Grow your own...

In 1987, I launched a college recruitment program to develop my company’s future leaders. Great idea. Lots of hard work. And great success.

 

·      Known as MAP, short for 

·      Management Associate Program.

·      We hired 300 graduates in over 12 years.

·      All but 20 stayed and grew with the company.

·      And most are leaders throughout the industry today.

 

So, it was interesting to read in the news yesterday that Wal Mart is starting a college recruitment program and offering the graduates it hires a starting salary of $65,000 to begin training to become future store managers. It’s a way to develop their own future leaders, and in these difficult recruiting times, smart companies everywhere are doing just that. Our MAP recruits went through 1 year of formal training, were then assigned a mid-level management position, and began working their way up through the leadership ranks. They were smart dreamers and became great doers. Like other recruiters, we had spent most of our time searching for management candidates from other companies. With the MAP program, we learned that if we developed future leaders from within our company and culture they would be inspired to stay and help grow themselves and our company. And they did just that. If you haven’t recruited graduates from technical schools, community colleges, and universities, you’re missing a great opportunity to develop leaders that are loyal dreamers and doers. Start a school recruitment program and begin developing your future leaders today.

 

Sarah Ban Breathnach (born 1947): American best-selling author, philanthropist, and public speaker.