For small businesses, bringing graduates into the workplace can feel like a big commitment. But, as Brevity Chief Financial Officer Irina Cherkasova explains, having the right approach can make all the difference.
We asked Irina how businesses can better support the transition between study and professional work.
How to approach hiring and integrating graduates into the workforce
When Irina talks about hiring graduates, she describes it as a long-term investment – one that looks beyond immediate productivity and focuses on the kind of future workforce we want to build.
“Businesses often see hiring graduates as a cost rather than an investment,” she says. “Yes, they need support at the beginning, but if we invest in them early, we’re building the people who will help our businesses succeed five or ten years from now.”
This mindset matters. Across Aotearoa New Zealand, employers are operating in a labour market shaped by skills shortages, rapid technological change, an ageing workforce and changing expectations around inclusion, flexibility and transparency. Workplaces are increasingly intergenerational, with people at different life and career stages working side by side. The question is not whether businesses can afford to invest in emerging talent, but whether they can afford not to.
At Brevity, a 20-person engineering consultancy, graduates are an important part of the business. Irina says smaller organisations often assume they need to hire only experienced people because they do not have the time or resources to train someone new. Brevity takes a different view.
“When we’re looking to grow our engineering team, we’re open to hiring graduates because we value their potential, curiosity and fresh perspective. They bring new ideas and are often confident with emerging technology, AI and digital tools. With the right support, they develop quickly while also contributing to how the business evolves.”
Creating a smooth transition from study to work
The first practical shift is to stop designing graduate recruitment as if it were senior recruitment. Graduates will not have years of professional experience to refer to and expecting them to arrive fully productive from day one misses the purpose of early-career hiring.
“We look for attitude, willingness to learn, adaptability and potential. In our experience, if you hire the right people and give them the right support, they develop much faster than most businesses expect.”
A graduate’s first professional role is about far more than technical work. They are learning how to communicate with clients, contribute to meetings, manage priorities, receive feedback and understand how projects move through a business.
A smoother transition from study to work starts with making the implicit explicit. Brevity’s graduate induction programme begins with the basics: understanding the company, meeting the team, learning key processes, completing required health and safety and site certifications, and becoming familiar with core standards. But the programme is deliberately short.
“One thing we’ve learned from graduate feedback is that they want to get involved in real projects as early as possible. They understand the importance of learning standards, processes and compliance requirements, but they’re most engaged when they can see how their work contributes to a real project and a real client outcome.”
At Brevity, graduates are paired with a buddy who helps them settle into the team and learn in context, while senior engineers provide support as projects become more complex. From the beginning, graduates are encouraged to ask questions, challenge existing ways of working and share new ideas. Fresh eyes often spot opportunities to simplify processes, automate repetitive tasks or challenge traditional ways of working.
“It’s a genuine two-way exchange of knowledge. Experienced engineers bring judgement and technical experience, while graduates often introduce fresh thinking, confidence with AI and new digital tools. If we’re willing to learn from each other, everyone benefits.”
Managing shifting generational expectations
Transparency plays an increasingly important role in workplace culture. Graduates often want to understand how the business is performing, what projects are coming up, how their work contributes to the bigger picture and what opportunities they have to grow. Rather than seeing this as demanding, Brevity sees it as healthy engagement.
Daily stand-ups, regular check-ins, shared calendars and open conversations about quarterly and annual goals help everyone understand what is happening across the business and where they can contribute.
“Of course salary matters, but it’s rarely the only thing graduates are looking for. They want to keep learning, understand how their work makes a difference and feel they’re contributing to something meaningful.”
The role of leaders and managers in growing confident and connected graduates who are set up for success
Graduate development does not happen by accident. Leadership sets the ceiling for graduate success. The single most impactful thing a manager can do is cultivate an environment where it is safe to ask questions and, crucially, safe to make mistakes while learning.
Given no one expects a graduate to be an overnight expert, they need proactive guidance and managers who are genuinely invested in their professional growth. Communication is just as important. Sometimes managers assume graduates know how they’re performing, but that’s not always the case. Regular feedback, clear expectations, recognition and coaching can make a huge difference.
Brevity deliberately involves its broader team in this process through a structured peer-buddy and mentorship system. Irina says this ensures new starters feel culturally integrated from day one, while also giving intermediate and senior staff an opportunity to develop their own leadership and coaching skills.
Advice for businesses wanting to future-proof their workforce for the next decade
Irina’s advice to businesses of all sizes is simple: invest in graduates early and see them as future leaders rather than focusing on the short-term cost of training them.
“Investing in graduates isn’t just about filling today’s roles. It’s about building the capability, leadership and innovation that our profession will need in the future,” she says.
For small businesses, the message is both practical and encouraging. The bridge between study and work doesn’t build itself, but it doesn’t require a large corporate graduate programme either. “If we want skilled people and strong leaders in our businesses five or ten years from now, we need to invest in their development today.”
