4 Ways to Help Your Entry-Level Hires Thrive in the Workplace

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I like hiring entry-level people for the companies I manage. We select them to be willing, high-achieving and modest people. Then, we provide continuous coaching and feedback to train them into excellent junior managers. After that, we monitor their progress and promote them as appropriate. It takes time to make this flywheel work, but I believe that the effort is worthwhile. Companies built with capable teams like this become strong and stable perpetual growth engines.

Not every person we select becomes a winner, however. Statistically, even the best recruiters succeed only half the time. Based on my observation, folks who don’t work out in our system overwhelmingly struggle with the transition from school to the workplace. So much so that I’ve compiled a list of four resets that entry-level workers need to successfully complete in order to become a great bet for your company. Each quote is one I have personally said to someone.

1. “You’re not the star anymore.”

Every student is the star of their own education. Their work is their own work, their grades are theirs only, and the degree they earn is theirs alone. In a company, everyone is part of an organization that is trying to achieve goals together. Each person is a contributor to a team. What matters most is that the customer is satisfied. New recruits who get this excel. They lose their ego and become open to corrective feedback. They focus on the things that help the team win, and they rapidly progress.

2. “Little details are big deals.”

Entry-level people often come in with the sense that what they do doesn’t matter very much. So, when they sometimes forget to dot the proverbial i or cross the proverbial t, they may feel ashamed, but ultimately, they think it doesn’t matter all that much. But some of these little details are really big deals! Screwing up a zero as a data entry clerk may mean the company pays $100,000 for rent instead of $10,000 or that the client’s engagement ring gets sent to 100 Park Avenue instead of 1000 Park Avenue. People who realize that excellence must begin at the base of the organization take that sense of caring straight on up.

3. “It’s not about the money, yet.”

We offer a standard company rate for entry-level employees. Some folks try to negotiate for an extra couple of grand, and we say no because it would be unfair to everyone else to break the norm. These conversations rarely come to me, but some people do choose to not join our teams because we don’t match their other offer. That’s okay.

The best entry-level jobs afford one the opportunity to learn. Does the role give you access to good projects and continuous feedback? Do you get exposure to a diverse cross-section of the team and the clients? Are there opportunities for advancement if you perform well? If the role is one where the answer to all three is YES, that beats the extra $3,000 a year by a country mile. If people prefer the cash, I respect that. But we need people who share these early career values with us.

4. “Professional identity is a thing.”

I can’t tell you the number of times an entry-level person has told me that they’re scared to do a task they’ve never tried. My response? “Been there. How can we help your professional self overcome your fears and biases?” Who you are in the default mode doesn’t need to be who you are at work. It shouldn’t. You’re on the team to play an important role; you can’t just show up willy-nilly.

Just as plenty of introverts become excellent stage actors, and nerdy Clark Kent becomes heroic Superman, early career people need to hone their strengths and whittle away their weaknesses to become true professionals. We’re asking the very best version of people to show up for us and help the company succeed. Those who are successful with our teams manage themselves to do just that. And in return, we take excellent care of them.

Here’s a little bonus tip: Entry-level people who are coming in from an academic experience crave structured feedback. Why wouldn’t they? They are accustomed to getting their assignments graded, quizzes and tests to check their interim progress and term grades that confirm their performance. While it’s unrealistic for a company to provide new recruits with that level of feedback, a program of organized evaluations will hold the mirror up in a way they understand and will respond to. Even if it’s as straightforward as a quarterly sit down to formally discuss how your newest people are doing on the dimensions your company cares about, something is way better than nothing.

Early career professionals often show up a little raw yet full of potential. These four resets and some good feedback will have them on their way to becoming professionals that you and your organization can count on.