4 Stages of the Graduate Development Cycle

Why did 74% of candidates nominate training and development as a critical factor when deciding which job offer to accept?

Is it because the potential future leaders of your organisation recognise the gap between university and business environments and the competencies and behaviours they need to develop?

Graduate recruits are generally fresh out of studying and many have not experienced a corporate environment.  Their marks may be high and they may have performed well in entrance testing and have interviewed well.

But how will they fit in to the organisation?

Moving from studying into the workforce is a big change.  Graduates move from an environment where they:

• communicate with peers that are mainly from their age group
• only have deadlines for assignments
• have little experience working in broader groups
• have little experience dealing with managing up and delegation
• have little experience working with internal or external clients
• have only basic presentation skills

All of a sudden graduates are thrust in to roles or rotations, expected to fit in to an organisation’s culture and ‘earn their keep’ as soon as possible. 

So how do you make this major transition as smooth and, more importantly, as effective as possible?

Many organisations focus solely on an 'induction' for Graduates that provides an overview of the organisation's operations, culture, values and covers other legislative requirements. Whilst this is an essential part of introducing Graduates to the organisation, it does not cover behavioural aspects or capabilities that are essential in the work environment.  By conducting a comprehensive Graduate Development Program, not only will an organisation increase their retention, they will speed the process to ensure graduates perform to their full potential in the workplace.

The most effective development programs are conducted over the life of the graduate program. The median length of a graduate development program as identified in the 2009 AAGE Employer Survey was 2 years.

So what are the different stages of the development cycle?

Stage 1: Learning to walk

In order to transition successfully into an organisation graduates require the tools and skills that will enable them to cope effectively with the different demands of corporate life.  They also need a comprehensive introduction to find out how they fit in to the organisation and what support is available. The shift from studying to the workforce requires a new approach to the way graduates operate.

Suddenly, Graduates must manage multiple priorities and have demands placed on them by others, particularly other departments, managers and customers.  This stage should cover topics around transitioning into a career and strategies to assist in making the transition easier.

Participation of senior leaders in this stage is essential in order to give visibility and show support for the graduate program.  It is also an ideal stage to include traditional induction aspects.  This might include sessions about organisational systems and processes, OH&S policies, and what support networks are available.

Stage 2: Learning to run

Now that graduates have had time to find their feet they need to build on their skills to be effective in the workplace.

During this stage, graduates need to learn about themselves in order to gain an understanding of others.  This assists in being able to work and deal effectively with the range of different people and personalities they will be confronted with in the workplace.

Combining an understanding of team dynamics with their understanding of self and others allows graduates to better understand the value both they and others bring to their teams.

Stage 3: Learning to fly

By the time stage 3 is reached, graduates have an understanding of their roles in the organisation and are nearing the end of their graduate program.  Graduates need to be ready for the transition from the supportive environment of the graduate program out in to their eventual roles.

During this stage, graduates require development in the skills that will enable them to be valuable contributors in the organisation.  These might include programs to develop leadership, negotiation, presentation, consulting and presentation skills.  Graduates also require further skills to assist in the development of emotional intelligence.

Stage 4: Learning to soar

This stage is for the high performers, or talent, that have been identified.  Ideally, programs developed during this stage will complement an organisation’s existing talent program.  Whatever path is taken, a graduate talent program must be practical, relevant, and have outcomes that are achievable.  The program must also build on the very reason they are there – they are the identified talent within the graduate group.  Just like any other talent program, it is vitally important that selection for participation in a graduate talent program is transparent and has visible support from leaders.

Developing the right content for a graduate development program is only the beginning of an effective learning and development strategy.  The formal and informal learning environment graduates have grown up in is vastly different to the environment of any other generation.  It is vitally important to ensure the delivery methodology takes this in to account to ensure the most effective transferral of learning and create a graduate focused learning culture.