What is the “New GPA” and How Can Employers Use it to Support Young Professionals?

I like to joke that, at least here in New England, organizational leaders are jamming in as much business activity over the next month as possible leading up to the inevitable holiday hibernation period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

So I totally get why this early-mid Q4 is an especially hectic time of the year.

Glancing outside at the breathtaking fall foliage, inhaling and exhaling, I am keenly aware of the old adage, the only constant is change. And, if you’re anything like me, you’re reflecting on what has worked well this year and what you would like to improve on next year– both personally and professionally.

If one of your goals is to work more effectively with young professionals in 2025 and beyond– this month’s Blog is especially for you!

Young people between the ages of 18-29 are arguably the most untapped and underutilized human resource on the planet. These emerging adults are often driven by purposeful (meaningful vs. menial) work but may lack direction and/or mentorship. Whether they hold a college degree or not, many of them never got a “professional foot in the door” before COVID hit and are now hungry for positive change.

Here’s where YOU come in! You’ve been wanting to attract more young talent to your organization (let’s face it, their fresh perspectives can bring new opportunities!) but you’re concerned they don’t have the skills and abilities you need and, frankly, you don’t have the time to train or support them.

So you hold off until next year. And before you know it, next year’s leaves are falling off the trees…

One of the biggest issues I’ve seen, especially since COVID, is young people struggling with the school-to-career transition. Many students are so focused on maintaining a high GPA (Grade Point Average) in an academic setting that they fail to gain practical work experience that requires what I have named the “New GPA” (Goal-setting, Productivity, and Accountability) – a much more enticing proposition for employers!

Our On-Track GPA Framework™ provides career-motivated young professionals with the tools to maintain high work performance, which is a key decision-making factor for today’s employers.

This framework (yes, Visions Internships' secret sauce!), the essence of our popular On-Track program, is outlined below:

• Goal-setting is best done at the beginning of the work week. We help young professionals set 3 “SMART” (S = Specific, M = Measurable, A = Achievable, R = Relevant, and T = Time-bound) goals based on their supervisors’ priorities.

• Productivity measures how much value is delivered (output) in relation to resources invested (input). Knowing personal wellbeing greatly impacts one’s productivity, we do 1:1 check-ins mid-week to make sure our participants are OK and have what they need.

• Accountability can be a rewarding experience when participants can share their (W)ins, (A)sk questions, and set (G)oals for the following week. We acknowledge their efforts and support them in emailing their supervisors a mini “WAG” report by the week’s end.

For more information about our On-Track program, please Reply to this email with “On-Track” in the subject line or feel free to Book a Connection Call with me to discuss this and other Services for Organizations designed to help you meet your goals.

To Your Success!

Amy