How to... have conversations about graduate development
Understanding Graduate Development
Graduates are early career individuals who are taking up a first key career role. They have successfully completed a course of study or training. Working in an organisation provides the opportunity to develop their skills, knowledge and experience further. They are keen to learn and progress and you can support them. They bring a different outlook that can be good for the organisation.
Things to consider
Useful Questions
For a graduate this is their first step into formal work. This question is really helpful in understanding
Each person will have different skill gaps. Exploring technical, behavioural and business based competencies will help the graduate play the main part in owning their development
Identifying the key drivers of a graduate can help tailor opportunities and development to match individual motivation alongside organisational need
Graduates enter a steep learning curve and it is good to help them process their learning, to help them get into this habit and extract the learnings so they can adapt on the next task / placement / role
In order to instil an ownership to their own development and to avoid a reliance on you to do things for the graduate, start asking this sort of question to help them problem solve and identify the resources they require themselves
Knowing a manager supports you is motivating and reassuring at any stage of your career but is particularly important at this point
