get mobile tapping into european talent
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Finding and Hosting a Work Placement from Europe: Best Practice Guide for SMEsTRANSCRIPT
GET mobileTapping into European Talent
Finding and Hosting a Work Placement from Europe: Best Practice Guide for SMEs
www.getmobileproject.eu
Design and layoutHugsmiðjan, 2012
www.hugsmidjan.is
This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. This
publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held
responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
3www.getmobileproject.eu
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................5
2. Placement programmes in Europe ............................................................................................6
3. How could hosting a placement benefit your SME? ...............................................................8
4. Providing a female-friendly placement environment ..........................................................10
5. Cultural implications of hosting a placement trainee ..........................................................12
6. How to choose the trainee that’s right for your SME ..........................................................14
7. Hosting a placement trainee – before your trainee starts .................................................16
8. Hosting a placement trainee – the first few weeks ..............................................................19
9. Hosting a placement trainee - support and monitoring .....................................................20
10. Hosting a placement trainee – evaluation and follow-up ...................................................22
4
Organisations involved in Get Mobile:
This guidebook is the first of these support tools for SMEs. We aim to provide a basic introduction to finding and
hosting a placement, and to de-mystify the process for SMEs. You can also use this handbook as a useful guide
to refer to throughout the process of hosting a placement trainee, to make sure you both get the best out of
the opportunity.
Register on the Get Connected Zone to meet other companies like yourself and share experiences, as well as
hearing from companies who’ve hosted a placement before. You can post your placement vacancy and look
through potential candidates who might just be the answer to supporting your SME with activities whilst
providing an amazing career experience for a recent graduate.
The Directorate of LaborIceland
www.vinnumalastofnun.is
Militos Emerging Technologies & Services
Greece
www.militos.org
Pentaş IncTurkey
www.pendikkisgem.org
Inova ConsultancyBritain
www.inovaconsult.com
VHTO - Women in ScienceHolland
www.vhto.nl
CLPItaly
www.clpge.it
5www.getmobileproject.eu
1. Introduction
In this handbook you can get practical information on how to find out about hosting a placement
trainee in your SME. We’ll take you through each step from advertising and recruitment to managing
the placement trainee whilst at your organisation.
Get Mobile is a European initiative involving a group of organisations in the UK, the Netherlands,
Greece, Italy, Iceland and Turkey, working together to inspire and encourage greater European
mobility of female graduates in BS (Business and science), especially those who are unemployed or
under-employed, as well as encouraging more SMEs to host these graduates.
We’re producing 3 key tools to support SMEs in finding out more about hosting a placement trainee and to encourage more SMEs to host a placement trainee from abroad: 1. Best Practice Guide for European SMEs on
Finding and Hosting a Work Placement: a
Guidebook for SMEs about the process of
hosting a placement student from abroad.
2. Business Briefing Workshops: we’ll be holding
practical information workshops about how to
host a placement trainee from abroad. The
workshops will include information regarding
selection of trainees, costs involved, the
cultural implications, support for the trainee
and an introduction to the online Get
Connected Zone.
3. Get Connected Zone: an online initiative/
platform bringing female graduates and
SMEs together from across Europe. SMEs can
register to advertise a placement vacancy to
the graduate members of the zone.
Get Mobile works with two main groups: 1. SMEs (especially microbusiness with less than
5 employees)
2. Female graduates in Business, Science and
Technology
Traditionally, SMEs and microbusinesses are much
less likely to make use of the potentially valuable
source of innovation and creativity that European
female graduates undertaking a placement
period could provide. We’re working to change
this, showing SMEs the benefits of taking on a
placement trainee, and supporting them with the
process of recruiting and hosting a placement
trainee from abroad.
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2. Placement programmes in Europe
Mobility/Placement programmes in EuropeMobility is the term most commonly used by the European Commission to refer to people going abroad from
one country to another to work with an organisation for an agreed period of time. Sometimes this is also known
as a placement, internship or traineeship. Mobility of people is a key priority for the EU.
The European Commission promotes mobility programmes supporting placements (periods designed for
training purposes, spent in work environments where trainees are actively involved in work processes) abroad
for a number of different beneficiaries (e.g. students, graduates, potential entrepreneurs). Trainees can apply
for specific programmes that cover their costs for going on placement abroad in Europe. Placements can take
place in any organisation with legal status in Europe. SMEs might also receive applications from individuals who
are self-funding their placement and so are not linked with any EC programme.
Company in BritainMy name is Eric Wijmenga and I am the director of Intercambio, an
educational agency in Sheffield.
