Each year on World Youth Skills Day, we hear the same message:
The next generation is the future of work.
But when it comes to hiring young talent, many organisations are still using outdated systems that overlook the very skills they claim to value.
We’ve made hiring faster. We’ve made it more digital. But have we made it fairer? Have we made it smarter?
If you’re still relying on polished CVs, traditional degrees, and structured interviews to judge early talent, you might be missing out on some of the most capable, diverse, and high-potential people in the market.
Let’s talk about why, and what you can do instead.
What’s Wrong with the Way We Hire Young People?
Traditional early careers hiring often assumes that professionalism = potential.
But polish is a learned behaviour. It’s not the same as skill.
For many young people- especially those from underrepresented backgrounds- access to the tools of "professional polish" is limited. That includes:
- Private tutoring or elite universities
- Internships gained through networks
- Support in crafting the “perfect” CV or cover letter
- Experience speaking in corporate interview environments
These barriers aren’t about talent. They’re about exposure. And when employers unknowingly filter for polish, they often filter out potential, and thus reinforce inequity in the process.
The Hidden Skills Young People Already Have
The irony? Many young people already have the very qualities employers say they want. They’ve just gained them outside of formal structures.
Think about a teenager who’s grown a TikTok following and learned video editing, audience engagement, and analytics on their own.
Or a young person caring for family while working a part-time job and studying, developing time management, empathy, and resilience along the way.
Or someone who’s taught themselves coding through YouTube and built projects with online communities before even finishing school.
These are real skills. Real value. Just not the kind that always shows up in a CV.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
By 2030, it’s estimated that young people will make up over 40% of the global workforce. The choices we make today about how we assess and hire early talent will shape the companies of tomorrow.
World Youth Skills Day is a reminder that the future workforce is already here. The question is whether we’re recognising their value, or asking them to conform to outdated expectations.
Businesses that reframe how they see young talent gain a powerful edge. They:
- Access a wider, more diverse pool of applicants
- Reduce bias in recruitment and build stronger, fairer teams
- Improve long-term retention by hiring people for who they are and what they could become
Skills-Based Hiring: A Smarter Way Forward
So, how do you actually hire for potential not just polish?
This is where skills-based hiring comes in.
Instead of filtering applicants by degree, background, or who can write the best cover letter, a skills-based approach uses real-world tasks and assessments to evaluate a candidate’s actual ability.
It’s not about lowering standards.
It’s about measuring the right things.
“Skills-based hiring gives young people a chance to show you what they can do, not just how well they interview.” Ricky Doyle, Founder and CEO of Day One
And it works. Studies show that companies who adopt skills-first hiring approaches see improvements in both performance and diversity.
What Reframing Looks Like in Practice
If you’re serious about building a stronger early careers strategy, here are three things to start doing today:
1. Switch to skills-first assessments
Use scenario-based tasks, group challenges, or portfolio reviews in place of or alongside traditional interviews. These approaches often surface high-potential candidates who might otherwise be missed.
2. Widen your reach and rethink your sourcing
Go beyond elite universities or graduate fairs. Partner with schools, community organisations, online learning platforms, and youth programmes. Grassroots talent often just needs the right door to open.
3. Listen to your current early talent
Want to know how to engage young people? Ask the ones already in your business. Your interns, apprentices, and junior staff can provide vital insight into what works and what feels outdated or performative.
The Talent Is There. Are You Ready to See It?
On World Youth Skills Day, we often talk about giving young people opportunity.
But the real shift happens when we stop framing young people as needing to prove themselves and start recognising the value they already bring.
Let’s move from:
❌ Gatekeeping
✅ Opportunity-building
❌ Checking for polish
✅ Spotting potential
❌ Hiring from the same pools
✅ Growing new ones
Because reframing how we hire young talent isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a strategic, future-focused imperative.
Let’s make hiring fairer, smarter, and more human.
At Day One, we help employers connect with ambitious, diverse young talent through skills-first, potential-led hiring.
✅ Custom assessments
✅ Diverse talent pipelines
✅ Early careers strategy that actually works
