A recent article I was sent from the Australian Press through www.hrdaily.com.au included an interview with training specialist Josh Mackenzie who said: “Today’s graduates face different pressures to those of previous years, with business restructuring removing their ability to manage or predict their career paths – they no longer know if their job will exist in three years, or even if they’ll be offered a permanent role at the end of their program and the new challenge of working with managers who are also under pressure. ”
He suggests that to help grads and their managers through uncertain times, HR should set up focused mentoring sessions with older people in the organisation, “who have been through two or three major downturns in their working life and have come out on top”.
This strikes me as a great, simple idea, that is easy to do and shows graduates that companies can be honest with them, recognise the challenges ahead and want to help their graduates come out on top – which is good for the graduates and of course for the organisation & a great way to retain them once the upturn comes.
He says: “I haven’t seen a lot of that happening, but I think it’s particularly important.” That sounds like an opportunity to me….!