We recently hosted our first international graduate in 2011, but we needed
a graduate with good language skills to help us process enquires from overseas
clients and deal with administration. The main requirements were flexibility and interest
toward the business sector as well as the role which had been newly created in the organization.
The experience was extremely positive and we were very impressed with how the graduate helped us deliver
our services and developed into a very strong all-around member of the team. Hosting a European graduate
made a huge difference in the day to day running of our business and I would recommend this experience to
other SMEs as well. I also learned a great deal about myself and my management skills and responsibilities,
making this a mutually beneficial learning experience”.
What does a mobility placement involve?Depending on which funding programme the
trainee accesses, placement periods can range
from between 1 month and 12 months (length is
defined before departure) in an organisation in
any of the 27 member states as well as in Croatia,
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and
Turkey.
Tasks to be performed by the trainees during their
placement period vary according to their education
and experience as well as the host organisation’s
requirements. You can outline what particular
skills and activities you are looking for from a
placement trainee. All this data and information
is part of a “Training Agreement” prepared
between the trainee and your organisation so that
expectations are clear for both sides before the
placement trainee arrives. Placement trainees do
need sufficient support and management during
their placement period as it is often their first
experience of work. As an SME, this may be one
of your main concerns, in terms of the time and
resources this takes. This guide aims to help you
through the process so that it can be as smooth
a process as possible and that the benefits from
having a placement will outweigh any time or
resources spent in the long run.
Funding For you as a small business (and any other
organisation hosting a placement trainee) there
are no compulsory costs. The graduates can be
eligible for a grant which covers travel and living
expenses (including insurance and visas). You can
choose to provide contributions to the placement
trainee during their placement period (either
financial or in kind), but this is entirely optional.
Success story
7www.getmobileproject.eu
Trainee from GreeceHi! My name is Elisavet and I am from Greece.
By the time I was a post graduate student, heading for my MSc in
Management at the University of Sheffield in the UK, I was pretty
concerned about my involvement in the ‘real’ world of employment and
my personal career. As it usually goes, stuck between a rock and a hard
place - that is, the vicious circle of having to have work experience to get
a job or start your own business, when you are actually not supposed to
at this point in your life. At this point I came across the online platform
of the EU project ‘women@business’, where female graduates were given
the opportunity to actively participate, through placement all over Europe, in
enterprises by working alongside successful female entrepreneurs. So, I just took my
chances and applied, which eventually brought me in contact with a Greek SME, Militos
Emerging Technologies & Services (www.militos.org). Following the submission of my CV and an interesting Skype
interview with the Managing Director of the company, we explored common interests and worked our way towards
collaboration; I was able to convince her of my commitment to this internship experience. To me, this really kicked
the doors open in having the chance to learn directly from real professionals, testing and exploring suitable roles and
gaining the so much sought after work experience. During my placement period, which I very much enjoyed as it was
really rewarding both professionally and personally, I felt really valued. As for now, I’m a full time employee in Militos, as
they say ‘one of the key team-members!’ and it all started through a placement. Isn’t that inspiring? Trust me, it is 100%.
Success story
Internationalization plays a key role in our activity, and the opportunity of hosting a motivated and resourceful graduate who can act as an insider in order to
research a new market is definitely interesting.
SME in Italy, hosted a placement trainee
The chapter at glance ✓ A placement is a period designed for training purposes, spent in
work environments where trainees are actively involved in work
processes
✓ EC mobility programmes support placements abroad for a
number of different beneficiaries (e.g. students, graduates,
would-be entrepreneurs).
✓ Placements can be hosted by any organisation with legal
status in the 27 member states as well as in Croatia, Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey – and this
includes SMEs.
✓ Duration can range from 1 to 12 months
and is defined before departure together
with tasks to be performed by the trainee
(Training Agreement)
✓ It is up to the host organization to decide
who to take on as a trainee according to
its own requirements
✓ Support and management of trainees are
the key issues explored in this guide
Useful links & templatesUseful information regarding opportunities in Europe
http://ec.europa.eu/education/erasmus-for-all/
http://www.globalplacement.com/about
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3. How could hosting a placement benefit your SME?
Internationalization has made a big impact on companies globally. As they grow more international, the need for networking and knowledge about different cultures grows accordingly. How can you prepare for increased global competition? How will you be able to market your company in a different culture without some knowledge about it? Small businesses might not have the capacity to hire staff to do this, so taking on a trainee might be just the thing you need to expand your business.
Your business might not have all the competences you need, such as special knowledge about certain areas of your business or marketing areas.
The main benefits for you of taking on a placement include: • Insights and knowledge about different cultures (which is crucial in order to succeed in international
businesses).
• Further development of competences and skills for your SME and the opportunity to develop a project you
otherwise might not have the time or skills to work on.
