Don’t Recruit Them. Ignite Them

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been spending time with students. First, I was in Washington D.C. at the NAB headquarters for their Sales Academy. A few days later, I was in Athens, GA on the UGA campus with the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. During both encounters, I saw the same sparkle in their eyes, same, “I can’t wait to get into this business” energy.

That’s when it hit me: the next generation of broadcasters isn’t missing. They’re right here. Due to the pressures of the day, it’s easy for us to constantly be looking to “fill openings,” but what if we did a reframe and start treating it like “building futures?” In the sales world, we call this customer focus. 

These students aren’t just looking for a job. They’re looking for a place where they can grow, matter and learn fast. They have passion, energy and ideas.

One student told me (paraphrasing), “I want to be in a business that’s alive… where what we do actually affects people.” That’s broadcasting at its best. Real-time. Real community. Real impact.

Gen Z is telling us—loud and clear—what earns their loyalty.

• Mentorship isn’t a perk. It’s the product. Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z/Millennial research found that 86% of Gen Z say mentorship and guidance matter, and 88% value on-the-job learning/practical experience. 
• Growth beats “titles.” In that same Deloitte research, only a small minority list leadership titles as their primary goal. What they want first is skill-building and progress. 
• Learning is a retention strategy. LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report highlights that Gen Z associates learning with exploring career paths inside a company—and reports higher agreement than other generations on that point. 

So, what should current broadcast leaders do to attract—and keep—this talent?

From my unscientific focus group (two weeks of talking with students), here are five things we can do to get them off to a great start.

1. Create a visible “first 90 days” ramp. Not orientation. A path. What they’ll learn; who they’ll shadow; what they’ll own.
2. Assign a real mentor on Day One. Not “my door is always open.” A scheduled weekly touchpoint with feedback and coaching. (They’re literally asking for it.) 
3. Let them build in public. For content creators, give them reps: short-form content, behind-the-scenes storytelling, community interviews, event activations. Make them creators with you, not interns around you. In sales, get them on the streets talking to current clients early in the process. That builds confidence.
4. Sell the mission, not the nostalgia. Students light up when you talk about local impact: breaking news, weather, community causes and small business growth. That story still wins—when you tell it like it matters.
5. Partner with proven pipelines. Programs such as RAB’s Talent Institutes or the NAB Leadership Foundation’s Sales Academy exist specifically to bring young talent into radio and TV content careers. And of course, your state broadcast association likely has programs to attract the next generation. Use them. 

Here’s my takeaway after being immersed in student life the last two weeks: the future of broadcasting isn’t a “recruiting problem.” It’s a leadership opportunity.

If we coach more, invite them in sooner and paint a clear picture of growth and purpose, they won’t just enter our business. They’ll fall in love with it.

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!