Today’s emerging workforce are facing challenges that previous generations didn’t. Entry-level opportunities – and other early career pathways – are getting fewer, and those that exist might seem harder to access. Traditional routes such as trainee roles, apprenticeships and trial periods appear to be getting harder to access. For many of the younger Gen Z group starting a career, or even finding interesting or challenging work, is becoming harder.
I discussed this with Danielle Farage during one of our recent From X to Z podcast chats. Despite what some more senior level professionals might think, this isn’t a problem bought about by a lack of ambition or drive amongst the emerging workforce, but instead a result of the way businesses now tend to be structured, resulting in four main challenges that early career workers now face:
➡️ Fewer career levels: There just aren’t as many steps to climb. An increase in flatter organisational structures means reduced opportunities for progression or promotion
➡️ Rising pressure to move fast: Digital channels and social media platforms fuel comparison and motivation to move ahead quickly, but then so do real economic pressures – like stagnant salaries in a time of rising inflation, and increased housing costs.
➡️ Wages that don’t reflect reality: Salaries for early-career roles haven’t kept up with inflation, meaning companies are offering less than they paid for the same entry level roles a few years ago.
➡️ Fewer entry-level roles: Some companies are cutting back on junior roles, or beginning to replacing them with AI. On top of that, many young professionals complain of poor management and limited mentorship opportunities, which can further stall development.
The result? A generation hungry to grow, but often stuck without support.
You can listen to our conversation or watch it below, and let me know what you think and how you’re seeing businesses support the emerging workforce:
Talent Trends & Insights 