:
Presenting at staff meetings
Taking minutes of meetings/ creating agendas
Suggesting ideas for improvement
Training in different areas of the business
By getting involved, ideas for improvement only naturally start flowing! Therefore it is important to have a channel for young professionals and other staff to make suggestions and share their ideas (for example a weekly staff meeting).
It was only by attending the marketing meetings in my credit union combined with my experiences in customer service that I wanted to help make it easier for our members to access our online services. I voiced an idea to my colleague who believed in my idea, which in itself gave me the confidence to turn it into a reality! I created professional, yet easy to understand step-by-step help guides to help our members use our online services. These have increased our online transaction rate tremendously.
2. Coaching or Mentoring
Often used interchangeably, coaching and mentoring are different terms. Simply put, coaches usually question you to support you and help you envision plans or goals to move forwards. Mentors on the other hand usually advise you and impart knowledge of their own experiences/wisdom. Both are usually done with the aim of supporting the individual moving forwards.
I am a huge fan of mentoring as I believe in sharing ideas and lessons learnt through experience. Mentoring can be formal ( e.g. a dedicated 1-hour meeting every month) or informal, where knowledge is shared ‘on the job’.
I have been fortunate to have a handful of professionals who I have encountered who I have viewed as informal mentors. They have shared books for me to read to help develop my knowledge base, and shared their managerial experiences with me which I have then used to help me navigate difficult situations in the workplace. I always aim to indirectly mentor any new apprentice in my workplace, as I want them to gain a strong foundation of knowledge and think about how they fit into the future of the company early on.
3. Networking
Networking allows all employees to build great communication skills, and develop strong professional relationships and confidence. Excellent communication is needed in all roles, and strong professional relationships are important to an organisation and its employees for many reasons including a strong and positive brand image, a network of support, increased job satisfaction.
Examples of networking could include:
Attending business fairs/business exhibitions
Participating in virtual learning events ‒ there are many ‘free’ events to attend, with popular ones at present being cybersecurity
Business Lunch Events
Conferences
Attending dedicated ‘Young Professional Events’
Internal networking events for larger organisations
With any learning event, it is always good practice to have a ‘debriefing’ session where the professional can share any knowledge learnt and any ideas they have. Too often, networking events are attended with no debrief session to follow, and many good ideas are lost!
When I attend a networking session, I always take notes and share these with my team. I have also presented to my credit union's board of directors on a number of occasions about networking events I have attended. My colleagues have also delivered presentations at our staff meetings, which helps to encourage a culture of learning and knowledge sharing.
4. Training and Planning
Planning ahead for training allows the young professional and the organisation to schedule a time and identify particular areas of training, which could be selected for a combination of their personal development and also to meet business needs.
Some organisations may have mandatory training which needs to be completed such as anti-money laundering training, and additional training opportunities can be put in place to complement this.
Examples of additional training opportunities could include:
Job Shadowing
Attending external training events
Completing an online/in-person course
All training should be documented through the form of a personal learning log or an employee training plan. This can then be used to form part of the discussions at annual reviews. Organisations demonstrated an ongoing commitment to professional development is attractive to potential future employees and can form part of an employee benefits package. With many employees each year employees leaving their roles due to a lack of job satisfaction and growth opportunities, it is key to invest in employees. Of course, the organisation also benefits from this with reduced staff turnover, increased loyalty, and improved services and productivity (due to the enhanced training and idea generation).
Some organisations choose to have a ‘claw back’ policy whereby if a professional accreditation is paid for by the business (e.g. a degree) and the employee leaves the company within a specified time period, part or all of the cost is repayable to the organisation.
My credit union have been ‘highly commended’ at two national apprenticeship awards, in recognition of our commitment to developing young professionals. I have also personally been a finalist for 2 awards, and a winner of a third. Along with the team morale boost that this brings, it also increases awareness of your organisation meaning that you are more likely to attract talent in future, to the benefit of your organisation and your customers.
5. Conversation
Lastly, it’s important to have a conversation with the young person about how they see themselves moving forwards with the organisation! An understanding of the young professionals driving factors Is crucial, as with all employees. For example, some may wish to have a career where they interact with customers face to face on a daily basis, whereas others may envision a more managerial career. Additionally, some may be motivated through career progression, whereas others may be motivated through additional responsibilities in their current role. Any organisation familiar with Herzberg’s Two-factor theory will be well aware that achievement, advancement and growth are ‘motivators’ which cause job satisfaction.
Many businesses worry that the more they invest in young professionals, the higher the chance of them finding employment elsewhere! This is normally far from the case, and conversations all form part of this. In my credit union, we have to date had 6 apprentices within 5 years, with a 100% retention rate. I believe this Is because we have always felt ‘heard’, included and supported by our managers and are excited for the future.
It is also important as part of these conversations to help the Young Professional understand the expectations of the organisation. Additional training at the cost to the organisation is not always a necessity but done to meet the needs of the business and encourage talent growth and sector retention. The Young Professional should understand that training is provided as part of an employee investment package, and will be done in line with business needs. For example, it may not always be possible to facilitate training at times of high annual leave or peak levels of demand.
In summary, the benefits of investing in young professionals are enormous for both the young professional and the organisation(s) involved. Staff turnover can be very costly and time-consuming, and it is key to invest in Young Professionals, and all employees, to facilitate sector talent growth and retention. If you have any queries after reading this article, please connect with me on LinkedIn! I would love to help you support Young Professionals in your organisation ‒ if we each make one small change, this will make a huge difference to the futures of our organisations.
Follow me on LinkedIn for more info!
Jas Kaur, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jas is a well respected, inspirational and dynamic young credit union leader. She has demonstrated resilience and determination, transitioning from an apprentice to Customer Service Supervisor, to her current role as Chief Operations Officer, all within 4 years.
Owning a growth mindset, Jas played a key role in a business transformation project which delivered efficiency, innovation and growth to the business. She has connected with professionals across the globe, enabling her to learn and share best practices.
With a first-hand understanding of the challenges that young professionals can face, she is passionate about mentoring and supporting others, to facilitate upskilling whilst increasing sector talent retention and future sustainability. She firmly believes in the Credit Union ethos of “people helping people” and applies this in all areas of her life.
Jas’s efforts and dedication have been recognised regionally, and nationally. She was the recipient of the ABCUL Tracy Slane Award in 2020 and was also a finalist for both the Black Country Chamber of Commerce ‘Young Person or Apprentice of the Year Award’ 2019, and the Black Country Chamber of Commerce ‘Employee or Team of the Year Award’ 2021.
