Member Article

Overcoming the gravitational pull of ?graduate London?

It’s graduate week on Bdaily and we are looking at the state of play for graduates and SMEs. Here, founder of Gradvert examines the “brain drain.“

It seems that graduates gravitate to London for three main reasons: the salaries are perceived to be higher; it is thought that the chances of promotion are greater; and, there is a view that there are more graduate opportunities in the capital.

However, since the launch of Gradvert Recruitment, we have been astonished by how many local graduates have applied for roles in the region with the desire to stay close to friends and family, and with an open mindedness to careers in both large, regional corporates and SMEs.

Therefore, we want to outline what regional companies can and should do, not matter how large or small, to not only attract local talent into their enterprise but to retain it and maximise the benefits.

The Gradvert 4M Model:

We’ve summed this up in four key ‘make it’ actions for attracting, recruiting and retaining graduates.

1. Make it possible

A typical graduate is looking for promotional, earning and learning opportunities but the rewards don’t have to be financially focused and they don’t have to immediate. They do, however, have to be clear and present. So, create a vacancy that will provide meaningful value to a graduate long term. Articulate what they will learn, gain and experience fromtheir career in your organisation and show how their role objectives align to those of the company so applicants can see a career opportunity, not a job.

Then make the vacancy ‘findable’ by posting it on your web site, by working with local recruiters, by posting it on job’s board and by using social media to spread the word.

From the applicants, select the star that evidences their knowledge, skills and experience inrelation to your particular industry. The graduate with the greatest passion for your industry will always outperform the graduate with the greatest qualification. Make it possible.

2. Make it happen:

Don’t hide your graduate away in the corner with a pile of admin. Give them your best manager, provide them with a mentor, invest time training them on the essentials, get them involved in meetings, set them an objective and let them come up with the solution, encourage them to share their views and constantly challenge them to make things better, faster or ‘different’. Really explore what they’re truly capable of and give them a way to channel their best ideas into your company rather than their own venture out of hours. Create sponsors around the business and rustle up an interest in what’s happening in your ‘graduate scheme’ through quarterly presentations, blogs and networking events tomake sure your graduates have a profile and a platform for moving onwards and upwards.

3. Make it last:

Remember the ‘Generation Y’, or the ‘Global Generation’ are in a constant feedback loop characterised by the need for instant gratification and feedback. Therefore, a huge part ofhelping a graduate to progress in a sustainable way is effective performance management. Supplement annual reviews with monthly updates and regular feedback. Be accessible, inspirational, approachable and supportive. Have regular check in sessions to give your graduates the chance to reflect on their progress, to raise any issues and to realign goals and activity so they perform consistently, not in peaks and troughs.

4. Make it worth it:

Graduates can be impatient for success and there is a feeling they will jump companies for better prospects. Avoid this by making the career path clear and attractive. Ask your graduate where they’d like to be in 3 years, 1 year, 6 months and tell them what they needto do to get there. Plus, find out what really drives them - leadership opportunities, team working, projectmanagement, flexible working - and make it worth their while to constantly bring their A-Game into work. Then, be true to your word and give them the rewards you promised, if they hit their targets. Make it worth it.

Remember, graduates have high expectations of their employers; they actively seek out new challenges frequently, they are not afraid to question authority and they are certainly not afraid to leave one role or environment for another. Therefore, satisfy their need to feel part of what is going on, and part of the company’s overall success. By doing this, you will benefit from high engagement, low turnover, a viable talent pipeline and a true return on your investment.

If you want to see more articles from Graduate Week, take a look at these links: Clegg makes a visit to a Teesside graduate business; Bringing graduates into a small business; Don’t play job market odds, change the game; Graduate X: The truth behind the graduate scheme; Mike Hill talks graduate careers.; Having a graduate on board; and Bdaily speaks to CIHE chief David Docherty.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Gradvert .