Hiring an apprentice might seem similar to hiring a regular employee. However, there could be subtle differences that a hiring manager will do well to understand. An apprentice, while not necessarily gifted with academic qualifications, comes with skills that are symbiotic to the job – current skills drive the job performance and more time spent on the job drives the skills up.
A hiring manager would rely on an on-job skills assessment to assess not just the suitability of an apprentice for a job but also the apprentice’s learnability. What recruiters and employers need to focus on are different behavioural traits that make them suitable for the apprenticeship program and the organization in the long run. Businesses also need to understand what an apprentice can bring to the table and how it can benefit the organization? While it is a no-brainer that apprentices can learn new skills, businesses can benefit too from hiring apprentices.
Also Read: An HR checklist while interviewing an apprentice
Building the future workforce
Hiring apprentices and skilling them appropriately gives organizations a chance to serve the society, build the future workforce, and contribute positively to the country’s economy. By hiring an apprentice, an organisation gives them the first taste of work.
Passion and zeal to succeed
While relevant skills are important to assess, a hiring manager would also look for soft skills such as the zeal and enthusiasm to learn and succeed. While skills can be taught through hands-on and on-the-job training, passion and enthusiasm should come from within and be self-driven.
Benefits to an organisation
Having apprentices has multifold benefits for an organisation. The first and foremost is to have resources who are high on energy, enthusiastic about the work, have the passion to learn, and of course, they come at a stipend that is regulated by the government, at times, at levels that most organisations can well afford.
At India Apprenticeship Forum, we would like to understand what best practices your organisation adapts. Do share your thoughts in the comments section.
