It is almost time for students who began their studies in 2014 to become graduates of 2017, meaning a variety of new talent will be entering the workplace.
Hiring a graduate straight out of university may seem like a significant risk, especially if they lack experience. However, companies should consider offering graduate training programmes or workplace training, to mould them into the perfect candidate.
Although this may seem more time-consuming than hiring an experienced person, there's a lot to learn from graduates. Due to their lack of experience, they are willing to learn, plus they are less likely to have picked up “bad habits” from other firms.
There are some simple methods to assist in ensuring they become a valuable employee:
Offer workplace training and graduate training programmes
Offering graduate training programmes and workplace training gives graduates the opportunity to continue their learning experience but in a professional environment.
Often, university teaching brings them an understanding of their chosen field; it gives them in-depth knowledge and a basis for what is required to be in certain roles.
However, this may not have been put into practice, unless they chose to do a placement year.
Moreover, this means that although they are knowledgeable of the sector they are often unaware of how it runs, so be sure to offer workplace training or graduate training programmes that will enable them to put their skills into practice.
Additionally, providing training will allow you to ensure they receive the specific training they need for their role.
Monitor Performance
Due to managers having such a hectic schedule, they can sometimes struggle to recognise employees achievements; which can leave them feeling undervalued.
If you want to mould your graduate into the perfect employee, not only should you offer workplace training and graduate training programmes, you should also be rewarding their hard work and efforts.
Graduates will often start at a low level within a company, so by recognising their performance, you can determine who is ready to progress in the company, thus making others work harder as they will realise that with hard work comes rewards.
Use their knowledge to your benefit
Not only should you train graduates, but you can also take advantage of their knowledge. For example, they may be better equipped to target younger demographics, use certain technologies and have more in-depth knowledge of social media.
So, this will not only teach your existing employees new skills but also help to build the graduates confidence. Alongside their workplace training and graduate training programmes, they will also feel their opinion and their knowledge as an employee is valued.
Be a strong leader
Alongside the previous points, it’s crucial that you are a strong leader, providing a role model figure and someone to look up to. It’s great to offer flexibility in the workplace and be an empathetic leader, however, don’t be a pushover and be sure to let people know what you expect from them and how they can achieve this.
Provide a clear career plan
Graduates are eager to impress and ready to begin their careers. Through providing a clear career plan for them, you are telling them how to get to the next step and succeed. If they require workplace training or a graduate training programme to help them progress, be sure to provide this as they will feel that you are investing in their future. This is likely to make them stay with your company for a longer period, which is essential for your business, as TLNT found that for entry-level employees, it costs between 30-50% of their annual salary to replace them.