Having worked extensively in the food industry we were given the opportunity to deliver services further down the supply chain to a leading international food packaging machinery company, Multivac.
Multivac had become increasingly frustrated by the decreasing market for experienced talent within their industry, having made a conscious decision to grow their own people they now needed to partner with an organisation to provide the expertise and ability to deliver result.
Multivac also recognised the additional benefits a graduate could bring to their commercial function, by recruiting graduates from a technical or engineering discipline.
ATTRACTION
Although a leading name within the industry, Multivac were unknown within the graduate market place. Discovery Graduates provided an advertising and database search approach to generating interest in the Graduate sales engineer opportunities.
RECRUITMENT
By working to a tried and tested formula of telephone interview, first round assessment, psychometric profiling and aptitude testing and final client assessment, Discovery Graduates were able to deliver two engineering graduates ready and raring to go, keen to learn about the industry and how to be successful in sales.
DEVELOPMENT
Discovery Graduates didn’t just stop there, once the graduates had undertaken a induction and bedding in period with Multivac they were enrolled on to the Discovery Graduates Sales Winners programme to develop the commercial and sales skills that would progress them forward in the role.
The feedback, from two initially sceptical engineers was very positive. (see testimonial)
RETENTION
Retention is not just about what you do with a graduate once they come on board, it has to go back as far as the initial attraction and selection.
By making sure you are going after the right type of graduates in the first place and setting expectations early on about the highs and lows of the of the role (and real life working world in general); then graduates are more open about what to expect.
Discovery Graduates continues to work with Multivac to provide additional support and coaching services for both the graduates in their first roles and dealing with all the trials and tribulations that come with them (moving house, setting up new social networks, being accepted by colleagues etc.) and also the managers who are dealing with graduates for the first time, and how best to communicate with them.