Helping Hand on the Career Ladder: Organizational Culture

In Youthful Cities’ Skills and Ladders series, we reveal the challenges youth in Canada are experiencing in the job market, in the world of work, city life, and some solutions for these issues.

We began by talking about the career ladder and bridging the skills gap. In this post, we focus on young people’s priorities when choosing their workplace.

Top factors for youth when selecting work:

• Great salary (69%)
• Flexibility (63%)
• Benefits (63%)
• Open environment for communication and ideas (60%)
• Autonomy (59%)
• Fun workplace (56%)

Our survey shows that 69% of young workers prioritize salary, while 63% value flexibility and benefits equally. This clearly indicates that hybrid work models—offering flexibility while balancing competitive compensation—are highly attractive to young workers. A short commute time is highly attractive for 44% of youth. Compare that to 40% who preferred long-term stable contracts. The hybrid model reduces the delays and expenses of a long commute, while improving flexibility for teams to collaborate online or in-office. While some employers may interpret these values as young people being less invested in their jobs, youth deeply value positive connections with others at work. When asked to imagine their ideal workplace in interviews, youth emphasized a good work environment. Young people went into detail about the desire to feel connected, maintain open communication with their managers, and hold good relationships with colleagues. They often discussed mentorship as a key solution to intergenerational barriers between young employees and older employers.

Take for instance, these excerpts from our survey of youth:

• “For me, I think the first thing is trust. When trust has been built by the employer, I think that youth would be comfortable in the workplace. If the team dynamics are good and the work is interesting, people are often willing to compromise on the compensation. So companies could take a look at other organizations, and figure out if there’s a healthy average of [good team dynamics, communication with management, and compensation].” – M.P
• “I always tell friends to get to know other people in your space. These are the people you’re going to be working with. It’s not going to be nice when you don’t have a great vibe with them. The work is not going to flow. You’re not going to like it. The pay can be great, but when the people are not that great or you’re not connecting, the work is going to feel like a burden. So definitely just vibe with the people you’re working with. You don’t have to be with them every single lunch break, but definitely just build that relationship and be intentional about getting to know your coworkers. Ideally, employers are making work a creative, safe space, and they’re listening to the concerns of employees.” – J.E

Interestingly, some young people note that a supportive work environment and positive relationships with coworkers can outweigh the benefits of high compensation. That’s not to suggest that young people don’t want fair compensation for their work, but they find a good work environment deeply meaningful for their work experience. For example, see these excerpts:

“Coming from working in both a small firm and educational institutions, I think toxicity persists in every organization. So it’s important how you [the employer] move forward from it. A lot of employees leave an organization because of workplace culture and workplace behaviors. It matters whether a boss is supportive or not, if a boss gives you an opportunity for promotion or for conferences or summits. [Whether] your opinions are heard or not. I think being supported, being heard and appreciated goes a long way.” – M.S

“When youth disengage with work, a solution to that is having great mentorship from the higher-ups to the younger people. It’s just to have a better understanding of what [young people’s] short-term and long-term goals are and how mentors are able to guide them throughout the process to ensure that they’re confident in their role. They just recently entered into the workforce, and it’s great to have someone on their side. Just to ensure that they’re doing the right thing.” – M.A

As the young people above indicate, they feel most supported in a connected and positive work environment. While flexibility, benefits, and salary are critical factors in choosing a job, our findings suggest that these elements alone aren’t enough to retain young workers over time.   Youth value compensation, but it’s the combination of a supportive environment—mentorship, open communication, and strong relationships—that truly helps them thrive in their roles.  While salary may be a key attractor, it is the opportunities for growth and connection that keep young employees engaged. Growth, in particular, emerges as a crucial element for youth in deciding whether to stay in a job long-term.

GOT GROWTH?

A lack of growth opportunities was a massive turn-off for 50% of youth surveyed.

54% agreed that they would leave a job within six months if presented with a better opportunity.

“Having a clear path in terms of growth within the company is important. You come in at the entry level, and then after a year or two, you can access different roles, or create a role. Speak to your manager during this time to see what you want to do in your career.” – A.D (Montreal)

“Young people look out for ways they can grow. That is very important. The plans the company has for growth. No one wants to be stagnant, right? So we check that out, too.” – S.K (Toronto)

Only 29% of young people say they would switch jobs primarily for a higher salary. Most prefer stability and career growth, but feel compelled to leave when those opportunities are lacking.

“I think that combination of flexibility [at work] and really seeing each individual on a team as an individual person really does lead to things being more efficient.” – M.B (Vancouver)

”I would want to go somewhere that has a positive impact on my mental health, and that kind of positive work culture where you feel like you can talk openly with your managers and other coworkers. I think that’s really important” – S.K (Toronto)

“I really think mentorship helps, especially when we’re newcomers to work. Mentorship doesn’t have to be all technical. It could be informal too. When you’re joining a company, you just want a familiar face or someone you can talk to if you’re struggling or something is not going well.” – R.T (Calgary)

Youth place a strong emphasis on career growth, not just for the potential of increased earnings, but as a key part of their professional journey. Many young workers are looking for roles where they can continuously develop new skills, advance within the organization, and have a clear sense of their future trajectory. Our findings highlight that without these opportunities, young employees feel stagnant and are more likely to seek new positions elsewhere. This is especially true for those transitioning from academics to the workforce, who often face unexpected challenges and steep learning curves. To help ease this transition, youth suggested practical solutions for professional development:

“I feel like the actual workforce is a lot tougher than students think it is.  [Those ] going from academics straight to the work field I feel I would have to really catch up. [It would help to] have more information sessions for people involved in those transitions on what to expect, networking events with people who already experienced [the transition] so new workers could also take their experiences into account and benefit from that.” – M.D (Toronto)

A positive organizational culture isn’t just about creating a pleasant work environment—it’s about fostering real opportunities for growth, mentorship, and connection. For young workers, this means finding employers who help them climb the career ladder by offering clear development pathways and a supportive network. For employers, the message is clear: investing in your young employees through mentorship, open communication, and opportunities for advancement can boost engagement and retention. Workplaces can function as ladders for young employees, helping them climb towards growth through mentorship, team-building, and fostering an environment that nurtures creativity and innovation.

Employers, ask yourself: How are you supporting young employees in climbing their career ladder? Are you fostering growth, encouraging mentorship, and making space for creativity? These are the steps that lead to thriving workplaces. And for young workers, what ladders do you need to climb next? Explore our full Skills & Ladders series to find actionable steps for both employers and youth.

SERIES: SKILLS & LADDERS:  Empowering Youth in the Workforce

In Youthful Cities’ Skills and Ladders series, we reveal the challenges youth in Canada are experiencing in the job market, in the world of work, city life, and some solutions for these issues. The insights come from data gathered through DEVlab, a project funded by the Government of Canada’s National Essential Skills Program and delivered in partnership with Tamarack Institute. Through this year-long project, Youthful Cities has been investigating what youth need to succeed and how we can develop more dynamic, engaged, and vital young workforces in cities.

In this series, we analyze our findings, and identify “skills” as abilities that youth possess or need, and “ladders” as supports to better connect with career opportunities, improved work conditions, and available resources. Both components are needed for  an ideal outcome, requiring collaboration between youth and education, business, and government stakeholders towards solutions (i.e., using skills to climb these ladders and using ladders to support skills)

Our data focuses on youth (16-30 years) from Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. It’s based on hundreds of interviews we’ve conducted with youth and professionals that work with youth, our extensive survey responses, and curated article database. For those who need a shortcut to tease out the most important insights, we’ve chosen a few issues that were particularly surprising and salient for a deep dive.

See the full series