Your summer hires, whether full-timers or interns, may be Millennials. Plan a training path to help them transition from the college mindset to the corporate mindset. As we’ve talked about recently, this generation hopes and wants formal training from their new jobs. These training transition plans can help you meet their expectations and help these new employees meet yours.
Pair Your Newbies with Mentors
Do you use formal mentoring programs at your company? Take a look at this article (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9247714/A_simple_cure_for_the_cybersecurity_skills_shortage) that describes how the NSA is tackling a skills shortage. The topic relates to an IT skills shortage, but the article makes an important point. According to a source, the cure for the shortage is starting with talented people and giving them experience. The source notes that the NSA “hire[s] people with appropriate backgrounds and skill sets and then build[s] on those skills with on-the-job training and mentorship.” He further notes how this method is used in nearly every other profession where skill comes with experience—architecture, engineering, plumbing, and medicine. The key is starting with capable people and having them mentor under more skilled professionals. This training by example will help show inexperienced college student what it’s like to be a professional in their chosen field.
Give Them Some Culture
Do you use new hire orientation? Part of the battle employers fight is getting new employees of all ages to understand company culture. Use new hire orientation training to let your Millennials know the mission, goals, and beliefs of your company. Sometimes young employees fall into a college mindset simply because they have no other information. If you show and explain how the culture of your company operates, you can help this generation make a smooth transition to professionals standards.
Show New Hires the Possibilities
Show your new hires all the possible career paths available at your company. Describe the different roles they can aspire to. Then show them the training path for each role. Knowledge is power. Your new hires can envision a future for themselves if you show them a roadmap for getting there.
Leverage Their Social Media and Online Savvy
It’s no surprise that this age group understands social media and is more connected than any generation before them. Instead of always trying to train them, perhaps you can use their knowledge to help them train others. Could they teach a less tech-savvy group ways to use social media for business purposes? Can they help your marketing department better understand how people in their age range respond to marketing messages? Transition them from the college mindset to the corporate mindset by asking for their insight and help in areas that they respond to.
Can you think of other training paths to can help Millennials transition better into your company and culture? Please tell us in the comments. If you need help creating training for this, or any other generation, contact eParamus. We’d love to help. Email or call us to discuss your needs. Call 919.882.2108. E-mail: info@eParamus.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/eParamusLLC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparamus Web: http://www.eparamus.com/
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