Now let’s look closer at the benefits of taking on a trainee:• Fresh Thinking: The trainee can bring in new
ideas to your company and new ways of looking
at your organisation’s activities to help improve
processes. A new outlook from someone
outside can be very valuable; often we are stuck
with old ways of doing things and do not see
outside the box.
• New Skills: You can get additional support with
your business tasks in an area outside of your
current employee’s expertise e.g. marketing. If
you take on a marketing graduate on placement,
they could develop your strategy further and
implement a marketing campaign, for example.
If you run a small company, you might not always
have staff with all the skills and competences
necessary for success in the international
market..
• Intercultural Perspective: You have the chance
to build intercultural knowledge and skills in your
company. In a world that has become more and
more internationalized, knowledge of different
cultures is very important to all companies. To
have someone from a different country and
culture not only benefits your company directly,
but also benefits your staff who can learn about
new cultures and ways of thinking, and possibly
learn some words/phrases in a new language!
• Networking is crucial for businesses today;
building up your client list and expanding your
business. By taking on a trainee you could make
the first steps to building up new contacts
and networks in Europe and add value to your
business.
• Management skills: With hosting a trainee you
get an opportunity to improve your management
skills and therefore be more qualified. Also you
get an opportunity to implement new methods
of mentoring and coaching which can be
valuable for other staff.
• Extra resources: Placement students can mean
extra resources for specific projects - we all
have a project waiting to be implemented when
there’s time, perhaps a student could complete
this on your behalf?!
• New perspectives; Bringing in a young person
from a different culture can bring new ideas and
perspectives to the company
Whereas my degree has given me excellent academic skills,
it has not given me experience in how to work within an
international organization. During my placement I will get
acquainted with the daily office work and get work experience in
an international environment
A placement trainee
in Belgium
9www.getmobileproject.eu
SME in ItalyMy name is Umberto Curti, I am the co-owner of Welcome Management,
a consultancy firm in Italy specializing in web marketing and training for
the tourism and enogastronomy sectors. We edit Ligucibario® (www.
ligucibario.com), one of the most extensive Internet portals dedicated
to the food &wine of the Italian Riviera.
We run into Erasmus SMP by chance – an enterprising Croatian graduate
asked the University of Genoa for the database of businesses that co-
operate in traineeship programmes (we have been participating for
10 years): thus, she sent through her application with information
about the programme and red tape involved – which to our surprise
is very little and simple. Internationalization plays a key role in our
activity, and the opportunity of hosting a motivated and resourceful
graduate who can act as an “insider” in order to research a new market
is definitely interesting. We proposed her a training task plan and gave
advice about how to get prepared for the placement, which will start
in October. Talent goes international!
Success story
The chapter at glanceFor your SME, taking on a placement trainee from abroad is an
excellent way to:
✓ Gain first-hand information about foreign markets and
improve intercultural intelligence – the keystones of successful
internationalization.
✓ Bring in fresh outsider ideas and perspectives on processes and
activities.
✓ Develop the company’s know hows and skills in strategic fields
such as marketing.
✓ Make the first steps to building up new contacts and networks
in Europe
Useful links & TemplatesThe official website of the We Mean
Business Campaign, issued in 2012 by the
European Commission in order to raise
awareness among European companies
of the positive benefits of hosting an
Erasmus or Leonardo da Vinci trainee:
http://we-mean-business.europa.eu
During my studies I spend some time in Canada for an exchange project. I am eager to continue with that international pathway. I have heard about placement opportunities
through the Get Mobile project and I would definitely like to learn more about it!
A Dutch graduate interested in placement opportunities
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4. Providing a female-friendly placement environment
What do we mean by female-friendly?A female-friendly organization , according to the Equality Commission,1) is a company which:
• Believes that women’s unique set of skills and experience are key to business success
• Has a clear strategy to increase the representation of women in the workplace
• Works to promote initiatives to support women in business and increase their confidence
• Has equal opportunity programmes in place to advance its female employees
Why is this important?Get Mobile is focusing on making sure that more
female graduates from under-represented areas
are encouraged to go abroad on placement to
increase career prospects. Gender inequality is
a common issue women face when they start
working. The barriers are especially intense
in certain business sectors, such as science,
business, engineering and technology, which are
traditionally male-dominated. Research (World
Bank, 2001) shows that:
• Young women are often discouraged to pursue
careers in business and science compared with
their male colleagues;
• Women in technical and scientific fields face
isolation, lack of access to relevant social
networks, mentors and lack of sponsorships
Benefits of being female-friendly • Women are generally agreed to have different
values than men do (Vivian Giang, 2012). Due to
women’s higher levels of empathy, they are more
likely to notice the needs of other employees
contributing to create a more friendly work
environment overall;
• Incorporating diverse gender talent to your
team will highly expand your company’s market
reach. Since 70% of women say that marketing
doesn’t speak to them, they will provide your
organisation with new and creative insights
on how to target new and diverse market
segments (Women Friendly Services, 2012);
• Women and men have different focus areas at
work, for example women are more focused on
developing long-term workplace skills than
men, who are more likely to move on to better-
paid jobs (Hobsons, 2005). This means women
can contribute to the creation of a long-term
business strategy for your company
Trainee in TurkeyHi,MynameisPınar,IgraduatedfromtheCityandRegionalPlanning
Department in Turkey. During my studies, I wanted to develop myself
in the field of Geographical Information Systems so I participated in an
Internship program with IAESTE.
