Bringing young workers on board

To find the right young staff, it’s a good idea to adapt your interview style and process. Here are some tips for successful interviews:

• For young people not used to talking to employers, put them at ease with an information session first, or suggest they bring along a support person, eg a parent.
• Use text messages to communicate before the interview — many people do not respond to phone calls from an unknown number. Text messages often increase the number of people that respond.
• To find out about their skills, eg leadership and communication, ask about what they’ve done in sports and for the community. Young people assume that you only want to know about their work experience. However they may be able to demonstrate key skills through their community work or sports teams if prompted. 
• Give them a specific checklist of things to talk about or include in their cover letter, eg specific experience and skills. 
• If you don’t hire them, give them clear feedback on their CV and the interview to help them on their job search. 

Employment New Zealand has a guide with tips and practical advice to help you find, hire and develop young staff. It also explains what government support is available. You can find more resources, information and a new youth-focused page on the Employment New Zealand website.

Download the guide (external link) — Employment New Zealand
Hiring young people (external link) — Employment New Zealand

If you’ve hired a young person, remember it could be their first experience of full-time, part-time or casual work. If they’ve come straight from school, they’ll likely be used to having very structured days and direct instructions. To help them adapt and be productive, be clear about what you expect from them, eg to show initiative and in what areas.

It’s also a good idea to:

• explain your culture and values when you’re inducting them
• assign a buddy or mentor to guide them through the settling-in period
• give them feedback and have regular check-ins
• ask for honest feedback about things they’re enjoying or not enjoying, and any challenges
• understand their background — they may have family responsibilities that could impact on work, eg helping relatives in need.