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How can the sector attract and retain young professionals?
Housing has some eye-catching initiatives to help young people working within the sector develop. But how can landlords build on this good work? Neil Goodrich and Chantelle Miller explain
At CIH Futures, we’re delighted to be able to start creating a space for younger housing professionals to have their say.
We want to reinforce the idea that ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’. And we believe that through diversity of backgrounds, views and experiences, organisations are better employers and better places to work in.
But we’re keenly aware that age is just one element of an individual’s identity. That gender, race, religion and sexuality are just as key in creating barriers, as much as opportunities.
A number have spoken passionately, and justifiably, on the need for diversity within all levels of housing. And, for its part, CIH Futures is a member of the Leadership 2025 advisory board, which sees creating and nurturing the pipeline of diverse talent as essential to the future success and reputation of the sector.
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We’re proud of the Leadership 2025 programme and those who support it.
However, few have looked at the intersection of age and diversity, and for that I’ll hand over to this piece’s co-author, Chantelle Miller, for the importance of doing so.
Those of you who know me will be no stranger to the fact that I am passionate about supporting the development of Future Housing Leaders and ensuring that all groups are represented at every level within the sector.
The sector has grown in size and complexity so it is important, now more than ever, that we invest in recruiting, developing and retaining young professionals so that we can continue to meet the needs of our communities and secure a pipeline of quality leaders.
First, I’d like to say that I am truly proud of the young professionals that currently work in the sector.
Over the years I have crossed paths with many highly skilled young professionals who have a commitment to improving lives. They are a credit to us and with the right coaching, mentoring and support they are destined be great sector leaders.
The sector has some great support networks and organisations that are creating opportunities for young people to develop their skills and grow their voice. The CIH Futures group and the National Housing Federation ‘Future Leaders Conference’ are great examples of this.
“Over the years I have crossed paths with many highly skilled young professionals who have a commitment to improving lives”
However, with this being the case, it is important that we all play our part in ensuing that our sector is diverse and truly inclusive.
So how do we ensure that we get this right? How do we ensure that these young professionals maximise their potential and continue to use their skills within the sector?
I have provided a few examples of how you can build on their good work below:
- Ensuring that your board is diverse makes good business sense. Actively seek to recruit a young person to your board. A mixture of skills, experiences and perspectives is important on successful boards. Do not underestimate the power of a young person’s perspective. Not only will this bring benefits to your business but it will also help young professionals develop the much-needed skills we need to future proof our sector.
- Develop a succession plan for your business and review this regularly. It is important that we have a pipeline of talent to move into senior positions when long-standing staff retire.
- Keep lines of communication open, seek the views of young professionals and be prepared to act on the feedback that you receive. Speak to young people to understand their aspirations and the barriers they face – this will not only improve relationships within your business but also the communities that you serve.
- Lead by example. It is the case that senior members of staff will have much more experience in some areas than young professionals. Be the person that they would naturally aspire to be and set the tone for the right culture within your organisation.
- Review your recruitment processes to ensure that there are as many checks and balances against bias. I challenge you to ask yourself: where is or could bias show up in this process? And then actively seek to remove it.
- Invest in training, development and qualifications. In order to make the sector attractive to young diverse talent, we need to demonstrate that there is a career pipeline with opportunities to develop and grow. We also need to set clear professional standards and make a commitment to ensuring that our staff are developed to this standard.
- Promote the vast range of career options and the good work that we do within the sector. We need to ensure that we continue to attract diverse talent. This will only happen if we publicise the work that we do and celebrate our successes.
- Invest in mentoring and coaching opportunities for staff. Young talent tends to be clustered lower down the organisational hierarchy. And while there may be some truth in the statement that “experience comes with age”, organisations have a responsibility to ensure they have an organisational culture that empowers young people.
- Consider introducing reverse mentoring. Young professionals have many skills that can benefit senior staff and the organisation as a whole. Reverse mentoring takes place when a junior member of staff mentors the senior member of staff. The process of reverse mentoring can be quite powerful.
- Be open to a different way of working. The sector has and will continue to change over time and our people, ideas, technology and strategies need to align with these changes. Form allies with your young professionals as they will have many skills and ideas to help your business remain viable in this ever-changing environment.
It is important that we do not become complacent in our drive to become a truly diverse and inclusive sector.
While we continue to recruit a diverse range of professionals, it is our duty to ensure that each person regardless of their age, race, gender or religion is supported to reach their true potential without restriction.
Neil Goodrich, chair, CIH Futures; and Chantelle Miller, senior housing officer, Tuntum Housing
