Not Work Ready Podcast

Jono Van der Ploeg
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Managing Gen Z staff isn't easy. Not Work Ready helps supervisors and managers understand what's really causing workplace challenges, and how to build confident young teams that stay. notworkready.substack.com

  1. Oct 7

    We Couldn't Find Young Staff. So We Stopped Recruiting the Same Way.

    We were struggling to find enough young staff for our summer pool season. So instead of continuing to advertise the same jobs through the same recruitment process and hoping for a different result, we changed the process. We went into schools and built relationships with students before asking them to apply. We simplified the application. We ran group interviews so young people could come along with friends. Then, once they were in, we gave them the opportunity to shadow experienced staff, learn the workplace and gradually build the skills and confidence to do the job. Nine months later, when it was time to recruit for another season, around 70% came back and applied again. They weren't wondering whether they could do the job anymore. They already knew they could. In this episode of Not Work Ready I explore what this experience taught me about recruiting young people, confidence and our obsession with finding people who are already “work ready”. We explore: Why traditional recruitment can screen out capable young people Building relationships before recruitment begins Removing unnecessary barriers without lowering expectations Why being good at interviews isn't the same as being good at the job Letting young people learn through real workplace experience The role of supervisors, mentoring and formal training How experience builds confidence Why around 70% of the young people returned Why employers need to take some responsibility for developing work readiness The difference between finding good staff and developing good staff Maybe employers need to stop asking: “Why aren't young people work ready?” And start asking: “What are we doing to help them become ready?” How well are you setting up your young staff? If you're employing young people and aren't sure whether your onboarding is helping them build confidence, clarity and independence, you can complete the free Confidence in Mentoring Onboarding Audit. It looks at your onboarding, expectations, feedback, support and workplace culture, then gives you a personalised report showing where your strengths and gaps may be. Read the article on Substack: Not Work Ready More from Confidence in Mentoring: Confidence in Mentoring This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notworkready.substack.com

  2. Sep 30

    Your Young Employee Says Their Mental Health Is Affecting Work. Now What?

    When a Young Staff Member Tells You They’re Struggling A young staff member asks if they can have a quick chat. You sit down and they tell you: “I’m really struggling with my mental health, and it’s affecting my work.” What do you say next? For many managers, this is where the uncertainty kicks in. You want to support them, but you’re their manager, not their counsellor. Pasted markdown In this episode of Not Work Ready, I work through a case study step by step and explain how I’d approach this conversation after more than 20 years working with young people. We explore: How to respond when someone first opens up Why you don’t need to immediately fix the problem What questions are actually useful to ask How support and high expectations can exist together Where the boundaries of your role as a manager sit Why referrals and follow-up matter How the workplace itself might be contributing to the problem Why an EAP isn’t a substitute for fixing an unhealthy workplace The big question isn’t: “How do I fix this person’s mental health?” It’s: “How can I support this person to be well and succeed at work, while staying within my role as their manager?” 🎧 Follow Not Work Ready wherever you listen to podcasts. 📖 Read the accompanying article and subscribe on Not Work Ready on Substack 🌐 Confidence in Mentoring If you know a manager who’d benefit from this conversation, send the episode their way. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notworkready.substack.com

  3. Sep 22

    Scared of getting pronouns wrong?

    Getting Someone’s Pronouns Wrong Isn’t the Biggest Problem Managers are often terrified of saying the wrong thing. What if I use the wrong pronoun?What if I don't understand the terminology?What if I accidentally offend someone? After years of working alongside LGBTIQA+ young people, I've learnt that respect doesn't require perfection. I've used the wrong pronoun before. I've watched young people accidentally use the wrong pronouns for their own friends. Most of the time, someone corrects themselves, moves on and the conversation continues. There's a big difference between making a mistake and choosing not to respect someone. In this episode of Not Work Ready, I talk about what working with LGBTIQA+ young people taught me about pronouns, inclusion and creating workplaces where people feel safe to be themselves. We explore: Why fear of saying the wrong thing can get in the way of genuine connection What to do when you accidentally use the wrong pronoun Why a huge apology can sometimes make things more uncomfortable The difference between an honest mistake and deliberate disrespect Why inclusive practice becomes easier when it becomes everyday practice How young staff learn whether a workplace is safe by watching how other people are treated Why your LGBTIQA+ staff shouldn't have to become your diversity trainers What all of this has to do with trust, belonging and retention You don't need to understand every part of someone's identity to treat them with respect. Listen. Learn. Correct yourself when you get something wrong. Then keep building the relationship. Because your staff don't need you to get everything right. But they shouldn't have to wonder whether you're trying. 🎧 Not Work ReadyPractical conversations about young staff, workplaces, mentoring and the systems we sometimes forget to question. Read and subscribe to Not Work Ready on Substack Connect with Jono Van der Ploeg on LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notworkready.substack.com

  4. Sep 15

    Stop Acting Surprised When Your Staff Resign.

