Calvin Yeung
People Development Manager
WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff
From the get-go, Yeung emphasised how the solutions presented can be implemented in any company, not just one with management support and lots of money. WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff has been involved in numerous high-profile construction projects over the years, which has given them a unique insight in how to deal with new hires and talent retention.
Over the last three years, almost half of new hires have been fresh graduates. This presents a lot of challenges for an organisation, according to Yeung. “We’re not teaching them how to be staff, or how to be talents. There’s a strong emphasis on informal learning.”
So where do graduates go to learn how to be staff? New graduates turn to TV series, movies and the internet for information, according to Yeung. This begs the question, is this where we want them to learn how to be staff?
Yeung answers with a clear ‘no’. It is in every company’s best interest to develop training that teaches fresh graduates how to be good employees. For example, lectures, mini-exercises and team building workshops allow them to experience daily professional life in a relaxed setting. Doing well in the exercises allows grads access to the workshop.
Over the course, Yeung’s company teaches the grads how to make the transition from student to professional, allowing them to develop themselves into high-functioning employees. The presented results looked promising, with turnover rates dropping year on year after implementation.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
