How can you develop leadership within your Graduates?

As we look forward to the changing workforce within 2018, a new generation begins to occupy a large percentage of our everyday working lives, it is a great time to think strategically and prepare our graduates for leadership roles within the future. Millennials and iGen are taking over the workplace, as iGen are born 1996 to present and Millennials are born 1977 to 1995.

Millennials as well as iGen are now beginning to take over the Baby Boomers as they are continuing to retire at a rapid rate and reduce their percentage within the workplace. There are not enough Generation X employees to solve all the leadership gaps left by the Baby Boomers, enter, iGen. iGen are anxious to take on those vacant leadership roles left by Baby Boomers as they continually ask for challenges within the workplace. Within the short future, both iGen and Millennials will begin taking over the roles Baby Boomers occupied, meaning we must develop those in line for leadership roles.

While iGen can fill the gaps of leadership, the real question is, are they ready?

“According to The Conference Board study 23.8% of respondents believe that 4-year higher tertiary education students were deficient in leadership skills.”

With incredible potential for iGen to impact the workforce, it will take considerable time, money and devotion to ensure the key skills are forming the basis of their success.

It is crucial for employers to be able to rely on partners to deliver and develop their iGen to be their leaders of the future.

In developing iGen to be future leaders of organisations, it is through the graduate pipeline where companies can centralise this development in the early stages of their careers.

However, with iGen having clear ideas on what they want in their career, employers need to recognise and leverage this. Due to the globalisation of workforces, graduates today are seeking diverse opportunities, cross-cultural and virtual teams as they see flexibility as being pivotal from the beginning of their careers. Rotations will provide the opportunity for graduates to gain flexibility and exposure across various functions and insight into what their lineal career path in a set field will entail. iGen are figureheads of flexible workplaces and as such, employers need to leverage this in outlining their development whilst harnessing their skill set.

With the workplace and employers continuing to harness and leverage the potential of iGen, we also need to consider their impact on the changing workforce is becoming evident as they begin entry-level and internship positions. This again, will cultivate in a new dilemma for workplace dynamics and company culture.