When young people start their careers remotely, they face unique challenges. There are fewer chances to participate in relevant conversations, ask questions in the hallway, or be included in activities on-the-fly. This results in limited opportunities for what I call “apprenticeship through osmosis” which is theosmotic knowledge and experience transfer that occurs when young people who are just starting out observe more experienced employees in action – how they communicate, solve problems, and interact.
There is also less access to networking opportunities. The starting-out years are where you make valuable connections, relationships and contacts that serve you well for decades. Working closely with experienced colleagues often means exposure to their professional networks. This can lead to future opportunities, such as collaborations, job offers, and other opportunities that might not be available otherwise. If they’ve never developed meaningful connections within their industry, what network can a new remote employee lean on to seek employment elsewhere? Who will vouch for their abilities and experience?
In tandem, it’s more challenging for managers to give young people who are remote the feedback they need to shape the right kind of competencies and behaviors out of the gate. This creates the risk that careers won’t progress in the same way.When young people start their careers remotely their opportunities for advancement are more limited. Data suggests that virtual workers are 50% less likely to be promoted. They cannot capitalize on shoulder-rubbing moments with senior executives. It’s much harder to showcase a willingness to learn and volunteer for stretch assignments over a computer screen. A 2021 Society of Human Resources survey revealed that 42% of supervisors say they sometimes forget about remote workers when assigning important tasks. Without intentional initiatives to develop these young remote employees, it might never be possible for those starting their career remotely to catch up.
Yet, as the business landscape becomes increasingly complex and demanding, the need for capable, visionary leaders has never been greater. What can organizations do to better prepare young remote workers for success? By focusing on three strategies, companies can facilitate learning and opportunities that empowers young professionals to thrive:
Mentoring programs. Employers can support remote entry-level talent through better mentoring programs that help them learn important skills, get up the learning curve, build networks and understand the company’s culture. A 2023 survey from Adobe found that 83 percent of Gen Z workers think a workplace mentor is crucial for their career, but only about half have such a mentor. Too few companies have formal mentoring programs for young people just starting out. Workers with mentors are 5x more likely to be promoted. Companies need to pair up junior members of the team with more experienced members. Doing so creates a one-on-one learning opportunity for young remote employees which pays huge dividends.
Apprenticeship programs. Throughout human history people learned their trades through an apprenticeship model. Remote junior team members need access to opportunities to observe and learn from more experienced team members. This can be as simple as having a junior team member accompany a more senior coworker to a customer meeting or observing as a more senior colleague performs a specific assignment. Beyond just learning specific skills, these experiences help junior team members observe real-time problem-solving and decision-making in action, which is invaluable for their development. It’s harder to come by these apprenticeship opportunities when someone is remote, so designing formal apprenticeship shadowing provides many benefits for remote junior professionals. Companies might structure these programs by pairing junior professionals with experienced colleagues for virtual shadowing sessions, allowing them to observe and learn from real-time work processes and decision-making. Additionally, companies can create structured project-based learning experiences where apprentices take on specific tasks under the close supervision of senior team members. It’s then helpful to set up regular debriefing sessions where less experienced team members can discuss what they observed with their senior counterparts to clarify points and deepen their understanding. Implementing these structured apprenticeship programs helps bridge the gap in skill acquisition and professional growth.
Impactful in-person programs. Even if it’s just once a quarter companies must find ways to get people physically together. In-person programs and events can take the form of innovation jams, hackathons, offsite retreats, workshops, networking mixers, team building activities, company-wide celebrations, volunteer days, lunch and learning sessions. And in between the face-to-face activities, companies should expand their virtual networking events, such as coffee chats, happy hours and virtual team-building activities, such as online games or collaborative projects, to help young remote employees connect with colleagues and build professional relationships.
We have a significant responsibility to equip the current generation of young remote workers with the necessary resources to develop essential skills and knowledge for their present and future success. It is imperative to bridge the development gap faced by young remote workers. Our future relies on nurturing leaders who are adept at navigating these challenges.
Heide Abelli is the co-founder of SageX Inc., an AI-enabled e-Coaching and performance support application for the modern workforce and she recently authored “You Got This! – The Ultimate Career Guide for the Modern Professional”. She is an accomplished executive who prior to SageX has held senior leadership positions at leading educational technology and training providers such as Skillsoft and Harvard Business Publishing where she developed award-winning, ground-breaking corporate training solutions. Additionally, she spent nearly a decade teaching Gen Z students as an Adjunct Professor of Management at Boston College. She is a seasoned veteran of product development, innovation and product management in the fields of corporate training and ed tech.
Heide is a globally recognized subject matter expert in the areas of leadership, management, general business skills, the unique skills required for success in the digital economy, employee learning and development and effective corporate training practices.