I had an opportunity to work in the Scottish Forestry Commission
as a GIS Developer Assistant for three months. It was a wonderful
experience in my life,. It was very important to me to work with people
from different nations and also meet a lot of different people. This
experience helped me to plan my future in a very clear way. After my
studies in Surveying Engineering this internship program made it much
easier to find jobs. Now, I am working as a GIS Specialist in a private
corporation and doing what I wanted to in my professional life.
Success story
11www.getmobileproject.eu
Ways to improve the female-friendliness of your SME
The barriers facing women as they try to find jobs in the fields of business, technology and science often put them off from finding employment in those sectors. Once employed, barriers persist throughout their career frequently preventing their advancement. There are several solutions which companies can put in place to recruit and support the progression of women, particularly in under-represented areas:
The chapter at glanceHow to improve your company’s female-
friendliness:
• Focus on effective recruitment - make
sure your placement advert is female-
friendly!
• Retention - encourage talented females
to progress in their career by developing
a suitable work environment
• Ensure gender equality and equal
opportunities for career growth
The benefits of becoming a more female-friendly workplace:
• Due to their higher levels of empathy, women are more likely to
notice the needs of other employees contributing to create a
more friendly work environment overall
• Incorporating diverse gender talent to your team will highly
expand your company’s market reach - women will provide your
organisation with new and creative insights on how to target new
and diverse market segments;
• Women being more focused on developing long-term workplace
skills, they can contribute to the creation of a long-term business
strategy for your company.
Organizations need to ensure effective recruitment to capture the expanding number of women interested in
pursuing a career in science, business engineering and technology. This can be achieved through targeting your
placement advert or job vacancies, particularly to recent female graduates in under-represented areas. Make sure
your placement advert is female-friendly! You also need to make sure you are recruiting and selecting trainees using
the same equality methods as with regular members of staff. For example, make sure that staff involved in assessing
applications or interviewing placement trainees have been through equality training or awareness. You should also
monitor your placement advert to see numbers of men and women applying, to make sure your placement advert is
equally attractive to both.
1. Focus on effective recruitment
2. Retention – don’t let them go! 3. Ensure gender equality! Encouraging talented females to progress
in their career depends significantly on the
work environment. The ideal environment
is hospitable and supportive to women,
which is why informal practices to value
women’s contributions should be in place,
e.g. mentoring during a placement period.
Creating equal opportunities for the advancement and career
development of women starting out in their careers is a
fundamental element of a female-friendly work environment.
By hosting female graduate trainees you and your organisation
will be positively contributing to the first and fundamental steps
of their career advancement.
Useful links & TemplatesThe official website of the EUROCHAMBRES Women Network project,
particularly the “publications” section
http://www.echwomennetwork.eu/Content/Default.asp
Here you can find examples of positive effects of diversity:
http://www.mckinsey.com/locations/paris/home/womenmatter.asp
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Company and country cultureOrganisations as well as countries have their
own “culture” – ‘how we do things around here’.
Business styles rely on a set of rules, these vary
from explicit to those which are unspoken. It
usually takes some time before a newcomer ‘fine
tunes’ their behaviour to fit in with the culture of
the organisation, and this is even more relevant for
placement trainees from another country. Being
proactive helps: the selection and preparation
phases are essential in order to provide the trainee
with preliminary information on your organisation
and country e.g. brochures, websites, etc. so that
they can begin to familiarise themselves with
your culture as soon as possible. Through the
support of the Mentor, as the placement starts
and as the trainee gets to know their colleagues,
activities and city/town that they will live in for
the next few months, the process of fitting in to
your organisation and country culture can begin.
The induction process should normally take a few
days, and include items such as office procedures,
IT systems, equipment and filing systems etc.