    Sometimes an employee resigns long before they hand in the letter. They’re still turning up.Still doing their job.Still sitting in the meetings. But something has changed. I know because it happened to me. I once spent around 18 months working on a major project, with significant funding, community consultation and organisational support behind it. Then one meeting changed my relationship with the organisation completely. I didn’t resign that day. But looking back, I think that was the day they lost me. In this episode of Not Work Ready, I explore what I call silent resignation, and why the moment someone officially resigns might be the end of a much longer story. We explore: Why silent resignation is different from quiet quitting The moment trust in a workplace can change How frustration can turn into resentment and cynicism Why employees start looking for evidence that leadership is getting things wrong Why someone going quiet isn’t necessarily a good sign The changes managers should be paying attention to Why exit interviews happen far too late How connection, trust and feeling valued can help prevent good people from mentally checking out When someone hands you their resignation, don’t just ask: “Why are they leaving?” Ask: “When did they start?” Because by the time the resignation letter arrives, you might have lost them months ago. Read more of my work and subscribe to Not Work Ready on Substack Connect with me on LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notworkready.substack.com

  5. Sep 7

    If Everyone You Hire Is the Problem, I’ve Got Some Bad News For You

    If Everyone You Hire Is the Problem, I’ve Got Some Bad News “They don’t take initiative.” “They lack confidence.” “They’re not motivated.” “They just don’t seem to get it.” Sometimes, the employee genuinely isn’t the right fit. But when the same problems keep showing up with different employees, it might be worth looking at the one thing that hasn’t changed. The workplace. In this episode of Not Work Ready, I explore what repeated patterns can tell us about onboarding, expectations, supervision and workplace culture, and why independence and initiative often need to be developed rather than simply expected. We explore: Why different managers can get different results from the same young people How unclear expectations can create dependence How managers can accidentally discourage initiative The difference between recruiting independence and developing it What repeated staff problems might be telling you about your workplace Why changing the environment can change the behaviour you’re seeing The question to take away: If the same problem keeps happening with different employees, what keeps happening in your workplace? 🎧 Follow Not Work Ready wherever you listen to podcasts. 📖 Read more and subscribe on Not Work Ready on Substack 🌐 Confidence in Mentoring This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notworkready.substack.com

  6. Aug 31

    Your Young Staff Could Become Your Greatest Management Achievement

    What If Your Youngest Team Became Your Strongest Team? “They ask so many questions.” “They need more support.” “They don’t have enough experience.” “They’ll probably leave anyway.” There’s plenty of conversation about the challenges of managing young staff. But we don't talk nearly enough about what can happen when you get it right. Years ago, I ran a mentoring program with around 25 young volunteers. They gave up their Friday nights, supported each other, took ownership and eventually started bringing their friends along because they genuinely wanted to be part of it. That experience taught me something about what a strong culture can create. In this episode of Not Work Ready, I explore what could happen if we stopped seeing young staff primarily as a management challenge and started thinking about the team they could become. We explore: Why young, inexperienced teams can become incredibly strong teams How managers set the temperature for enthusiasm, confidence and engagement Why ownership helps young staff become more invested How peer mentoring can start happening naturally Why a great employee experience can turn your staff into your best recruiters And why developing a young team could become one of the strongest examples of your leadership capability Managing young staff takes patience. But imagine developing a team where people grow, support each other, take ownership and eventually start telling their friends: “You should come and work here.” Maybe the question isn't “Why are young staff so difficult to manage?” Maybe it's: “What could this team become if I led them exceptionally well?” Find more from Confidence in Mentoring:confidenceinmentoring.com.au Connect with me on LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/jonathonvanderploeg 🎧 Not Work Ready explores what workplaces can do differently to help young people start, grow and stay. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notworkready.substack.com

  7. Aug 23

    Stop Complaining About Young Staff

    Stop Complaining About Young Staff “They don’t have enough experience.” “They don’t understand what’s expected.” “They just don’t want to work anymore.” But if young people are the problem, why are some employers having much more success hiring them than others? In this episode of Not Work Ready, I look at Jobs and Skills Australia research and explore whether the real challenge for small businesses might be less about young people and more about the systems around them. We explore: Why larger businesses may find it easier to employ young people Why experience expectations can work against entry level recruitment How simple onboarding and support can make a difference The relationship advantage small businesses already have Maybe the question isn't: “Why aren’t young people work ready?” Maybe it's: “Is our workplace ready for young people?” Read more: Confidence in Mentoring Connect with Jono: LinkedIn Not Work Ready explores the things we say about young people at work, and asks whether we're asking the right questions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notworkready.substack.com

  8. Aug 13

    Does Giving Someone a Job Mean They Owe You?

    We Give Young Staff Opportunities… And They’re Still Ungrateful “We took a chance on them.” “We trained them.” “We've been flexible.” “And then they leave.” It’s easy to understand why employers get frustrated when they invest time, money and energy into developing a young employee, only to watch them walk out the door. But is wanting young staff to be grateful actually the problem? Maybe not. Research suggests genuine gratitude can strengthen relationships, encourage people to help each other and create a greater sense of mutuality. The problem starts when gratitude becomes something employees are expected to repay. In this episode of Not Work Ready, I explore the difference between gratitude and indebtedness, why simply giving someone a job doesn't necessarily make them grateful, and what managers can do to create a workplace where appreciation goes both ways. We explore: Why gratitude can actually be valuable for workplaces The difference between “I appreciate what you've done for me” and “now I owe you” Why young staff might not see employment itself as a gift How genuine support and development can create gratitude Why appreciation can encourage people to contribute again The importance of managers modelling the gratitude they want to see Why someone can genuinely appreciate an opportunity and still decide to leave Maybe before asking: “Why aren't my young staff grateful for everything we're doing for them?” there's another question worth asking: “Do they know we're grateful for what they're doing for us?” Read more from Confidence in Mentoring:confidenceinmentoring.com.au Connect with Jono on LinkedIn:Jono Van Der Ploeg on LinkedIn Not Work Ready explores the things we say about young people at work, and asks whether we're asking the right questions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notworkready.substack.com

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About

Managing Gen Z staff isn't easy. Not Work Ready helps supervisors and managers understand what's really causing workplace challenges, and how to build confident young teams that stay. notworkready.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Jono Van der Ploeg
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © J Van der Ploeg
  • Show Website
    Not Work Ready Podcast