Get a job: There are good reasons for teens to find employment
When preparing to introduce the first keynote speaker at HR Source's recent Altogether HR Conference, I learned that we had something interesting in common. As Midwest teenagers, we both had held summer jobs detasseling corn.
For Chicagoland natives this might seem like an unusual job. But for kids raised in farm country, being old enough to earn a paycheck by removing tassels from corn plants (to prevent unwanted pollination) was a rite of passage.
In fact, the speaker I introduced, employee engagement expert and author Jason Lauritsen, was inspired to pursue a career devoted to making work a better experience, in part, due to the seeds planted while learning to manage kids on a detasseling crew.
Listening to him speak on the importance of cultivating employees to unlock human potential prompted me to reflect on my own early work experiences and the positive impact they've had on my career journey.
Like most young people in the 1970s, I couldn't wait to get a real job. While the allowance I received for doing chores around the house was adequate, the dream of having my own ready supply of cash to splurge on bubble gum, lip gloss, movies, and clothes was highly motivating.
I started with babysitting, housesitting, pet watching, and walking beans (yes, that's a thing), and then progressed to detasseling corn. My employment with a hybrid seed corn company resulted in my first real paycheck. I was also proud to sport my first official logo wear under my denim overalls while toiling away under the hot summer sun.
Once I turned 16, I went on to bigger and better things - a job at our small, local, grocery store, mostly assigned to the deli. While a big step up at the time, it did expose me to what I later learned was substandard training, ineffective communications, and dysfunctional managers. Still, I loved the job, mostly for my co-workers and the customers, but also for the benefits (free food!), autonomy, and of course, the paycheck.
In the four decades since leaving the job at my hometown grocer, I've worked for many other employers in both the United States and Europe, and I've had the opportunity to serve thousands of organizations during my tenure at HR Source.
Although my memory might be a little hazy, my conviction is stronger than ever: Early jobs, even low-paying, bad, or dirty jobs, are important. Maybe more important now than ever.
There are innumerable and well-documented benefits, both short and long term, for teens and young adults who work outside their homes for bosses other than their parents.
Unfortunately, the labor-force participation rate for teenagers has been falling for more than 40 years. In 1978, the rate was 60% for teens aged 16-19. By 1998 it had dropped to 50%. Today, the rate of employed teens is at a concerning 37%.
The problem is not a lack of available jobs. U.S. unemployment in March was 3.5% but almost 10% among teenagers. Employers who used to rely on a steady stream of young, eager workers are struggling to fill open positions and having to find creative alternatives.
A rising minimum wage, attractive benefits, flexible schedules and improved working conditions have not been enough to entice some teens to seek employment. The problem is real, and the debate regarding potential solutions is complex.
From my vantage point, both employers and parents have a role to play. Organizations must continue to explore ways to make opportunities attractive for young workers and make the experiences they receive meaningful.
Parents should encourage their teens to find jobs, not simply for the paycheck, but because early jobs are foundational to long-term career satisfaction and success.
• Mary Lynn Fayoumi is President and CEO of HR Source.