Many companies have enough stability to offer new employees a substantial signing bonus. Gen Yers are not the only ones who wish they could get an extra financial incentive for starting at a new company, especially with the state of the current economy. Some people might blow this money on something frivolous, but what they should really be thinking about is their wardrobe.
I know this sounds a bit strange, but hear me out. Most new graduates do not spend the money they make working during the school year or the summer months building up a wardrobe for an office environment – most of them are just trying to scrape by.
Offering a wardrobe bonus is a good incentive when trying to entice recent grads to work for your company, and is something that you should talk about in the discussion period that occurs after the interview. If no one else is going to take care of them in the same way your company will, the new grad is more likely to come work for you. Think of it as an investment not only in your human resources, but also in your company’s brand.
Many so-called “blue collar” industries provide a clothing allowance to their staff when they are first hired, as well as periodically throughout their careers. This is something that the corporate world should try to implement as well, not only when employees are first hired but later on down the road.
I’m not saying new grads shouldn’t buy clothes which can transition into the office, but most do not think about doing so until they actually have a job. So, once the end of the academic year rolls around and these former students are starting work, many of them do not have anything appropriate to wear.
Especially in the summer, new grads often leave the house in jeans, skirts that are a little bit too short, shoes that are meant for the beach, and “nice t-shirts.” After all, it’s what they’ve been wearing for the past four years or so.
Herein lies the problem: students do not buy the items they need for a professional environment during school because it’s not practical to wear to school on a daily basis, and once they start a job they don’t have enough money to pay for appropriate clothing until they receive their first pay cheque. Or, if they buy appropriate attire, it may come at the expense of not paying off their credit card balance or not having food to eat.
This is where a company can help alleviate some of the stress newly-graduated employees have when they first enter the work force. Once the individual has finished their first day on the job, I suggest giving the employee a gift card from a clothing retailer that sells clothing the company feels is appropriate to that workplace.
There is also no way for the employee to use the amount on the gift card for something unrelated to the workplace, as they are bound to that specific store, and stores do not give refunds in cash for purchases put on a gift card. Thus, the company is not giving the employee “free money” to use elsewhere, which can be a concern.
Even if the amount is small (around $100) it can still buy a few key items the employee may not be able to afford at that time. And, not having to spend a great deal of money to start an appropriate work wardrobe is something a new employee will be very grateful for.
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