So, its been a while, but your girl is here...tired, fatigued and exhausted but here...to bring it raw and uncut once again. Several things have transpired since my last blog "a cheesecutter and a coke" which would make any sane individual spike that coke with some rum....but let me not digress and get to the meat...of the matter.
To those of you who don't know... I see my degree as a big accomplishment for me because I have had many tribulations and obstacles on my journey to this point and I must say it was only by God's grace I have seen it through to the end. That being said... I have decided to continue struggling - now in the corporate hysteria known as the workforce to make ends meet and live comfortably.
However, to my dismay...the obstacles have been fruitful an multiplied and their offspring have shown forthhhhhhhhhhh their ugly heads. Now I cannot speak for every new graduate but these opinions are from my personal experiences. Maybe I'm too particular or my expectations are unrealistic but I have some dos and dont's for employers who hire new staff:
DO's:
- Understand that university is 90% theory and the graduates don't have years of experience in the field. They are called entry level for a reason.
- Encourage their interests in various departments, don't keep an entry level worker in one area for their entire stint because it benefits your business.
- TRAINING, TRAINING, TRAINING - take a leaf from the books of international companies who hire people from all walks of life and professions. Training is paramount to building any company and can transform a entry level graduate into a VP.
- Reward- just because the entry level graduate has been with the company for 6 months, doesn't mean you cannot show your appreciation for their effort and input into your business. A little gratitude from an employer can go a long way in the way the employee feels about their value as an asset to the company.
DONT's
- Don't treat your entry level graduate like a student. After spending the majority of your life studying to get you to the point where you are qualified to work, it is a slap in the face to be treated like a child.
- Don't take advantage of the fresh young minds and ideas and not give credit where it is due. Too many times employers take the cheap road and suck their young workers for ideas which are given freely and then make substantial profits for the company.
- Overworked and underpaid may be cliche but it is never right...you should never try to kill your new employee who is fresh from university with an over exuberant workload. This could deter them from working as it may imply that such workloads are a norm in the business.
With that being said, new graduates can also apply these guidelines to help them get through their first jobs after graduating. I know you as the newbie have no control over what your boss does, but you still have rights and making sure you know your rights and the general labour laws will avoid any future problems of exploitation.
xoxo
RISSE
