David Oliva is the general manager of Organomation, a manufacturer of laboratory evaporators, based in Berlin. You may reach him at davido@organomation.com.
Updated: July 26, 2021
10 things
10 Things I know about ... Hiring and retaining college students
By David Oliva
10) Documentation. Outside of the standard job description, maintain updated guides for recurring job activities and define locations of critical digital assets to help orientation go smoothly.
9) Handshake.com. This is a great tool for employers wanting to reach out to the robust pool of talented, local students. Employers can create a free account, post a job opportunity, and advertise to several student bodies at one time.
8) Ask for help. Personnel at most educational institutions are tasked with aiding career development. Maintaining relationships with these administrators will pay dividends over time.
7) Introductions. Positive working relationships between the new hires and their team members are crucial. However, the new hire must know who to follow up with in functional areas outside of their own and those connections can blossom, with an introduction being a valuable first step.
6) Define the path forward. In an ideal world, the student intern will be an excellent fit and stay with the company after graduation. If this is a possibility, lean into this desired outcome publicly.
5) Provide flexibility. Especially during the semester, students have priorities to juggle, and bluntly, your business likely does not receive top billing. A willingness to accept attendance and schedule variability is a must. The goodwill you establish by providing time off for your employee to study for final exams is a worthy trade off.
4) Set clear expectations. Addressing problem areas such as excessive cell phone usage as early as possible can help stop undesired activities before they become established bad habits.
3) Involvement. Although the employee’s tenure with the organization could be of a limited term, they will benefit from understanding the company’s purpose and being tasked with meaningful work, which directly contributes to the firm’s mission.
2) Mentorship. Pairing the student with someone who has expertise in the same field as the student’s area of study can provide immense benefits.
1) Feedback. Whether it be praise or constructive criticism, practically everyone can benefit from hearing how they are doing. Junior employees could be less confident than their more experienced coworkers and stand to benefit from knowing what is working well and what could be improved.
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