Tips for Onboarding New Grads
With the flood of new graduates entering the job market each summer many companies are quick to add eager, intelligent individuals to their teams, many of whom are getting their first real-life work experience. Though the influx of fresh talent and ideas can be a huge boost for a company in the long run, care must be taken to ensure smooth onboarding of new graduates who probably haven’t been through the process before. If you’re looking to add some fresh faces soon, here are some tips to make sure that everything goes smoothly:
Educate: Even the best students have a lot to learn when it comes to the specifics of the position they were hired for. Create an atmosphere of learning and provide the necessary tools, educational materials, etc. for new grads in order to both get them started on the right foot and encourage continuing education during their time with your company.
Communicate: Providing numerous open channels of communication is important to your team no matter how long they’ve been with you, but new grads may communicate a little differently and that can take some getting used to. Beyond regular meetings and traditional methods of communication (email, phone conversations, etc.) explore channels such as Slack as well as various social media outlets in order to facilitate easier communication with a younger generation.
Mentor: All young employees can benefit from a dedicated mentor who can take the time to not only show them the ropes around the office, but also help them apply what they have learned in college to the real world. Assign new grads to a seasoned employee and encourage frequent collaboration between the two, perhaps even having the veteran review the rookie’s work for a period of time. Pairing experienced team members with fresh grads is a great way to build camaraderie and help both employees grow within their roles.
New graduates are a great source of fresh energy and ideas, and they should be treated with care and respect during their early months with your company. Following the advice above is a good first step toward creating an environment in which these young employees can thrive. Of course, if you’re having trouble finding the right candidates, we can help. Visit AtWork.com/Locations today to find an AtWork branch near you!
