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Welcome to the world of work…
Once the celebrations have subsided a wave of apprehension and trepidation often descends over the first timer in those early days after graduation and in their new position. Fortunately, there are many ways in which a company can help them through this time and ways in which they can help themselves too.
Most companies irrespective of size could appoint a buddy or mentor for the new recruit – this could be one or two individuals in the business and could probably have been a graduate like the recruit, or have been with the company for about a year and will help to settle them in from a social perspective. They can help with the orientation, introduce the new recruit to people, take them out for a welcome drink and generally help them to feel comfortable and at home. This process really can be mutually beneficial for everyone involved.
The ‘mentor’ on the other hand is usually someone who has been with the business longer and has excellent technical and interpersonal skills. They are assigned to help in terms of job role, technical assistance and work-based projects. They will be able to help the new graduate to understand what a project requires of them and help identify any training needs and support they may need over the coming months.
A positive mentor can make a huge difference to how quickly the person get to grips with their new role and becomes a productive and invaluable member of the team. In addition, most companies provide a formal induction programme, which can vary from structured programmes in larger organisations, to orientation programmes in smaller businesses.
Try and ensure the graduate can use this opportunity to understand the company, the business and what is expected of them. It’s a great way for them to engage with colleagues and the company culture and it will help them make that transition from university/student life, to being a productive member of your team who adds value.
So, they’ve been on board a couple of weeks and are ‘beginning to find their feet’ – how do you encourage them to be proactive and promote their creative ideas to others in your team, most of whom will have much more experience than themselves? Start by building their confidence levels by keeping them up to date with what is happening in your creative space.
Encourage them to actively get involved, listen to their colleagues and most importantly promote their ideas as solutions to problems and opportunities that people can get excited about and engage with.
Gradually through exposure to different projects and creative tasks they will start to build up their own ‘technical tool kit’ as they skill themselves horizontally and develop their own expertise through experience. Try and ensure you have a ‘safety net’ provision in place for new recruits, which allows them to make mistakes and learn from them without undue fear of failure.
Remember, the more the new recruit can get involved and proactively immerse themselves in the company, the more likely they are to succeed and make the impact that all first timers are looking and hoping to do and your business expects. If you can encourage them in this way, your team will also be delighted to have such a dynamic and positive individual in the business – especially at a junior level. This is a rewarding and exciting period for any new graduate – you’ve seen their potential in hiring them, now you can help them reach it.
About Become
Since 1997, we’ve been offering our clients a consultative approach to recruitment and have consistently provided the talented people they’ve been looking for.
Image credits: © Bartpeereboom | Dreamstime.com