Welcome to the world of work

Whatever their background or route to employment, your apprentices and graduates are going to need support to make the most of their opportunity. And we don’t just mean by teaching them how to do their job, but by supporting them to transition into their new life in a healthy way that benefits their wellbeing.

Be prepared

They’re about to walk through the door. Are you ready? It sounds so obvious we’re almost embarrassed to write it. But when you realise eight out of 10 staff who quit jobs are new starters, it’s really important to get those first few weeks right for your newbie.

ACAS, a leading authority on workplace relationships and effectiveness, recommend a tailored induction. And remember, as early careers talent have limited work experience they're going to need more information than other new hires.

What seem like small gestures can make a big difference. Make sure they get a warm welcome, introduce them to their colleagues and take time to catch up and see how they’re getting on.

Provide a mentor

Your new starters might benefit from being partnered up with a mentor, especially at the start of their career. The encouragement, guidance and support of a mentor can accelerate their professional development. Providing them with someone other than their line manager to call on for support can also boost their personal development and wellbeing.

Mentoring can be a powerful development opportunity for your employees, so it can have multiple benefits in your business. At Outward Bound we’ve helped cohorts of apprentices and graduates develop coaching and feedback skills so that they can buddy up with new starters. Could this work for you?

Managing money

Managing money can be tricky. And this might be the first time they've had a regular income. The Money Advice Service finds that most young adults entering the workplace would welcome tips and guidance. In an ideal world, young adults should apply a 50-30-20 rule for budgeting, with 50% of income on necessities, 30% on savings and 20% on luxuries. But there’s often a tension between living in the moment and saving for the future.

We spotted construction firm Hinkley Point C in the news last month – they offer a programme of support for apprentices including advice on money management and gambling that sounded incredibly positive.

Relationships

Building positive relationships with work colleagues can really help your early career talent’s transition.

One of the New Economics Foundation's (NEF) Five Ways to Wellbeing is Connect. Investing time in building connections with colleagues is part of this.

• We talk more about NEF's research in our free report: Young People's Mental Health and Wellbeing: Connecting to Nature. You can download it here.
• Mind, the mental health charity, also suggests practical ways to include the Five Ways to Wellbeing in your daily life at work.

If you're not convinced about the benefits - take a look at our case story. The Maritime Education Foundation developed an induction programme to help their early careers build their internal support network. It worked - boosting their retention rates by 43%.