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Why recruiting grads helps build a sustainable business

We’re constantly reading about the global war for talent, ageing populations and the need to recruit the most highly-qualified talent to maintain competitiveness.

Why recruiting grads helps build a sustainable business

Date: 20 August 2018

We’re constantly reading about the global war for talent, ageing populations and the need to recruit the most highly-qualified talent to maintain competitiveness.

A recent Manpower survey says that 45 percent of organisations globally can’t find the skills they need for their roles – up from 40% in 2017.

Lower birth rates in growing economies – along with an impending wall of baby boomer retirements – are largely to blame for this. Countries such as the United States are looking at a potential talent deficit of up to six million people by 2030. Staggering numbers like these point to the need for a continued focus on both training and retraining people to equip them with the skills required for the future of work.

Bridging the gap

Tertiary institutes in New Zealand are working hard to instil core underlying knowledge as a foundation on which to build practical experience. However, the challenge remains as to how we can bridge the gap between academia and employment. This is becoming more difficult as future digital job roles emerge.

Research and anecdotal feedback suggests we still have a large percentage of youth who are under-employed (their employment does not match their qualification and expected level of income). Watching this from a distance is a real frustration as it suggests we have so much untapped potential which could really help our economy and ultimately our quality of life.

Part of our DNA

Organisations seeking to close this employment gap and thrive in an aggressive and competitive future world of work should consider a graduate programme.

Recruiting graduates should be a long-term investment in the future and you should aim to make it part of your organisational DNA. Over time, grad programmes don’t just provide a new talent source, they offer up a steady stream of new ideas and fresh thinking that can shine a light on innovation opportunities.

A long-term mindset is essential

Having worked in and observed graduate recruitment practices across the world for over a decade, it’s always surprised me that a downturn in the market can result in a decline in graduate programmes and career opportunities. It happens here too according to Statistics New Zealand.

This suggests that organisations still operate with a very short-term mindset, focused often on tomorrow and the bottom line. Yes, we need to prioritise when times are tough to ensure sustainable business practices. However, growing recent graduates to ensure long-term industry success cannot be forgotten.

12 years of growing talent

At Assurity, our Graduate Programme is firmly embedded in our history. We recently celebrated our 13th birthday (yes, we’re a teenager now J) and we’ve run a Graduate Programme for 12 of those years.

In that time, we’ve helped grow the careers of more than 130 extremely talented individuals. Some are now coaching and supporting the next wave of graduates in our business while others are contributing positively to the New Zealand economy at a range of highly successful (often on the world’s stage) Kiwi companies.

We’re proud to have contributed positively to the growth of talented individuals across the nation. We’re also proud of other like-minded businesses who see the long-term benefits for New Zealand. Together, we can help bring our future forward.

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