At work

The world of work is new for many students. An orientation or induction program can pay off handsomely by helping students to understand the norms and behaviours that are expected in your workplace.

Just because students work part-time and seasonally doesn't mean that they should be treated any differently from your regular full-time adult employees. In fact, as one of the first employers of these young people, you will have a lasting impact on how they approach work now and throughout the rest of their careers. There are a few simple practices to get things off to a good start:

Making your new employee feel welcome

• It is important to the student worker that they feel welcome and expected when they arrive at the workplace. Where applicable, try to have nametags and uniforms ready and available or reserve a locker in the staff room. These small touches will immediately set the student at ease and make him or her ready to focus on the job.
• During the interview process, ask students about their non-work experiences; it can reveal a lot about the sort of person they are and the kind of employee they will be.

Induction

• For many students, the world of work is new. An orientation or induction program can pay off handsomely by helping students to understand the norms and behaviours that are expected in your workplace.
• Big picture development in young workers is key to their success later in their careers. By helping student employees understand why they're doing what they're doing, supervisors can show how each task contributes to the overall mission of the organisation. Students feel a sense of belonging when they can see how their work impacts on the work of others.
• If your business takes on a number of student workers at once, an orientation day can be a good way of building a solid cohort of colleagues from day one. Friendships will develop that will assist in team building in the future.

Procedures manuals

• Students are reluctant to ask too many questions when they first start a new job. An induction or procedures manual can head off many of the questions they have. Either provide each student with a copy or indicate where a copy can be found in the workplace.

Regular Feedback and Coaching

• Generation Y employees have been raised on a diet of constant feedback and reinforcement. It is important to these employees to hear how they are going on a regular basis. Don't wait for an annual review to give praise or take corrective action as required.

Consistency

• Students need supervisors who are organised and can provide structure for the work that needs to be done. Providing clear and concise expectations and remaining consistent with those expectations lets students know where they stand with respect to their performance.

Goal Setting/Performance Reviews

• As an employer, you have a powerful impact on how students will respond to work in the future. Many students are goal-oriented. Setting goals at the outset can help focus performance on the results you are looking for. Goals need to be clear – students need to be shown the target if they have any chance of hitting the mark.
• Because the world of work is new to many students, they will be looking for reassurance that they are meeting expectations. A twice-yearly or annual performance review is a usual practice when employing young people.

Role Development and Advancement

• As students, your young employees are constantly learning and developing. In order to make the most of their potential, the roles they fill should develop according to their new skill levels and interests. Even though the job might not change, students who have been employed for longer periods can be given increased responsibility for projects or for supervising younger employees. By keeping students challenged you are more likely to retain them as loyal employees and less likely to loss them to a competitor who offers a small pay rise.

Source: Labrecque, K. "Supervising Student Employees", Paper submitted to PACRAO Annual Conference, 2006.