Close to the University of Southampton, Bassett businesses have access to outstanding graduates and placement students. The challenge isn’t interest; it’s retention and time-to-competence.
Design roles students can succeed in
- Learning outcomes: what skills will they gain by month 3/6/12?
- Real projects with safety nets: pair stretch tasks with a named mentor
- Assessment cadence: monthly objectives and end-of-placement showcase
Recruit inclusively (and efficiently)
- Structured tasks: mini case study > CVs; reduce bias, test capability
- Fast timelines: two-stage process, feedback within 48 hours
- Show your offer: tech stack, manager commitment, training budget
Make the first 90 days count
- Week-by-week induction plan (stakeholders, systems, shadowing)
- Mentor check-ins + buddy for logistics/social
- Micro-wins: ship a small feature, present an analysis, fix a client issue
Convert to permanent
- Clear salary ladder and progression criteria
- Project rotation to avoid stagnation
- Retention conversation at month 4 (not week 12)
Need a plug-and-play early-careers framework?
HR Support Services designs Bassett graduate/placement programmes; role blueprints, assessment tasks, mentor packs and retention plans.
