Nearly half of early-career professionals say limited mentorship opportunities are their biggest workplace challenge, according to a new survey from talent solutions firm Robert Half Canada.
In a survey of 835 Canadian workers, 47 per cent identified a lack of mentors or workplace peers to guide them as the primary hurdle when entering the workforce.
Other significant issues include insufficient onboarding and training (37 per cent), a lack of internship experience (34 per cent), difficulty managing workloads (33 per cent), and skills gaps preventing immediate impact at work (32 per cent).
Practical steps for success
To address these barriers, early-career professionals reported adopting several practical strategies:
A majority (56 per cent) researched prospective companies thoroughly to find the best fit.
Others connected with current and former employees to ask questions (31 per cent), attended networking events (25 per cent), and proactively sought mentors to guide them through the application and onboarding processes (20 per cent).
“Beginning your career can be a daunting time, but there are many steps early-career professionals can take to set themselves up for success,” said Koula Vasilopoulos, senior managing director at Robert Half Canada. “Building a strong foundation of communication through networking and clearly voicing their needs helps ensure adequate tools and training for long-term confidence and growth.”
Benefits for businesses
Canadian businesses are increasingly recognizing the value of early-career professionals. A separate survey of 1,056 hiring managers found 34 per cent now offer paid internships, and 32 per cent recruit directly at colleges and universities.
Employers reported substantial benefits from hiring younger talent, including fresh perspectives on problem-solving (87 per cent), familiarity with new technologies (84 per cent), and building stronger internal talent pools (84 per cent).
