You have a rock star employee. An employee with great work and moral ethic, and a track record no one has ever touched. What’s more, a truly pleasant personality, and someone who always puts integrity before personal gain. So, this individual is obviously the single best choice for a promotion to a key role, one right beside you. After all, what could go wrong? Well, plenty, and the reasons might surprise you.

“A-players hire A-players; B-players hire C-players.” This quote is often attributed to Steve Jobs, and whether he coined the phrase or not misses its point. The sentiment is obviously about a fundamental strategy to succeed in business. So, many entrepreneurs subscribe to this belief, thinking it’s practically infallible. However, that’s simply not the case because plenty of business owners have discovered that chasing top talent is the proverbial carrot on a stick. Instead, they adopt an alternative approach and seek out “average” individuals instead. Here’s why.

Recruiting young talent into the trades is only half the fight—keeping them is where most companies actually fail. The difference between a revolving door and a loyal crew often comes down to leadership, community, and how well you respect the way a new generation wants to work. Here’s what separates companies that retain from those that don’t.

Remember when the newest smartphone was actually exciting? Even non-techy people looked forward to upgrading their devices to get their hands on the latest and greatest features. Consumers genuinely felt they were switching up for something better, improving their experience and, in some ways, their lives. But today, people just aren’t as interested. When a company announces a new model, few pay attention. But why?

Hiring entry-level workers and hoping they figure it out isn’t a training program—it’s a gamble. The trade businesses building real skill and lasting loyalty are the ones running structured apprenticeships with clear milestones, hands-on mentorship, and visible recognition for progress along the way. Here’s what actually works when you get it right.

Gen Z isn’t avoiding the trades because the work is bad—they’re avoiding companies that recruit the wrong way. If you want to land and keep young talent, you need to rethink how you talk about purpose, career growth, and flexibility. Here’s what trade businesses need to change to win over the next generation.