5. Cultural implications of hosting a placement trainee
Cultural differences, problems and solutionsWith placements abroad, a lot depends on the
extent to which the trainee gets in contact with the
“habitat” (lifestyle, mindset, habits) of the hosting
country. This is not limited only to language issues
– although fluency in the language does obviously
help. Immersion means having the right attitude
and motivation, as well as an adequate set of soft
skills - from communication to self-confidence
and adaptability. Placements abroad prove to be
an effective way to develop these skills, especially
problem-solving and self-management. In this
process that is both personal and intercultural
for trainees, the role of hosting organisations
is central. Your SME represents the trainee’s
“practical handbook” in the world of work and
also for the country’s identity and environment
(economic, social and cultural).
Having a mentor or coach in the organisation is
key to supporting the adaptation to a new culture.
They should support the trainee facilitating
their integration into the workplace as well as
providing a set of practical details and hints
about daily living in the host country. As Mentors,
it is essential to keep in mind that culture and
customs change from country to country. What
is considered as “the rule” in the hosting state
could be considered as “strange” and difficult to
understand elsewhere. For a Mentor, keeping the
right balance between independence and support
(always avoiding “parenting”) is essential in order
to reduce the potential for socio-cultural clash for
the trainee. Trainees will then be able to take the
best out of the placement experience – know-how
about job styles and professionalism; insights into
a new culture and the capacity to handle change,
diversity and uncertainty.
What I liked most is the fact that I had the
opportunity to develop a varied range of skills: soft, cross-cultural and technical
– a booster for my CV.
A placement trainee
from the UK
13www.getmobileproject.eu
Trainee in FranceMy name is Francesca, I am a graduate in International Science and
Diplomatic Relations. I did not know about mobility placements until a
friend told me. Having almost no experience in the world of work, the
prospective was appealing – improving my French and getting to know
a job environment at the same time! I sent an application to the Italian
Chamber of Commerce in Lyon: its role is to help Italian companies that
want to do businesses abroad.
The answer was positive, the grant awarded, the experience useful - I
had the opportunity of following an internationalization project from
the beginning to the end. What I liked the most is the fact that I had the
opportunity to develop a varied range of skills: soft, cross-cultural and
technical – a booster for my CV!
Success story
The best memory of my mobility experience was to get more responsibility than expected in all aspects. I also enjoyed nice non-work related experiences, like travelling
around the country and learning more about the culture of the UK.
A placement trainee in the UK
The chapter at glance• During a placement abroad the trainee gets in contact with the
”habitat” of the hosting country and faces issues such as linguistic
fluency, attitude/motivation, soft skills (communication, problem
solving, self-management)
• Hosting organisations represent the trainee’s “practical
handbook” in the world of work as well as in the country’s culture
• SMEs’ Mentors play the lead role in introducing trainees to the
company’s habits and business styles as well as facilitating their
fine tuning with the country’s daily life and identity
• Proactivity helps: provide the trainees with preliminary
information on your organisation and country so that they can
begin to familiarise themselves with your culture while still at
home
Useful Links & TemplatesUseful studies related to business
communication styles all over the world
http://www.globalnegotiationresources.com/
The portal of the EC DG for Employment,
Social Affairs & Inclusion
http://ec.europa.eu/social/home.jsp
Help and advice for EU nationals and their
family about travel, work/retirement, living
abroad, health and shopping. Featuring
Citizens/Business versions.
http://europa.eu/youreurope/index.htm
14
6. How to choose the trainee that’s right for your SME
You can use Get Mobile to search for suitable female trainees for your placement opportunity. Register at
www.getmobileproject.eu to find out how you can access the CVs of female graduates in Business and Science
looking to go on a placement abroad. Just as selecting the right employee for the job is crucial in an SME, so is
choosing the right placement trainee.
Follow these steps to help you recruit the most suitable trainee for your organisation.
Make sure you’re clear about the placement opportunity you have on offerIf you’re not clear about what role/tasks/activities you want the placement trainee to carry out
during a placement, then it will be difficult to make sure you’re attracting the most suitable
trainee with relevant skills and interests. Make sure you prepare a Placement Description
(similar to a job description) which outlines the placement role and typical tasks expected on
the placement. You can also prepare a Person Description that shows trainees what criteria you
think are essential for the placement role and which ones are desirable. This is also the chance to
make it clear to potential applicants about the conditions of the placement – hours, any financial
support available from the organisation etc
Make sure you’re advertising your placement in the best placesYou need to make sure that your placement opportunity is being seen in the best places across
Europe, to attract the best candidates. There are dedicated websites to advertise your placement
vacancies free of charge and you can also advertise on www.getmobileproject.eu. Think about
whether you are looking for a particular skill, e.g. marketing, and then you could approach
Universities abroad running placement programmes that will have students or graduates in
these areas. They can then send trainees’ CVs for you to look through. You might be looking
for a trainee from a particular country to help you expand your business in that country. You
can search for trainees by country on the online databases e.g. in Get Mobile you can see what
country a placement trainee is from and where they want to go on placement to. For a list of
websites to advertise your placement, please see Useful Links.
