How SMEs Can Shape Graduate Careers

For a long time, graduates have tended to lean towards joining larger corporations in order to start their careers. Big firms tend to have plenty of positions for budding interns and graduates that are looking to kickstart their careers, with entire programmes devoted to unlocking the talent and enthusiasm that these new graduates possess.

However, it’s important to highlight the even greater benefits that come from connecting graduates with smaller businesses. There are a surprising number of graduates that actively want to avoid the corporate career path, preferring a different kind of work culture that is more tight-knit and less structured. It’s often seen as less daunting to these new graduates, finding the small business dynamic to be more suitable to their talents, learning and early professional experience.

Graduates are brimming with enthusiasm and ideas

The majority of graduates are brimming with new ideas and enthusiasm that can provide unique benefits to any SME. They’re new to the rules of how they should act as part of a larger team, and they don’t know what limitations are until they hit a wall. Graduates are willing to learn if you provide them with the right environment, culture and motivation, injecting new ideas and innovations into things that you never thought possible.

Most graduates are well-educated, motivated, and positive individuals. They’re full of ambition and want to climb their career ladders, but many of them know about the challenges of joining large corporations and the constant uphill fight for recognition and promotion. They’re willing to work hard to prove themselves, but the chances of getting noticed at a large corporation is far more difficult.

This is why many graduates are turning to SMEs as an alternative path to kick-start and grow their early careers. They become a more recognised member in the business, with a better chance of making a meaningful and lasting impact. There’s also a sense of loyalty toward a company that gives a graduate their first job and career opportunity. Almost everyone remembers their first job, and these bright and ambitious individuals are no different. They’ll go the extra mile in their first job, so it’s important to capitalise on this enthusiasm and provide them with the learning, development and opportunity that will then translate into value for the business.

SMEs offer a different work culture

It is no secret that there is a big difference in working culture between large corporations and smaller businesses. A smaller, tight-knit team responds differently to work tasks, with the closer proximity of employees creating stronger personal bonds, creating greater collaboration, support and team morale. Where large corporations can hire dozens or even hundreds of new staff in a typical year, new graduates might only rarely work with and build strong at-work relationships with colleagues and seniors, leading to a more daunting experience when joining a large company.

In contrast, an SME provides a more personal experience for someone starting their first job. They get to know their colleagues better and faster, feeling a part of the team and business from an early stage when starting their new job. This tighter company culture also means that they have a chance to contribute new ideas and hopefully add value to the business sooner.

Working in a small team can also be more fulfilling because they get to see the fruits of their work sooner. Their work increasingly contributes more to the company, and they typically get tasked with more responsibilities. A smaller company is also more dynamic, providing more opportunities to learn and progress in their role and excitement in being a part of something more tangible than can be experienced working for a large company.

The benefits of hiring graduates as an SME

There are also numerous benefits that an SME can expect when hiring a fresh graduate.

Injecting new young talent into your business can be a fantastic way to explore new ideas and gain a different perspective on existing systems, processes, market trends and customers. If an SME is starting to feel stagnant due to a lack of innovation, adding new talent to the team can be a fantastic way to unlock new potential and opportunities for growth.

Graduates at this stage of their early careers are also yet to develop any particular specialism in any one area, meaning they can be trained on the job to fit specific roles, systems or approaches to a business' work. They’re often willing to learn new skills and take on new experiences, and this investment can create a strong sense of loyalty and reveal different knowledge, skill sets and ideas. 

It’s always possible that a graduate might leave once they have sufficient training and experience, this is true of any employee and not always a bad thing, but SMEs can offer a culture, style of work, exposure, responsibility and opportunities to grow that most large companies can not, increasing the chances of longer retention.