Graduate Programs

Being in the thick of the war for talents companies begin to search for alternative sources of staff energy. Globally recognized graduate-programs are among them. So, what one should take into account before starting hunt for such "why-boys and girls"?

Personal Experience

We should understand that experience comes with time, but person's abilities, potential and a glitter in eyes are even more important. However difficult and ambitious tasks may be, a man can accomplish them when he doesn't know they are unrealizable.
Mr. Jones, a top manager of one popular restaurant says: "once we have hired two different people for the post of administrator. The first was a university graduate, a very pleasant and sociable girl without any work experience at all. The other was a forty-five year old experienced woman, who had worked all her life at various restaurants, hotels and caf?s on top positions and had been delivering lectures on hotel and restaurant service to college students for many years. In short she was a prominent professional what concerns theory and practice of hospitality industry. And can you imagine our surprise when that young girl proved to cope with the same duties much better only due to her natural abilities and enthusiasm."

"Why- boys and girls" Generation

Many sources which dwell on present-day funk-style business and "wikinomics" state that young people in business are primordially different. First of all they are more open-face and perfectly accustomed to our modern world without limits, because they grew up together with the development of internet. Very often it's easier for them to communicate with a student from America or Japan interested in the same things than with a neighbour who lives next door. And they don't feel uncomfortable during such a distant conversation.

Secondly, they are more pragmatic. They know what kind of car they will purchase and when, how much money they need for current expenses, which flat they want to buy and on what mortgage credit. Still like all children they often indulge in wishful thinking and can't correlate their ambitions with what they are really worth of. That is why all of them want to work in financial sphere, because there "one can easily earn a million per year", or to get an employment "in an international company and receive an MBA diploma at the age of 25". But it's quite pardonable because all of them are maximalists, but we have to take it into account and try to work with this dreams and views.

Thirdly, they like to evaluate, analyze and criticize everything. They need not only general information about the company and its business- they can view it on its website. They want to know everything about its inner life, legends, corporative culture and history. Besides, they are able to gather a lot of information by themselves and are constantly asking questions - often rather professionally - trying to get to the back of it.

Then, these are people who spent 12-15 years within the corporate system of education not knowing anything else. That is why it's difficult to find an appropriate approach in co-operation with them. Lack of understanding of this fact sometimes causes HR managers many troubles. Special adaptation programs are necessary for these young and talented people to get accustomed to business. The majority of graduates know that there is only one correct answer to each question and try to find it, although a problem may have several solutions. They look at a manager as if he were their teacher, taking his words as gospel and expecting him to give immediate assessments of an accomplished task.

They like to put everything to the back burner, and it's just too hard for them to work for eight hours. Many of them simply lack some elementary skills of planning, reporting, holding negotiation, of time-management, paper-work, etc.

What's more, they are very interactive. They don't accept one-sided informing, therefore usual university presentations adored by many people are no more topical. Young employees prefer participating in process, creating something and being assessed at once. Thus the format of business games gains more popularity among students every day.

The most essential and interesting thing in working with this audience is great possibilities for experiments and creativity. The old school of management is rather often constrained by different limits, restrictions and corporative conventions, holds down the initiative and acts according to well-trodden methods. To successfully co-operate with that new generation we should throw away the usual standards and look at the world with their eyes. Someone may be greatly surprised by the positive effect of such approach and a fresh breeze of creativity and unconventional ideas young people can bring into your company's business activity.

Continued: Preparatory programs

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