Interview candidates on Skype before making your final decisionJust as with any recruitment process, you need to have as much information about the placement
trainee before you make your choice on who would be the most appropriate trainee. Once you
have looked through CVs, you should make your shortlist of candidates you are interested in
and then organize interviews with candidates to help you make the final decision. Using Skype
is the most cost effective way of interviewing candidates abroad. Make sure you have your list
of questions ready before speaking to candidates so that you can ask each person the same
and compare them fairly. Once you have interviewed candidates you should get back to the
successfull trainee as soon as possible. Many placement trainees have to complete a placement
as part of their course and have tight deadlines for this, so they need to know from you if their
application has or hasn’t been successful as quickly as possible. It’s good practice to let those
candidates know that weren’t successful, again so that they can move on with applying to other
organisations for their placements.
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15www.getmobileproject.eu
Success story
Trainee in UKMy name is Katrin and I am a recent graduate in European Studies
from Germany. I came to the UK to undertake a placement abroad and
worked as a Project Assistant for Inova Consultancy in Sheffield for six
months.
My decision for coming to work in the UK was motivated by increasing
my employability after graduation, gaining new experiences and
improving my language skills. I was very happy to get a placement
with Inova as the company focuses on supporting women in the labour
market and female entrepreneurs, and this was something I was
interested in. My placement with Inova was very useful and I learned
how to deal with different aspects of office work, such as how to write
good business e-mails or how to approach colleagues and clients. The
placement was also a good life experience and an opportunity to learn
things about myself and gain more self-confidence. As a small business,
Inova was able to offer me much more responsibility than I expected,
which made this a truly beneficial experience for me.
The chapter at glance• Use Get Mobile to search for suitable female trainees for your
placement opportunity - register at www.getmobileproject.eu!
• Follow these steps to help you recruit the most suitable trainee
for your organisation
• Make sure you’re clear about the placement opportunity you
have on offer: prepare a Placement Description (similar to a job
description) which outlines the placement role and typical tasks
expected on the placement
• Make sure you’re advertising your placement in the best places:
your placement opportunity is to be seen in the best places across
Europe to attract the best candidates
• Interview candidates on Skype before making your final decision:
it is the most cost effective way of interviewing candidates abroad
Useful links & TemplatesHints and templates for recruiting staff,
focused on SMEs support needs
http://www.smetoolkit.org/smetoolkit/en/
category/937/Recruiting-Hiring
Eures homepage
http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp?lang=en
Get Mobile homepage
http://getmobileproject.eu
Internationalization plays a key role in our activity, and the opportunity of hosting a motivated and resourceful graduate who can act as an “insider” in order to research a new market is definitely interesting
SME in Italy, hosted a placement trainee
16
7. Hosting a placement trainee – before your trainee starts
Communication between SME and trainee before their arrivalBefore the trainee arrives, clear communication
between the trainee and your company is
very important to prevent difficulties and
misunderstandings occurring later on. Try and
send the trainee general information about the
company, town or area. If you decide to take on
another trainee placement in the future, then
it could be the role of the current placement to
inform the next trainee about these aspects, in
order to put the new trainee at ease.
Once you have made a decision about hosting a
trainee, it is very important to prepare staff and
provide them with information about the new
team member. Staff should be encouraged to
make the trainee feel at home and help her fit into
the workplace. A good idea is to have a special
induction programme for her in the beginning (as
you would with any new starter), a tour of your
company and to meet all staff, not only on company
premises but also ideally in a social setting.
You also need to prepare for the trainee’s arrival
by making sure that a workspace is ready e.g. desk,
computer and Internet access. A warm welcome to
the workplace is very important so the trainee will
feel at home from the beginning, and settle into
their placement quickly.
Practical information for the trainee before she arrives. You can decide on the amount and type of
information to provide for trainees before their
placement. For example, you could provide
practical information regarding accommodation,
insurance, social services, health care and banking.
It is usually easiest to provide a list of useful
websites for trainees to be able to look through
before they travel so that they can feel more
prepared and ask any questions that are worrying
them before they arrive.
