Developing
Video: Developing Talent
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Retaining your graduate is all about building the relationship.
A mutually successful relationship will include a shared understanding and acceptance of what each party wants and needs from the relationship. There are three interlinked strands to this relationship:
Joining or induction
Aim to make the graduate feel welcome and find their feet quickly. Failure to do so can mean that they may leave within the first six months which is not good for either of you.
It is important to build upon the rapport developed during the selection process and a popular way of doing this is to assign a colleague or 'buddy' to show the graduate the ropes. For legal and practical reasons, it is also important that health and safety, vital processes and rules are explained early on.
There is a downloadable induction proforma below. It is good practice to let the graduate have a copy of this as this will enable them to follow what is happening and to act as a reminder of anything that has been missed or needs particular attention.
Performing
Performance management sets the standards of performance and requires appropriate support to ensure that the graduate understands what is required and your business gets what it needs.
Graduates will be keen to perform well, but they need to know what is expected of them and to be given constructive feedback at regular intervals.
Some organisations use an annual appraisal system to benchmark employees against targets. This usually summarises what has been acheived over the last year and sets objectives or targets for the coming year.
Whilst these are useful, new staff will probably need more regular support and supervision in addition to the annual appraisal. Many companies use weekly one-to-ones to agree objectives, monitor progress, identify training needs and discuss any problems.
Developing
Supporting graduates to understand the job, the business and the sector is likely to include an element of formal learning which may or may not be part of a professional qualification. The Peninsula Graduate Training Programme offers short focussed skills training to graduates.
Coaching and mentoring are also an important aspect of any new graduates learning. A buddying system may also be helpful in helping the graduate to think about the company and its processes and culture. You may also consider a mentor who is not directly involved in the day to day work but could provide a broader understanding of the business in its marketplace.
