Handle with care: Greenhorn at work

Wooed by many recruiters, freshers these days come with loads of attitude and unbridled expectations.

By Shreya Biswas, TNN | Jan 10, 2007, 12.33 AM IST

The placement season is on and you have just hired an enthusiastic bunch of fresh graduates. But hiring them is the first of the many challenges you are going to face. Passing out from top colleges, sitting on multiple job offers and wooed by many recruiters, freshers these days come with loads of attitude and unbridled expectations.

How best to handle this bundle of energy, without creating ego clashes in office? Here are some tips to negotiate your way:

Clarity about the function

Chalk out a clear career path for them, tell them what a career in a particular function holds for them and where it would lead them. If possible, allow them to pick from a few options you have to offer. This would give them clarity on what to expect. Secondly, if they are involved in the decision-making process, the patience threshold will be a little higher.

Prepare for downturns

With high aspirations and low patience levels, disenchantment and disappointment set in fast with fresh graduates. The best way to handle this is by talking straight and telling them what the corporate world is all about. Besides showing them the path to dream and grow, it is also important to tell them about the downsides of their jobs and how to handle them.

Hear out their problems

Don’t talk down. This is the worst way to get things done from them. Be upfront and frank and tell them if you have any problems with them. You could also help them settle in by assigning buddies who have worked in the organisation for a year or two.

The assigned buddies could help the freshers understand the culture and the work atmosphere of the organisation. Buddies can also advice freshers on the problems they face, both professional and personal. This will help the fresher make friends at the workplace and will make things easier for you too.

Changes and challenges

Ensure that the work environment is challenging enough to hold them back. And also allow for churn of job profile with cross-functional exposure to help them find their feet within the organisation. They should be enthusiastic about their work at the same time accountable too. A sense of responsibility and accountability is important for both fresh recruits as well as for the organisation to get the best out of them.

shreya.biswas@timesgroup.com

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Handle with care: Greenhorn at work

Wooed by many recruiters, freshers these days come with loads of attitude and unbridled expectations.

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