Mentoring during the placement periodIdeally, you will appoint a member of staff to be
a Mentor for the trainee. As with all members of
staff, the Mentor needs to know about the trainee
(their past skills and experiences) in order to help
them settle in and make sure that she is getting
the most out of the placement experience. The
Mentor can send a short introduction email to the
trainee before she arrives so that they can get to
know each other.
Success story
SME in GreeceMy name is Olga, and I am the Managing Director of Militos Emerging
Technologies & Services in Greece. Militos is an innovative firm that
renders high quality consulting services. Our fundamental objective
is that the collaborations we choose are unique, regardless of their
duration and magnitude. We strongly support the practice of work
placement trainees, having a clear picture of the benefits for both the
trainees and the companies, especially small and medium enterprises.
Actually, we are well known for training our people from scratch!
See… qualifications are not limited to a CV. It is not by chance that
Militos regularly hosts trainees, who eventually turn out to become
either our full employees or we have secured a job placement for
them in another company where they were given the opportunity to
widen their career horizons. It is our philosophy in doing business and
working with people from all over Europe, getting the satisfaction of
giving guidance to them, while raising the profile of the company. It
is actually a case of thinking outside of the box, making the best out
of our business aspirations, by treasuring talent and commitment
wherever it comes from.
Is it worth it? For sure!
17www.getmobileproject.eu
Supporting trainees to build a social network. Social networking is important for the
trainee, so preparation before she arrives is
important.
When the trainee arrives, it is important
for the Mentor to introduce her to the local
area; how to get to work; where to shop;
where the hospital is etc. The Mentor should
be aware of different cultural backgrounds
and inform the trainee about the culture in
the new country. You can put your trainee
in touch with local organisations who
could provide activities for international
students, for example, to help them meet
new people.
The chapter at glance • Pre-arrival 1: clear communication prevents difficulties and
misunderstandings occurring later on. Send the trainee general
information about the company, town or area, customs and
culture as well as practical information and useful links
• Pre-arrival 2: prepare staff and provide them with information
about the new team member, including ensuring that a workspace
is ready
•Select and train a Mentor
•Support trainees to build a social network
•Manage trainees’ and company expectations – shun
improvisation!
Useful links & TemplatesThe website of this EU LLP projects
provides templates and check lists
dedicated to SME Mentors.
http://www.evta.net/eumoveportal/
startpage_-3.html
Managing trainees’ expectationsWhen speaking to SMEs who have successfully hosted several
placement trainees, managing expectations comes up as
something that is crucial to ensure a successful experience for
both trainees and companies. Trainee expectations can vary
greatly from one trainee to another. Expectations can include:
increasing their knowledge of different cultures; learning
a new language; strengthening their network; or simply
increasing their skills in the workplace. In order to try and meet
these varied expectations, you need to have some information
from the trainee about what they are hoping to gain from
their placement experience (ideally discussed at recruitment
stage), before the placement trainee is selected by the host
organisation.
Managing company expectations It is important that you are clear about what the trainee should
focus on during her placement period. Whilst there is obviously
flexibility with any placement period, it is ideal to provide a
placement description in advance with a list of some of the
tasks and activities expected to be carried out by the trainee.
It is also useful to provide a Memorandum of Understanding
or placement agreement between the placement trainee and
your organisation which outlines place and hours of work, dress
codes, any financial contributions to be made, monitoring and
disciplinary procedures. This agreement can then be signed
by both the trainee and your organisation to provide a formal
record.
I find mobility opportunities an exciting option for our company. We will certainly look into the possibilities with the help of GET mobile.
SME in Iceland, interested in mobility
18
Good practice is to assign a specific project to the placement trainee that matches their skills, abilities
and interests. This means think “tasks not tea” (CIPD, 2012, p.16). It is important to keep trainees
active and engaged with the organisation, ensuring a positive and encouraging work experience.
A useful tip:
19www.getmobileproject.eu
8. Hosting a placement trainee – the first few weeks
Hosting a placement trainee can be an enriching experience for both trainee and host organisation. We’ve put together some information here to help you make the most of your trainee’s time with you.
The chapter at glance • Introduce your company - the placement trainee is to understand
your business – its aims, customers and working culture.
• Hot topics:
•The “what, where, why and how” of your company.
•Your team and working culture.
•Management of the trainee’s development.
• Assign a specific project to the placement trainees - keep them
active and engaged with the organisation.
Useful Links & TemplatesThe website of this EU LLP projects
provides templates and check lists
dedicated to SMEs Mentors
http://www.evta.net/eumoveportal/
startpage_-3.html
Introducing the company It’s important that the placement trainee
understands your business – its aims,
customers and working culture. Most
companies find it useful to arrange an
introductory meeting with their trainee
to cover the basics about the role and
expectations.
