Over the next few weeks, we’re sharing some key line management strategies that we believe are important when line managing young apprentices. Through our work we hear a lot about the concerns people have about young apprentices coming into the workplace. And whilst sometimes that can be overblown by things seen in some sections of the media, it's important to help line managers overcome these barriers and to develop the skills to help young apprentices have a positive experience in the workplace. After all, a positive line management experience is more likely to lead to retention, progression and ultimately good outcomes for business.

In the first of this four part series Kevin O’Neill, Head of Programmes and Impact at Workwhile, begins by looking at inclusive leadership.

I’ve spent my whole life in and around education and young people, through my roles as a teacher, teacher educator and even parent. So when speaking with new line managers and hearing things like ‘They’ll want homeworking, they need so much attention, they can’t hold a conversation, they can’t listen to what I’m telling them to do’, I want to bring out any of the thousands of young people I’ve worked with, or the young people we worked with who defined their idea of Good Work in a project we ran last year and say 'look, they want to make a difference, they want to make a positive contribution!' However, someone’s perception is their reality, and whether this has come through a previous experience of working with a young person, or an opinion formed through things seen in the media, I see it as our job to provide the skills to help tackle this.

One way is through developing inclusive leadership skills – but what does this mean, and what are the benefits?

The Oxford Review defines inclusive leadership as ‘… a management approach that values diversity, promotes equity, and fosters an environment where all individuals feel respected, heard, and empowered. It involves actively recognising and addressing biases, ensuring fair opportunities, and creating a culture of belonging where diverse perspectives contribute to innovation and success.’

From this I think there are a couple of areas that we can work on immediately to welcome our young apprentices into the workplace.

‘a management approach that values diversity, promotes equity, and fosters an environment where all individuals feel respected, heard, and empowered’

How often do we hear things like ‘I don’t understand this generation, it’s all a mystery to me’? Do we take the time to understand our young people, their backgrounds and their interests. This isn’t about going out and setting up a tik tok account, or finding the latest musical sensation and snapping up tickets, but it is about reflecting on how much time we spend getting to know our young people, how often are they afforded to the chance in the work place to talk about their interests? Culturally, how aware are we about upcoming religious festivals for instance, and are we taking time to celebrate those? We don’t need policies or senior management to be telling us to think about these things; we can find time to think about these, and ask people to share their experiences. However, if you are in control of policies, are these promoting equity, for instance in training and development opportunities for everyone? ‘…where diverse perspectives contribute to innovation and success’

Imagine a new regulation is coming into affect that you need to implement, or a funding opportunity has come up and you need to think about a slightly new way of working to secure it, or a client wants something quite bespoke beyond what you’d normally deliver. All potential scenarios in a small business - but who do you turn to for help, ideas and advice in these situations? Is it the same group of people, if it’s anyone? Young apprentices want to make a difference, and they have a fresh outlook on things, so create opportunities for them to feed into these situations. It might be in team meetings; it might be by taking someone to one side for 30 minutes, explaining the issue, sharing your ideas and asking them for theirs. As a young person what can be more empowering than seeing their leader ask for their opinion and input on ideas, where typically they may feel things are made for them and imposed upon them?

And the benefits?

Forbes point out 4 key benefits of inclusive leadership:

1. Enhanced Innovation: Diverse teams bring varied perspectives, leading to more creative solutions and innovations.
2. Improved Performance: Inclusive cultures see better overall performance because employees are more engaged and motivated.
3. Greater Employee Satisfaction: Inclusive workplaces tend to have higher employee satisfaction and retention rates.
4. Better Decision-Making: Diverse perspectives contribute to more comprehensive and effective decision-making processes.

We’ll all have an opinion on what’s the most important for us, but the key one for me is the impact on employee satisfaction and, in turn, improved retention. Some quick changes to be inclusive for our employees can have a great impact in harnessing the desire of young people to make a difference through their work.

If you have found this useful and would like to dive deeper into this and many other ways to develop leadership skills that enable apprentices to thrive, perhaps you’d be interested in our DevelopMentor training. Fully funded places are available to SMEs based in London with start dates throughout the year.