SKILLS
Finding the right strategy for taking on an apprentice
Babington CEO Carole Carson discusses how businesses, and not just apprentices, need to adapt their approach to the workplace.
“Young people haven’t got the right skills for work”, “The attitude towards work of this generation isn’t what it was in my day”. You sometimes hear this from
employers. They blame the apprentice for not living up to their high expectations. But what if the bigger problem is that employers are the ones that have got it wrong? What if the attitude of business
needs to change to better support young people into the workplace, to reap the benefits of creating a vibrant and sustainable workforce? These are big questions, with no
easy answers, but definitely questions that employers need to ask themselves if they are going to deal with some of the major challenges they face to driving productivity, competitiveness, and growth. No sector, or organisation is
immune to the following “big ticket” challenges:
• Full employment - While at face value this is a fantastic indicator for the economy, on many levels this presents major challenges for business. Diminishing talent pools, competitors pinching your people and wage inflation are all areas that make it tricky to attract and keep the best talent.
• More vacancies than ever in recent history - This means lost productivity, lost opportunity and often increased stress for your people, which reduces engagement and can lead to high turnover, which leads to more vacancies, creating a vicious cycle.
Tapping alternative talent pools
has never been more critical for business. Attracting your future workforce can no longer be considered a soft, social strategy, it is now a hard, commercial necessity. And where better to start than
with young people? Therein lies future talent just waiting for the businesses that think and do things differently. Many businesses still try to
engage with prospective people through the same tired methods. But it’s time to think differently.
RECRUIT WITH THE EXPERTS There are a range of quality organisations and services within the apprenticeship space that can help identify, engage and attract the best talent into your organisation. Reputable training providers provide a comprehensive, end-to-end recruitment service,
‘Attracting your future workforce can no longer be considered a soft, social strategy, it is now a hard, commercial necessity’
which takes the hassle out of managing the process in-house. Babington engages with young
people, understanding their needs and matching them to the right roles and organisations - which means your new recruit is more likely to stick and you get the return on investment that you are looking for. Working in partnership with an
organisation that has a track record in service delivery not only offers your company the chance to work with new talented individuals, it offers the opportunity to create a desirable place to work.
YOUR BRAND AND MESSAGES What you say, how you say it and where you say it are key things to consider if you want to raise awareness of your organisation and your opportunities. Find out where your target groups are both online and offline. Find out what would and wouldn’t attract them.
YOUR EMPLOYEE PROPOSITION Fair pay, sensible workload and reasonable hours all matter, but for young people in particular, the whole employee offer is what they’re interested in, such as:
• What are the perks?
• How will this job/company positively or negatively impact on my social life?
• Are there opportunities for progression?
• Does my company understand me?
• Are they investing in me?
• Will I enjoy the experience that this opportunity provides?
68 business network October 2018
There is a long list of questions that young people (and many others too) will ask themselves to help decide whether you’re right for them. Make sure you have good
answers to these essential questions. You should have solid answers to these questions and be ready to backup with examples and proof. An apprentice is interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LINE MANAGERS Great leaders and managers do exist. Where they don’t, they can be created. Look for the line managers who engage and inspire, care about their people and show real empathy and also those who can deliver tough messages when needed. Create advocates of apprenticeships who compel the rest to follow as they prove the benefits of investing in the future.
MENTORING Perhaps one of the biggest influences over the success, engagement and retention of employees is the degree to which they receive mentoring support. They can steer a younger or less experienced person through the choppy seas of a new career or role. They can help them learn from
experiences and interactions, helping them reflect so the experiences fuel their growth, rather than becoming disaffected or absorbed into a prevailing culture. The apprenticeship format
encourages such mentor/mentee relationships to flourish and thereby builds a culture of support, development and reflection that usually leads to increased commitment, satisfaction and idea- generation.
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