It's Not All About Hard Skills ... Or Why Should One Talk About Life with Juniors

“To hire or not to hire — that is the question!”. Typically, this specific phrase arises in discussions whether to take on board a young analyst (“junior”) or not. Many opt for “not to hire”, citing past cases where time and effort invested in junior specialists didn’t pay off — with the juniors eventually leaving the company.

This talk explores soft mentorship as a tool aimed at adapting, developing and retaining young specialists. Why “soft”? Because it emphasises what juniors often lack: shared reflection on the work process, how they feel about it, and the direction of their professional growth.

As part of the research section of the talk, I’ll present the results of a survey among business analysts on adaptation and mentorship.

The talk will conclude with a practical checklist of discussion topics and examples of slide materials you can use to support these “talks about life” with junior analysts.