Generation Alpha, born between 2010 and 2025, is the first generation that does not remember a time before the internet and has had access to some form of digital device for most of their conscious lives. Young people born in the late 2000s will soon be applying to companies or are already taking seasonal jobs during breaks. This requires a shift in mindset and action from employers.

Readiness to involve young people in seasonal work

The current education system primarily focuses on life after the completion of primary or secondary school in a career context. However, many young people wish to work and gain experience during school breaks before finishing their education. Current legislation allows this with regulated workload.

At the same time, these same young people often lack a clear vision of the kind of work they would like to do, and their initiatives frequently stall due to a lack of opportunities. Employers should not hesitate to offer young people less experience-based casual or seasonal jobs, ranging from data entry to various roles in customer service. The more opportunities there are to try different jobs, the faster the understanding of the labor market and potential career paths will develop.

New labor market entry needs employer's attention and guidance

Employers often hesitate to involve young people due to fear and mistrust, with the reasoning that new workers lack a sense of duty. This is likely based on a poor experience where a young person failed to complete a task, not out of laziness, but because they have not yet developed a work habit.

Naturally, work ethic and responsibility start at home. However, before criticizing a young person for negligence, a leader should first reflect on whether the job's requirements were clearly communicated and whether adequate support was provided. The employer-employee relationship involves mutual responsibility.

I have also learned from my experience that the way a task is assigned can determine how well a young person manages it.

For example, the job involves transferring text from an old information platform to another, with a couple of months allocated for completion. If after a month, it becomes apparent that not much progress has been made, it's premature to assume the young person is lazy. More likely, they lack experience in time management and the critical skills to assess how much content needs to be transferred daily to meet the deadline. This situation requires more precise instructions and advice from me as a leader.

Therefore, it is true that a person newly entering the workforce expects freedom and flexibility from their employer, but they also need more detailed initial guidance on how and what to do. The Alpha Generation learns quickly and can rapidly advance based on their experiences. It's crucial for leaders to recognize when to let go, but initial support is essential.

Forget about time spent working a previous job

With the arrival of new generations, organizations must redefine the concept of stability and recognize that career paths within the company are becoming increasingly shorter.

I know managers who still value long tenures at one job position on resumes. Personally, I do not focus on this and am convinced that it's an aspect we should let go of – a young person spending only a year or two at a job is no longer a red flag that should set off alarms for employers. It clearly indicates that young people are experimenting with different professions, and this experimentation helps them quickly understand which jobs do not appeal to them and what makes their eyes sparkle. This understanding is crucial for their path in further studies and career choices.

For the younger generation, expectations of stability primarily mean that leaders can consistently offer opportunities for self-actualization and learning within the organization. We see that supporting sustainable development is a critical strategic issue that cannot be ignored.

We are witnessing the rise of a generation of global citizens who travel, live and work periodically in other countries. Estonians are no exception. Consequently, organizations must be prepared for employees who want to gain experience abroad temporarily. It is not uncommon for them to return to the same company later. Organizations, therefore, need to become more dynamic and flexible.

Employers have the power to influence how the next generation entering the workforce will write their first experience stories and how work habits will be formed in young people. This starts by offering opportunities to work and, most importantly, by abandoning old ways of thinking.

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