The debate took place at the Warsaw Stock Exchange as a part of Global Management Challenge final ceremonies on 6 March 2017. Each year, the GMC competition brings together young talents, that’s why the finals were an excellent opportunity to talk about it. The debate was directed by Marcin Piasecki – the editor of Rzeczpospolita. In the panel discussion took part representatives of reputable employers (Avon, Amazon, Grupa AXA, PKN Orlen, IBM).
As participants stressed, young talent should primarily has a passion. The examples of employers who are looking for passionate people are Avon and Amazon, companies prepared for investing in young talents. Marta Dworowska, regional senior HR manager in Amazon, pointed out that more and more often soft skills are appreciated the same as hard skills. “Young talents should have developed the ability to team collaboration, accessibility, focus on objectives and leadership. At Amazon we select people with such skills to the management programme, where their job is to organise work of almost 100 hundred-person team. We invest in young talents, but we expect responsibility.”
Acquiring young talent at the current market is a major challenge. Companies compete with their offers, presenting beautiful offices, attractive benefits, but also opportunities for developing.
"It’s a very good time for young people who are able to demonstrate diligence and activity," said Marcin Piasecki.
Employers prospecting for young talent take care about employer branding. By participating in recognised projects or competitions like GMC, they encourage students and young graduates to apply. Communication with young talent moves into social media. However, attractive advertisement is not enough to attract young talent. Candidates are asking employers about their mission, the strategic objectives of the company, check the way the company do business, values, organisational culture, the impact on society or ecology.
Panellists also wanted to know how best to work with young talent that’s already been already hired, how to build loyalty in a generation which plans to change employer every two years, according to a study by Motywacje Młodych. “Young talents need to face variable challenges and goals to pursue their own tasks and give opportunity to demonstrate creativity and effectiveness in action,” said Maya Krzyżanowska from PKN Orlen. For a new generation of talents, work-life balance is increasingly important. But employers sometimes require full involvement, because business takes place 24 hours a day. For employers who create innovation, it will be much easier to get new loyal employees.
Monika Tarlaga, a student participating in the panel said, young people are very ambitious. “They expect that after graduation will easily take up a leadership position. Why? Because they have a high need for efficacy, they want to affect the environment, the business. Therefore, it is increasingly important to create jobs, in which young talents will see sense and purpose and will be able to see quickly the results of their work.”
Magdalena Bubeła, HR director, gave the example of Avon, where mentors and supervisors ensure the development of young workers, and any failures are discussed at the internal meetings. "There’s a space, time and place for a discussion of these failures, to draw conclusions. Thanks to that, we continuously develop, learn from mistakes, successes, learn from each other. "
Panellists agreed that young talents through their creativity, commitment and passion are the source of innovation and inspiration for business. Millennials are a growing group of employees, but they are also clients who influence the development of new products and services. Andrew Horawa, a business development executive CEE at IBM, spoke about their large role in the development of the business.
The debate was moderated by Marcin Piasecki, editor of Rzeczpospolita. The participants were Magdalena Bubeła (HR director, Avon), Marta Dworowska (regional senior HR manager, Amazon), Maya Krzyżanowska (director of employee competence and development office, PKN ORLEN S.A), Andrzej Horawa (business development executive CEE, IBM), Agata Jach (HR director and board member, AXA Group), Beata Jarosz (CEO, CodersTrust Poland), Piotr Wielgomas (CEO, Bigram), Monika Tarlaga (PhD student, GMC ambassador). The debate was organised by Bigram. In the audience were invited guests and the GMC finalists.