tapping into european talent - practical

Tapping into European Talent Best Practice guide for SMEs

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www.getmobileproject.eu

Tapping into European Talent

`Finding and Hosting a Work Placement from Europe: Best Practice Guide for SMEs

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.


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1. Introduction .................................................................................. 3

2. Placement programmes in Europe .............................................. 6

3. Could hosting a placement benefit your SME? ........................... 9

4. Providing a female-friendly placement environment .................. 12

5. Cultural implications of hosting a placement trainee ................. 16

6. How to choose the trainee that’s right for your SME ................. 18

7. Hosting a placement trainee – before your trainee starts .......... 21

8. Hosting a placement trainee – the first few weeks .................... 24

9. Hosting a placement trainee – support and monitoring ............. 26

10. Hosting a placement trainee – evaluation and follow-up ......... 28


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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 Euroupean initiative involving a group of organisations, is 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.

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.

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.

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.


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Organisations involved in Get Mobile:

Inova Consultancy (UK), www.inovaconsult.com

VHTO ( The Dutch National Expert Organisation on girls/women in science technology in The

Netherlands), www.vhto.nl

CLP (Italy), www.clpge.it

The Directorate of Labor (Iceland), www.vinnumalastofnun.is


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KISGEM (Turkey), www.pendikkisgem.tr

MILITOS Emerging Technologies & Services (Greece) www.militos.org

We are funded by the European Commission through the Lifelong Learning Programme.


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2. Placement programmes in Europe

Mobility/Placement programmes in Europe Mobility 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.

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.

Success Story: SME

“ My 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”.


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“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

“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

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: Trainee

Hi! 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%.


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The chapter at a 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 & Templates

Useful 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

Success story: SME

“My name is Umberto, I am

the co-owner of a consultancy

firm in Italy specializing in

web marketing and training

for the tourism and

enogastronomy sectors.

We ran 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!”


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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

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

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.


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For 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


The 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


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Success Story: Trainee

Hi, My name is Pınar, I graduated from

the City and Regional Planning

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.

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 The benefits of becoming a more female-friendly workplace

for all organisations include:

• 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.

1) Equality Commission, 2007; Westminster University, 2012)


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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:

1. Focus on effective recruitment

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.

2. Retention – don’t let them go!

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.

Framework for assessing gender equitable organizations (World Bank, 2001)


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“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

“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

3. Ensure gender equality!

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.


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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

How 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 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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5. Cultural implications of hosting a placement trainee

Cultural differences, problems and solutions With 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.

Company and country culture Organisations 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.

Success Story: Trainee

“My 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!”


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� 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 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


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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.

1. Make sure you’re clear about the placement

opportunity you have on offer

If 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.

2. Make sure you’re advertising your placement in

the best places

You 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.

Success story: Trainee

My 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.


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“When customers provide positive

feedback about their experiences with

your graduates and see them as an

integral part of your team, you know

you made the right choice”.

SME in the UK, hosted a placement

trainee

3. Interview candidates on Skype before making your final decision

Just 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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� 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


Hints 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


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7. Hosting a placement trainee – before your

trainee starts

Communication between SME and trainee before their

arrival Before 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 period

Ideally, 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

“My 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!”


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“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.

“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

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.

Managing trainees’ expectations When 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.


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� 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!


The website of this EU LLP projects provides templates and check lists dedicated to SME Mentors. http://www.evta.net/eumoveportal/startpage_-3.html


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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.

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)

A useful tip:

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.


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� 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 & Templates The website of this EU LLP projects provides templates and check lists dedicated to SMEs Mentors. http://www.evta.net/eumoveportal/startpage_-3.html


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9. Hosting a placement trainee - support and monitoring

Ongoing support In 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.

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.

A useful tip:

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.


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� 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 & Templates The website of this EU LLP projects provides templates and check lists dedicated to SMEs Mentors. http://www.evta.net/eumoveportal/startpage_-3.html


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“It is not choosing a job, it is

about choosing a way of

life”

A placement trainee from

Turkey

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.

Interested in finding out more about taking on a

female placement trainee from abroad?...

Are you ready to get started?....then Get Connected!


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� 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.


The website of this EU LLP projects provides templates and check lists dedicated to SMEs Mentors. http://www.evta.net/eumoveportal/startpage_-3.html


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This guidebook is intended as an introductory guide to hosting a placement trainee and Get Mobile accepts

no liability for actions taken by individuals and organisations as a result of reading this guidebook.

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