| Brains like mush, eager to please and boy they sure | | | | similar money hole with Graduates. |
| want to have fun! | | | | How much money? The firms like Mercer who work |
| Last year the Government commissioned research on | | | | out the costs of losing professionals say it is well |
| how employable Graduates were. The answer was: | | | | over 100% of their annual salary. More like 200%. |
| not very. | | | | Is it the same cost to lose Graduates? Absolutely, |
| But why? The reason was simple - most had no | | | | and it could be higher given the mega cost of |
| exposure to professional work settings. The | | | | Graduate recruitment programmes (screening |
| ‘solution’ suggested was to build links | | | | hundreds to find them) and all the training and |
| between business and the universities – a pipe | | | | mentoring you pour into these kids. Then factor in all |
| dream proposed 20 times before and never going to | | | | the months before they become productive: the |
| happen without someone spending big dollars. | | | | cost is up to $100,000 EACH. |
| Just another “deliberate use of language not to | | | | They leave and you have to hire more grads next |
| approach reality but to hide it ….. Small talk in the | | | | year to replace them. It’s a money hole worse |
| airless front room of our lives” (Farrelly, SMH). | | | | than any yacht. And no, it’s not because |
| So your new ‘puppies’ don’t know | | | | ‘young people just don’t stay in jobs’ |
| much. At your great expense they’ll now learn | | | | – at see why this is just an excuse to ignore the |
| how to send faxes and make copies; learn business | | | | real issues, why it’s just “spin”, why |
| phone etiquette and message taking; and all the stuff | | | | it’s Einstein’s definition of insanity. |
| around meetings – how to take notes, how to | | | | For a media article exploring the problem and the |
| participate effectively and how to follow up | | | | solution in greater detail - |
| productively. | | | | The solution to hiring the best Graduates, most of |
| Plus fifty other things – having hired hundreds of | | | | whom will stay? Know/Act/Profit First by going to |
| ‘puppies’, it’s amazing what someone | | | | and learn what a few innovators have started doing. |
| who has never worked in an office doesn’t | | | | Next week we’ll hear “Sue’s story: The |
| know. | | | | ‘Perfect 10’ who got 5 great offers when |
| Not a problem if they stay with you as they are | | | | she graduated. So why did she resign after just 20 |
| your future and worth the investment. But most | | | | months and leave a great employer who had a good |
| don’t. It reminds me of when I became a boat | | | | Graduate program? More importantly, why is her |
| owner, an experience which is like creating a giant | | | | story so common? |
| plug hole to pour your money into – it’s a | | | | |