Not all businesses love the idea of hiring apprentices; many see them as a nuisance or even a liability, but that is often due to the preconceived ideas they have about apprentices and their expectations of them. In reality, apprentices in your organisation could turn into very valuable assets and save you a lot of time and money. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of hiring apprentices.
Building Homegrown Talent
Being able to give an apprentice their first chance is something that they will remember. Also, being able to form them in your organisation will mean that you’ll have someone well versed and familiar with its processes. This is pretty much all that they know, and having a good number of prior apprentices on the floor will make your team more efficient. It will also turn them into ambassadors and they’ll be more loyal to your organisation, as long as you treat them properly, of course.
Another benefit is that you’ll be hiring employees when they’re the most enthusiastic and excited about the job. This is also why you should work on delivering on these expectations.
Reduce Strain on HR
Another benefit of working with apprentices is that you’ll make HR’s job that much easier. You’ll have a steady supply of fresh talent in your company, and will be able to evaluate their potential on the floor instead of using hypotheticals in interviews.
The sad part is that so many great prospects do very poorly in interviews and many poor employees have mastered the art of fooling employers. Having them on the floor is a great way to see if they’re a right fit, not only talent-wise but with your culture as well.
To get those benefits, however, you have to use the proper resources. We suggest you check out Employing an Apprentice right now if you’re looking for one. It will give you all the basics on how to find great candidates, but also more on the benefits of hiring them. They also have information on government schemes and funding opportunities that will allow you to get even more benefits and reduce your overall costs.
Find Specific Skills
Being able to see someone at work is also important if you’re trying to fill gaps for specific skills. Good specialists are hard to find and screen for. Hiring apprentices will allow you to evaluate their skills on the floor and accelerate your search.
New Ideas
Businesses also tend to think that apprentices are the only ones that have something to learn from the relationship. However, an apprentice could introduce you to new concepts. Apprentices will have the most up to date formation and could help fill knowledge gaps. They could also help bring a new perspective and new ways to solve old problems.
These are all reasons why all organisations should at least consider hiring apprentices. They can be extremely valuable, so don’t assume that they’re the only ones that have something to gain.
