10 Things I Know About....Hiring Teenagers
10. Establish rapport.
A first job can be an intimidating and even scary thing. It’s important to establish a level of comfort with your new teenage employee and help him or her feel like part of the team.
9. First, establish ground rules.
Talk about expectations, including attendance, punctuality, dress code and other “workplace culture” norms. It’s important to make sure you and your teen employee are on the same page.
8. Find their learning style.
Do they learn by doing? Do they need to take notes? Do they need you to demonstrate procedures? Finding out your new employee’s learning style is key to ensuring they understand their new tasks.
7. Have an open-door policy
Your new employee is going to have questions, that’s inevitable. But they should feel comfortable asking. Make sure they know that your door is always open.
6. Learn their goals.
This will help you understand what they’re looking to gain from the job. It will also help you figure out what types of projects will be a good fit for them.
5. They can offer insight.
Your teen employee represents one of the fastest-growing demographics: youth. Tap into that resource when you test a new product line, website, etc., and gain valuable insight.
4. Play to their strengths.
Teens will usually be doing most of the learning, but remember that there are opportunities for you to learn from them as well, especially with technology.
3. Find teachable moments.
Youth development is a long-term process and change doesn’t always occur in one direction. There will be setbacks, and these failures can be used as a powerful opportunity for growth.
2. They’re all different.
Just like all employees, each teen you hire will be completely different and have varying strengths and weaknesses.
1. You can make a difference.
This is the most important thing to know about hiring a youth. Think back to your first boss and how much you learned from him or her — about workand life.
Jeffrey Turgeon is executive director of the Central Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board of Worcester, a public-private partnership that develops and implements strategies for job readiness and skills advancement.
WBJ Web Partners
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