This year, there are over 1.25 million graduates from the K-12 program entering the Philippine workforce, not to mention the 1 million college graduates that the country churns out each year. That’s over 2 million graduates from the millennial generation who are professionally ready. But, are they professionally capable?
Managing millennials is no easy feat. Yes, their educational background and skills fit, but with effective training, they can develop into capable and confident professionals who can take your business to new heights.
Unlike experienced professionals whose knowledge and skills are already honed, fresh talents are like raw clay that you can mold according to what your business needs.
Just recently, we wrote about the steps to help fresh graduates more employable, but what happens to these new graduates once they’re hired? Let’s discuss how managers can train fresh graduates to become high-performing employees.
Hiring fresh graduates is your chance to have more committed employees. The orientation is your first opportunity to engage them and get them ready to meet company expectations in terms of productivity and performance.
It’s also your first opportunity to introduce them to the company culture. Conducting inspiring orientations and onboarding will get them excited about working with the brand and the team. It will also encourage them to look forward to growing as a professional within the organization.
Older generations of workers already have firm work ethics and principles about how things should be done. But fresh graduates of this generation are used to different modes of communication such as SMS, mobile chat apps, and social media.
Having fresh graduates and younger workers in your organization allows you to create a culture of innovation. The millennial generation knows how to navigate technology, so use it to your advantage!
Meeting them halfway on communication preferences not only makes them feel valued as a new hire but will also introduce innovative communication styles in your company.
When managing newly graduates, it’s important to make them feel like they belong to the community in your organization. Promoting collaboration will not just enable them to make new friends and get to know their co-workers, but it also gives them real-world and practical experiences within the company.
Fresh graduates like having the freedom to accomplish their tasks, but they also like collaborating with their team members. In fact, a recent study shows that 64% of millennial workers prefer collaborating with their colleagues than working alone, off-site.
So, create mentorship and shadowing programs so that the fresh talents in your company are teamed up with more seasoned workers.
New graduates are hungry for knowledge and eager to learn new skills that will make them better in their chosen field. They want to make an impression and prove themselves as a professional. Sending them to trainings and seminars will foster this hunger for knowledge and drive to succeed.
More importantly, trainings and workshops show your young employees how invested you are in their talent. This will get them more engaged with your brand and committed to the organization.
Just think about it, millennials crave continuous learning. If there’s nothing more they can learn from you, then why should they stay?
You’ve probably heard it countless times – the millennial generation craves constant feedback. They want to know how they’re doing, whether they’re improving as a professional within the organization, and how they can further hone their skills. They like being told how their work benefits the company in general.
The great thing about millennials is that they’re adaptable and flexible. Letting them know what they’re doing right will benefit your bottom line because they will willingly and eagerly find ways to be better workers.
While young workers want to be well-compensated for their work, career progression is a top priority for more than 50% of millennial workers. They want to know where they’re going and whether there’s a chance for them to grow as a professional in the company they’re working for.
A lot of companies will tell their new hires during orientation and onboarding that they all have a chance to become promoted in the years to come. But, that’s not what millennials want to hear.
When managing millennials, you need to be upfront and direct. Map out a career path that’s individualized to their position, field of expertise within the company, and skills. Be honest. Giving them the generic spiel about how hard work pays off in the company isn’t something a millennial would buy into.
Find the time to sit them down, perhaps during your one-on-one feedback session, and ask them about their career goals. This will allow you to determine whether they’re professional goals match the business goals of the organization and give them realistic expectations about their career path in the company.
A lot of organizations fail to harness the full potential of fresh graduates simply because the onboarding and training experience they provide is insufficient or ineffective.
When it comes to managing millennials, it’s important to use the right training strategies and programs to foster their passion for success and drive to become a better professional.
Be sure that your managers are well-trained to manage millennials in your workplace and learn how to train the next generation of business leaders now.
Filed Under Leadership & Management
