Set your recent grad hires up for success

Can you remember when you felt like you were set up to fail at work and how hard you took it? 

These feelings often emerge when we start our careers, are promoted to a new role, or join a new company and team. A new group of recent grads are excited to enter the workforce. They are eager to start their post-graduate lives and make a living doing what they think they love right now. We are also a season of newness for people starting new roles. Being the new person on a team is challenging, and growing pains will accompany that adjustment.

They won’t know how to communicate effectively, manage their time and projects, or use their voice to ask for what they need to be successful. They won’t all know how to do this, and that is where the frustration begins.

If you are a manager or a founder who has employees, I know you are drowning. But I want you to take a moment to think about how you are leading your team in times like this. It’s a heavy load, but the saying is true: People leave managers, not companies.

Here are some things your junior employees are experiencing right now  and how you can make it better:

Delegate and keep your team in the loop

We are doing a disservice to our recent grads in the workplace. 

As managers, it is important to always ask yourself if you have delegated enough, checked in enough, and whether your team has the knowledge and tools to keep the train moving without you. 

It’s not good to feel like you’re always playing catch-up when you have a team of people who can help. And in those moments when you think it’s easier to do it yourself, remember that it is not fair to yourself or your team to leave them out of the work. We are in this together. And junior employees are eager to learn. They will make mistakes; that is a part of learning, but as a manager, you will have to let go, let them fail forward, and start building trust that will instill confidence in your team.

Assess their knowledge and find gaps

People only know what they know. It’s easy not to feel prepared for unexpected projects and tasks. When young employees or new hires have not been trained or even asked if they knew how to do the required things. This happens when managers assume an employee knows how or has what it takes to do the tasks. Employees could advocate for themselves, but remember how long it took you to find your voice and speak up in corporate America. Young employees won’t always know or feel empowered to use their voice, and that’s where you come in as a manager.

Check in with your team to assess their knowledge of tasks and tools needed to get things done. Check for knowledge gaps from your assessment and set aside time to help train your junior employees or get them access to the tools they need. They need time and nurturing.  You have to water flowers for them to bloom, and recent grads need some of your time to help them see their full potential.

Be honest about role changes

 If you are new to a team, your role can pivot to accommodate priority needs. Imagine a year going by and feeling confident in what you are doing, but now you are expected to do what your manager initially hired you for, and you have no clue what that is. An example of this is hiring someone to do influencer marketing, but there is a need for a community manager when they start, so you have them focus on CM work until you are ready to launch the influencer program.

Role changes happen all the time. They’re a part of business, but there needs to be grace and guidance. There also needs to be transparency so that people can make the best decision for themselves about whether this role change is right for them. 

If a role is changing for a new hire or recent grad, share details and vision for that role. Always ensure the employee has what they need to succeed in that transition.

Develop your staff

Get to know your new hires and understand their strengths and weaknesses. Find work that will help them shine and work that will stretch them. Many people don’t grow in their careers without the guidance of a manager. When you fail them, you help to stagnate someone’s growth, whether it is your intention to do so or not. You never want to be that manager that people talk about who leaves a bad impression and the worst mark.