At the TalentED YYC Summer Social: Navigating Successful Student Engagement on August 22nd, guests were treated to signature cocktails, appetizers, and a unique panel discussion comprised of students, employers, and student placement representatives from post-secondary institutions.
The engaging panel discussion focused on the secrets to harnessing the full potential of student talent within an organization. Attendees networked and explored the dynamic possibilities of student engagement. Each panelist communicated tips from their unique perspective and gave the audience actionable takeaways.
How do you make a student project impactful?
Devise impactful projects that allow students to see and work in many different parts of the organization. Projects that work across other functions of your organization help students contribute to the team, they also help students learn about their strengths within your organization.
Assign students a project with a start, middle, and end. This gives your organization a finished product and the team a sense of accomplishment.
How do you make work meaningful for students, your team, and your organization?
Remember: Students will not talk about what they did; they talk about who they worked with.
How you and your organization connect and build relationships with students will impact your brand perception with the next generation of talent.
What would you say to employers who are hesitant to work with students?
Hosting a student is more accessible and less time-consuming than you think. Students foster mentorship and supervisory skills amongst current staff. They also add enormous excitement, energy, and passion to a team. They provide a unique perspective on processes and new ideas for innovation.
What do you wish employers knew about hiring/working with students?
Bringing on a student is not limited to a co-op or internship. Work integrated learning (WIL) brings a learner into your work environment in ways that align with your organization. Your team may want help with a project, need research conducted, or require fieldwork. You can quickly see where student learners can add value by defining your organizational and team needs.
How do you make a student feel like a valued team member?
Make time and foster a space that encourages personal connections. Ensure students know they can be themselves at work and take time to get to know who they are as individuals. This encourages open sharing and a free flow of new ideas and perspectives.
Pair students with a buddy in your organization. Someone in a parallel role that will help decrease uncertainty in the workplace. This buddy will answer questions and show the student your organization’s cultural nuances.
Have people across your organization reach out (especially in a remote environment) to students and give them the independence to learn and grow. Empower students to contribute to the organization in new ways that may not have been considered before.
These takeaways are just some actionable suggestions the panelists provided at the Summer Social. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about upcoming TalentED YYC events.
Are you considering hosting a student in your organization? The TalentED YYC team is here to help your organization navigate student engagement. We will assist you at every step and have digital resources to help with your student engagement journey.
The secret to harnessing the full potential of student talent within your organization is working with TalentED YYC.
Connect with our team today at [email protected] and start the conversation.
