Today’s college students have been exposed to the workplace through career fairs and on-campus professional support aimed at getting them ready for work when they graduate. If you’ve hired a college graduate for the position of Division Marketing Coordinator or Marketing Assistant, you need to invest in them to cultivate engagement and loyalty to your company. Take a look at our list of tips for engaging and developing new talent in their early careers.
1. Make Them Feel Welcome
Did you hire several recent college grads? Make them feel welcome at your office first. Add them to your division’s Facebook group, encourage them to stay in touch by email or phone, and make them familiar with your culture. Also, host a special event or hire a catering service and provide a welcome breakfast or lunch.
2. Nurture Your New Talent
With the right kind of support, a fresh graduate has a better chance of succeeding in their job. Assign a few more experienced employees to help the new talent in transitioning to a full-time job position. Set up hands-on training and orientation programs, mentorships, and even job-shadowing to speed up their transition. This is invaluable to them, especially to those graduates who think of themselves as lifelong learners.
3. Promote Collaboration
Millennials favor collaborating in small groups as much as they prefer the freedom to accomplish their own tasks. Also, when working in small groups, they can generate better ideas and be more engaged.
4. Invest in Employee Development
Employee development can be aimed toward improving a particular skill in which an employee needs improvement, or related to their future career goals or new responsibilities. Employee development can be conducted through:
- On-the-job training programs.
- Professional organization programs (e.g., attending meetings, workshops, and education conferences).
- Research opportunities.
- Increased duties and responsibilities.
