The MHEDA Journal - Third Quarter, 2013 - (Page 56)

HUMAN HIRING RESOURCES Recruiting Young Talent BY BILL ROWAN A n ongoing challenge in our business is attracting and recruiting the younger generation into the material handling industry. And right now, there are terrific opportunities to attract younger talent to our dealerships. A significant percentage of college graduates still are not finding employment. Distributors need to take this opportunity to educate these college graduates about the material handling industry and to sell these graduates on the opportunities available in our industry. The best time to start this education and sales process is while these students are still in school and investigating what opportunities may be out there for them after graduation. There are many colleges and universities in our respective territories which provide recruiting opportunities for our dealerships. These colleges and universities are anxious to work with businesses to place their graduates. Investigate the programs within these institutions that best fit the opportunities within your dealership. Some of the programs that fit our industry include supply chain management, industrial distribution, logistics, marketing and sales. A Valuable Resource The Internet makes researching any of these programs convenient. After you identify the fields of study that match your needs, contact the career center at that campus. Explain what you are looking for, and ask for 56 MHEDA | themhedajournal.org a contact within the department you have identified. You will find both the career centers and the individual departments easy to work with and anxious to be of assistance. All programs are ultimately judged by the percentage of graduates they place in real world jobs. The career center can assist you in participating in job fairs and posting job opportunities. Reach out to the department with the program that you have identified as the best fit. Try to talk with one or more people within the department to learn more about the program. Your goal is to find a champion within the department that will assist you in the recruiting process Again, in most cases, you will find the faculty and staff very accessible and amenable to assist you in this process. Through the department you can also post job opportunities for the students in that specific program. Your champion might also make announcements in his class or send an e-mail out to all students in the program making them aware of The ideal end to an internship is that the student is a great fit for your company, excited about a career in the material handling industry and wants to join your company after graduation. your opportunity. The department can also assist in coordinating and setting up on campus interviews. In most cases the schools will provide you with a meeting room in which you can conduct the interviews. Internships An excellent way to ensure the best results in hiring young talent is a summer internship program. A well designed internship program provides value for the dealership and value for the intern. The interview process for the internship program should mirror the process for any employment opportunity in your company. An internship program establishes your dealership on campus as a career choice. And the internship provides a great forum to qualify future long term employees. You actually get to see and observe the intern interact with the other employees in the company. At the same time, the intern can be working on a project that needs to be completed and can guarantee a quick return on your investment. The internship should be well thought out to be of maximum benefit to your company and to the intern. A rotational experience, where the intern spends some time in each department of your dealership, offers the greatest value and experience to the intern. Keep in mind that the goal of the intern is to learn as much about your company and our industry to determine if they would like to pursue a career in the material http://www.themhedajournal.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The MHEDA Journal - Third Quarter, 2013

President’s Perspective
From the Desk of Liz Richards
Ask Your Board
MHEDA Member Profile
At Work
Happy Anniversary!
Implementing a Successful Internship Program
The Value of Being a MHEDA Member
Convention 2013 Recap
Exploring the Equity to Sales Ratio in the Equipment Industry
Professional Skills for Material Handling Distributor Sales Managers
Recruiting Young Talent
Increase Your Engagement & Balance Your Life
Emerging Leaders Conference
New Members
Spotlight on Association News
MHEDA University Calendar
MHEDA Milestones
New Products
Index of Advertisers by Product Category

The MHEDA Journal - Third Quarter, 2013