Inspire Me. Challenge Me. Believe in Me.

I recently read an article from Josh Letourneau, who is the owner of LG and Associates, a strategic sourcing, executive search and human capital intelligence firm based in Atlanta. Letourneau offers some insight to employers, especially those that are big on embracing development programs for recent college graduates.

Letourneau states that recent college graduates thrive in changing environments. Many employers have set in place development programs that train and expose recent graduates to various roles within a company, and while these programs are resourceful and useful for the recent graduate, he or she is not necessarily loyal to the company by the end of the program. Letourneau further discusses that his company works “to woo them away; to ‘accelerate their career path’”.

I definitely agree with Letourneau, and I found two things about his article very intriguing. First, as a member of the Millennial generation, I can attest to Letourneau’s assertions that we thrive and love changing environments in our workplace. Second, I think this article provides insight for hiring managers and employers.

My former company had a similar type of development program in place, where they trained qualified recent graduates in a five-year management development training program. The program was expensive and thus, individuals were required to remain at the company for the entire five years. However, as soon as those five years were up, it was very common for those trained and tested individuals to explore new opportunities.

I guess that makes me question why we do this. Are we that fickle as individuals?

Being part of the Millennial generation, I suppose the answer is no. I believe we are still trying to understand our career goals and are slowly becoming acquainted with the long-term roles we see ourselves doing. We are always looking for a better opportunity because, in most cases, we are driven and view the sky as the limit. I actually believe this way of thinking is great! I think I speak for most of my driven peers when I proclaim that we are young, talented, smart, ambitious and ready to excel and stand out! Employers should appreciate this article’s insight and develop strategies and techniques to hang on to us.

Employers know what we want and what environments their recent college graduates thrive in. If not, I would recommend reading event planning intern, Kate Scozzaro’s post titled: “6 Things You Should Know about Managing Millenials.”

Employers should implement changes in their workplace to accommodate for these recent graduates. Letourneau touches on the cost associated with hiring new employees and everyone knows that it is much less expensive to retain a current employee than extensively train—most likely through a development program—and hire a brand new one.

I love my internship with Come Recommended because the projects are constantly changing, and Heather keeps the workplace environment very engaging and Millennial generation friendly. For example, Heather does not micromanage us, but instead allows us to be our own project leaders in our particular roles. The driven environment also enables me to feel challenged because I’m always thinking of possible strategic partners or sponsors that will take Come Recommended to the next level. Lastly, Heather respects all her interns and is flexible with them in terms of projects and deadlines. Being respected in a workplace is so crucial to an employee’s work ethic and the overall workplace environment, and has the potential to foster strong ties and company loyalty.

Overall, I highly recommended employees and recent graduates alike take a good, long, look at this article to get you thinking, as well!