This meeting should include topic such as:
1. The what, where, why and how of your company
• Company history and current circumstances (how you were
set up, how you got to where you are now)
• Your business objectives and target customers
2. Your team and working culture
• Organisation and team structure (who they’ll be working
with)
• Working hours and breaks
• Location of amenities (e.g. toilets, canteen etc.)
• Health and safety at work
• Company’s expectations of behaviour (cover issues like
confidentiality, communication within the team, any
information about disciplinary procedures)
3. Managing the trainee’s development
• Clarify their role (what they will be doing, where they fit
within your organisation)
• Any training schedules (do they need to have training to
perform in their role?)
• Feedback or appraisal plan (many companies like to conduct
an initial review after the first few weeks/months, depending
on the length of placement, followed by a second one
further into the placement)
20
9. Hosting a placement trainee - support and monitoring
Ongoing supportIn general terms, a placement represents a transition between study and work. Very often, being on placement in an organisation will be a completely new experience for the trainee. The trainee should be accepted as an equal part of the team, with similar responsibilities. This is an advantage in small businesses, where tasks and responsibilities are often shared between small numbers of staff.
The chapter at glance • Always remember that a placement represents a transition
between study and work
• A monitoring system is useful to review the achievements,
progress and possible challenges encountered during the
placement
• The Mentor should assist the trainee also as regards networking –
both internal (staff) and external (customers and partners)
• Preliminary planning and task lists do prove useful during the first
weeks.
Useful links & TemplatesThe website of this EU LLP projects
provides templates and check lists
dedicated to SMEs Mentors.
http://www.evta.net/eumoveportal/
startpage_-3.html
Monitoring during the placement period. Once the placement trainee is familiar with the day-to-day practise
of the company, a monitoring system should be put in place to review
the achievements, progress and possible challenges encountered
during the placement. The trainee should be assisted by a mentor
or tutor selected by the company, who acts as a contact point. This
role would suit someone in the company wanting to develop their
training skills
Mentors need to provide trainees with: • Regular reviews and guidance
• Feedback, praise and recognition (constructive criticism where
necessary)
• Open dialogue
• On-going support
Networking Networking plays an important part in the placement experience.
Try and make sure that the trainee:
• Is connected with all the other staff members
• Is aware of other staff members’ tasks and responsibilities.
• Knows who to ask for day to day questions or if they want to
discuss their personal and professional development further.
From the point of view of external networking, the trainee should
be aware of both customers and business partners. This network
building should not only be encouraged for business reasons, but
also as an opportunity for trainees to develop potential career links
for their future.
21www.getmobileproject.eu
A placement period should be planned out before the trainee arrives. It doesn’t get things off to a strong start otherwise. For the initial weeks, a task list is recommended, as well as support with prioritizing
tasks to help the trainee into the day to day routine of working in your company.
A useful tip:
22
10. Hosting a placement trainee – evaluation and follow-up
It is good practice to carry out some kind of ‘exit interview’ with placement trainees. This could be part of a
final monitoring/appraisal review meeting between you and the trainee. This provides the chance for trainees
to give you their opinion on how the placement went overall, what they liked and disliked and any ways it could
be improved for future trainees. Many trainees have to write a report for their funding programme which they
could also share with you, although it should be kept in mind that this is likely to be in their native language.
It is always interesting to find out where past placement trainees go on to work following their placement
period in your company. For many trainees, this could include going on to further or higher study, going into
paid work or voluntary work, or deciding to complete a different placement to try out another area of work.
If you can keep in touch with your former placement trainees it forms a useful way of showing future trainees
that you’re a friendly place to work, as well as building up your contacts across Europe as the trainee moves on
in their career. If you have a Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin account, make sure placement trainees are signed up
as members and followers, as well as signed up for your company newsletters. Many trainees like to follow what
your company is involved in after completing their placement period. For women working in under-represented
fields it is especially important to keep involved in networks across Europe to progress their careers.
The chapter at glance • Carry out some kind of ‘exit interview’ with placement trainees
• Keep in touch with your former placement trainees - it is a useful
way of showing future trainees that you’re a friendly place to
work, as well as building up your contacts across Europe as the
trainee moves on in their career.
Useful links & TemplatesThe website of this EU LLP projects
provides templates and check lists
dedicated to SMEs Mentors.
http://www.evta.net/eumoveportal/
startpage_-3.html t
All these different countries‘ life experiences helped to build a good relationship with my customers in my business life.
SME in Turkey, hosted a placement trainee
23www.getmobileproject.eu
Are you interested in learning more?
Get connected
It is not choosing a job, it is about choosing a way of life.
A placement trainee from Turkey
www.getmobileproject.eu