Finding the right talent has always been an important topic for companies – particularly in recent times many employers have looked at different and innovative ways to attract younger generations. Contributor Paul Martin, Head of IT at Graham&Brown
In comparison to their parents, Gen Y and Z are striving to find a job with purpose and a business where their voice can be heard. From an employer perspective, getting younger employees on board is vital to ensure the company stays ahead of time and get the skills they need in order to build strength against competitors.
But is there a particular way to attract young talents from university? Recent studies show that graduates today are more critical when it comes to finding the right job after their studies – vice versa, it has also become increasingly difficult to find someone with the right skills who would fit into your company culture. Therefore, companies today have to demonstrate their will to develop and invest in young talent.
Leading wallpaper and paint manufacturer Graham&Brown have proved what it means to work on a truly innovative project that merges investing in new talent and in emerging technology. With the aim to deliver first-class customer experience, they developed the first AR app to visualise pattern and colour on the wall.
Paul Martin, Head of IT at Graham&Brown, explains what it means to be working on an innovation project with young adults: “Using a bright team of skilled, enthusiastic interns provided the ideal way of achieving a rewarding and exploratory project whilst providing the interns with invaluable work experience.”
With the aim to try something different this year and to give young talent the opportunity to work on emerging technology, this app project was assisted by post-graduate Andrew from Bolton. Andrew holds a BSc in Computer Games Technology from Salford University and joined the team after his successful internship at Graham&Brown, during which he worked on the Mixed Reality Tour, a brand experience installation he and three other interns from Blackburn College realised for the brand’s House of Wallpaper event in London last year.
As innovation projects usually come with low risks, these could be the ideal starting point for taking on interns and teaching them the tools your business is using internally. Another benefit of these projects: interns are able to think outside of the box, share their knowledge with you and learn the business skills needed in your company.
When asked about his experience at Graham&Brown, Andrew explained: “The reaction to the app from the business, and most importantly our customers, gave me a new-found confidence in my abilities. The project involved a lot of team effort, hard work and determination to get the app in the store within 16 weeks. I feel extremely lucky to be involved in a project containing the latest augmented technology and even more so to be surrounded with the right team.”
Picking the right intern may be difficult – Paul Martin said he chose Andrew because of his portfolio that showcased his previous experience from other work placements and his interest in the innovation project. However, when looking for new talent, Paul says he’s always looking for “someone who can think differently about problems, can work well in a team or a pair and isn’t afraid to ask questions. The tech skills can be picked up relatively quickly.”
