Management Trainee Programme Success Signals Increased Demand For Young Talent
JacksonGrant hired to expand trainee recruitment programme for global food retailer.
In my last blog, I shared a success story about a very big, complex, high-stakes special project. It involved screening several hundred applicants for a prestigious management trainee programme with a well-known global company. The client is a household name in retail food sales and a high-volume F & B wholesale distributor.
Our high-profile client was so satisfied with the young talent that JacksonGrant provided in Q1 for the management training programme, that they came back and asked us to continue recruiting for this project all year long. Many of the fresh graduates and young professionals who were accepted as trainees have since signed contracts and are now working as permanent staff.
Searching For Management Trainees
In response to our client’s request, we are expanding our recruiting efforts in Q2 and casting a wider net for promising young management candidates for the trainee programme. I have added more staff, and my team at JacksonGrant is now carefully reviewing around 80 CVs per day from hopeful applicants.
We are looking for candidates under 26 years old, with a university education, from anywhere in Thailand. To be considered, candidates must be able to work upcountry and be willing to travel up to six days per week.
If you happen to know a recent university graduate or a sharp, ambitious young professional, please share this article with them. The deadline to submit your resume is 31 May. If you, or someone you know is interested, you may submit your CV via email to: management_trainee@jacksongrant.io
Candidate Selection Process
There are several steps to the trainee selection process. It’s quite rigorous, because our client is looking for candidates who will become long-term employees, on a track to management positions. Applicants must pass an online aptitude test and psychological evaluation before reaching the preliminary interview stage.
Candidates who are short-listed by JacksonGrant will then be invited to our client’s HR assessment centre, where their problem-solving, leadership skills, and teamwork abilities will be evaluated in group sessions. Applicants who pass this HR evaluation stage will be granted a final interview with the client’s HR team and senior management.
The Bigger Picture For Recruitment And The Labour Market
This trainee programme is emblematic of some wider trends I am observing in HR and recruitment post-Covid.
When the pandemic subsided, people returned to their normal lives, and HR departments at big organisations started gearing up to restore their workforce to previous levels. This management trainee search is part of that overall effort.
Compared to the pre-covid era, we’ve seen some organisations modify their hiring strategies. More chances are available now for fresh graduates and less experienced talent. This is creating a lot more new opportunities at the entry-level position.
Give The Youth A Chance
Many new graduates are proving to large corporations that they are responsible, capable workers. Our client has been very satisfied with the performance of the first wave of management trainees.
They are asking for more of the same kind of people, with the anticipation that fresh grads can be developed and groomed to rise through the ranks of the organisation and become a real asset to management.
Positive Feedback
Our client has found that Gen Z employees have a unique character that comes from being born and raised in the digital age. They easily adopt and adapt to new technology and are internet-savvy. This new generation of trainees is proving to be assertive, comfortable expressing their opinions, highly energetic, and quick learners. The skill sets and psychological profiles we have identified are a good fit, and our client is hungry for more bright young talent.
High-powered energy is required in some fields, such as sales and production creative work. New graduates have the required abundance of energy to learn, and grow. When they are assigned a task, this group of ambitious Gen Z’ers will work tirelessly to demonstrate their ability to complete it.
Promising Outlook For More Trainees
Many organisations are presently seeking out new graduates for entry-level positions. Our client is looking for a new crop of management trainees to hire each year. Selected candidates will be carefully trained and closely evaluated during their six-month initial trial work period, to see where they will best fit in as full-time staff.
Every quarter this year we will conduct another round of trainee searches, evaluations and interviews. By the end of the year, we expect to place around 400 applicants into temporary positions – in finance, operations, supply & logistics, and marketing. About 10 percent of these will be offered contracts for full-time roles, in what we all hope will be the start of a long and prosperous career with our client. There will be a clear path for career advancement for these promising new talents.
Advice For Applicants
Don’t be shy to apply for positions that are not necessarily related to your university degree. Employers are more flexible than you may think. Your character is often a more valuable asset than academic credentials.
Our client is looking for the following qualities: punctuality and reliability, adaptability, resilience, and a positive attitude. Candidates should do their best to highlight these characteristics when they reach the interview stage.
Don’t worry about whether you have experience in a particular field; the company will train you. Remember, we are looking for the right people as much as the right skill set.
We will continue this management trainee recruiting programme throughout the year. Two more rounds will follow after the May 31st deadline, so keep coming back to this website for more updates on how and when to apply for the next round.
