Hiring an apprentice can make great business sense. Not only will your company gain a valuable new employee, but you will have the opportunity to have input into their education, based on the needs of your company.
Taking on an apprentice also gives you a potential employee who, once they have completed their studies, can become a valuable worker who will contribute to your business’s goals.
While there are clear benefits to taking on an apprentice, many businesses choose not to for a variety of reasons. For some, they believe they are unable to cover the small costs associated with hiring a new employee. Others will not be able to make the commitments necessary to oversee the completion of their apprenticeship.
So with a lot going in to the decision to recruit an apprentice, how can you be sure that it is the right choice for your company? Well here are three factors which will let you know if your business is ready to hire a new staff member.
Understand the expectations
Before taking on a new apprentice, it is important to make sure that you understand what expectations come with this commitment. Your company will be expected to provide a meaningful work environment which will equip your trainee for a future in your industry.
Having an apprentice on your staff will also place greater demands on your time. Even if you would not be directly supervising their work, make sure the ongoing expectations on your time which come with taking on new staff who require on the job training.
Make sure your business can support an apprentice
Taking on an apprentice is a big decision for your company. Not only will there be some costs associated with finding a new staff member, but you will also be committing to a new employee, potentially for a number of years.
It isn’t just financial support that you will need to consider- apprentices will also need more supervision than other workers and one of your staff will be working as their mentor, increasing the potential pressure on your workforce.
The last thing to consider is whether your business has enough ongoing work to support another employee. With very specific requirements needed to qualify for an apprenticeship, you need to be sure that your business has the variety and depth of work experience to meet the needs of an apprenticeship.
Investigate your options
While it can be easy to commit to an apprenticeship, half of the challenge is finding the right person to fit into your business. For this, it is best to look at an apprenticeship finding service. They will give you a better idea of the candidates your firm could hire and provide your company with guidance to find the right employee.
