Hiring fresh graduates or juniors can be more beneficial to your business than most people think. And it’s not just because their salary demands are generally low. Young people make good hires because they’re eager to learn, see things from a different perspective and have been trained in the most recent processes and programs.

The thing is, in order to get the most out of young employees, you have to know how to motivate them. It may seem like payment for their services should be enough to get them to do their best but if you want that little bit extra, you have to earn it.

Here are three ways to encourage fresh graduates and juniors to go the extra mile for your business.

Give them regular feedback

This doesn’t mean you have to hold their hands. It simply means you have to let them know how they’re doing. You can’t just yell at them when they make a mistake and keep silent when they’re on track. They need to know they’re doing a good job and if not, how they can improve.

So, check in on your new hires once in a while. See how they’re feeling in their position, whether they have enough (or too much) work and how they feel they’re doing at their job. They can’t improve if you don’t give them constructive criticism. And, if you fail to let them know when they’re doing well, they won’t feel confident and take initiative.

Help them “adult”

It may sound weird, but these youngsters will appreciate any help they can get when it comes to navigating adult life. You don’t need to give them one-on-one advice but you could always have experts on certain subjects come into the office to give a talk. They need to know simple things like how to save for retirement and do their tax returns.

Yes, it’s not your job to raise young employees. But by providing basic financial and legal advice, they’ll stress less about these things and be more focussed on work. It also helps that they’ll feel like you care and therefore be more loyal. 

Upskill them

Nobody wants to be an intern or a junior forever. If you drop them off at their desk on their first day and leave them to complete the same tasks daily, they’ll get easily bored. As time goes by they will want to learn more so they can move up in the company. By offering them opportunities to acquire new skills, you’re showing them they have a future at your business. Whether you encourage them to take short courses or send them to workshops, it will make them feel valued and want to work harder.  

If you invest in young employees, they’ll invest in your business. It’s these simple things that can turn an average staff member into someone who constantly goes the extra mile.