“Day-one-ready talent.”
“People who can hit the ground running.”
“Employees who can ramp up quickly.”
We hear this from clients all the time; their need for employees who can immediately contribute value and be productive the moment they start. Anything less means employers are losing time and money getting new hires up to speed. This can be even more acute with entry- or junior-level hires who lack previous experience.
Our apprenticeship programs are designed to deliver day-one-ready talent. From talent discovery through to development and deployment, our process delivers talent that is ready to go on day one, and can continue to grow into their roles thereafter. Here’s how.
It starts with comprehensive vetting
For 23+ years, we’ve used an AI-based screening to identify individuals with a high probability of success in a specific role or career. This vetting process allows us to see a person’s drive, tenacity and ability to quickly acquire new skills.
Based on real-world data taken from those who have already proven themselves to be day-one-ready, the screening constantly improves the quality of our candidates. Before we even develop any of their skills, we know our talent has the ability to deliver.
Develop technical and professional skills
The path from talent discovery to deployment passes through our development programs. These are where raw talent is refined and taught the skills needed to contribute as soon as they’re placed on a client.
We develop both the technical and professional skills of our apprentices. This means they will know the systems and processes needed for their role, and have the ability to successfully navigate a corporate environment: give and receive feedback, manage up, run demos, etc. This differentiates our talent from most other “traditional hires” who may know the tech, but lack professional acumen. It removes a barrier to being day-one-ready and makes onboarding easier for employers.
We also pride ourselves in creating development programs that directly align with client needs. For example, if a client’s tech stack is Microsoft-based, we develop software developer skills like .NET or Microsoft Power Apps. If a client is looking for digital media apprentices, we can develop their Trade Desk or Google Ads skills. And they’ll learn these skills in a practical, hands-on way that mimics what they’ll be doing for the client. It’s “on-the-job training” before they’re on the job.
Deploy day-one-ready talent
By taking individuals we know have the ability to succeed and developing their skills to match the precise needs of employers, we can deploy day-one-ready talent into any organization. They are ahead of the game compared to entry-level hires from more traditional backgrounds (think internship or college recruitment hires).
But day one is just the start. Employers need talent that can quickly grow, take on new and increasingly difficult challenges and continue to become more productive and valuable to the business.
Our apprentices have this ability, and our managers support them in growing existing and acquiring new skills, easing the burden on employers. The results are so successful that our clients hire 90% of our apprentices to become their own full-time employees.
The “win-win-win” cliche is true
We have two sets of customers at Catalyte: our clients and our apprentices. The incentives for success are aligned for both.
When we develop an apprentice to be day-one-ready, they succeed in their role. This success means the client can be more successful, whether that’s building applications or converting digital marketing leads. Those successes prove that our process for discovering, developing and deploying day-one ready talent is a success. It has been for over 20 years and it will only continue to improve.
This post is adapted from a Sourcing for Innovation podcast. You can watch a preview of and listen to the whole conversation below.
