Enriching fresh talent in micro, small and medium enterprises

EVER VERY year, thousands of fresh graduates from all over the Philippines hope to enter the work force. How come most choose to work in big corporations instead of building their careers in a small business? How can the MSME industry market itself to attract them and also trim the ranks of the jobless?

Approximately 2.4 million Filipinos were unemployed last year. At the same time, there were 896,839 MSMEs who could have provided multiple jobs.

Every company naturally wants to hire fresh talent to help the business grow amid changing adaptability are fresh graduates.

A recent Jobstreet Philippines survey found that fresh graduates employees on the corporate ladder. Most yearn for humbling ex- periences and raw opportunities to contribute valuable progress to the company. This proves that jobs often offered by MSMEs are most suitable, so allow me to offer some best practices on how MSMEs can appeal and market themselves to fresh graduates.

Build brand awareness

I personally know a huge number of graduating students and newly- employed workers who are willing to work for startup MSMEs but are clueless on where

to approach them. Participating in college or university career fairs as well as sponsoring organizational events is a great way of increasing your business’ visibility. By joining these activities, you will be able to build your brand and relationship with students, putting you top of mind when they start looking for career opportunities.

Make an impact

When given the chance to deliver a career talk to graduating students, be sure to make an impact. Back when I used to attend company talks and seminars while in university, I would see a lot of students becoming bored midway. Many companies fail to meet expectations because of a lack of enthusiasm or lack of creativity in their delivery. Students nowadays are often attracted to inspiring talks that make them dream big. Think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to be a little more casual in your approach when presenting.

Grasp their curiosity

People are born to be inquisitive creatures, especially graduating students who have the enthusiasm and energy to explore unfamiliar things. Letting them see the opportunities that they can exploit will enlarge their appetite for learning. As a bonus for some, it could also awaken their competitiveness, making them break barriers and exceed expectations.