New branding tools - The Times of Indi

Companies across the world are increasingly offering programmes known as graduate programmes or fasttrack
schemes to attract future international managers and to win their loyalty. These programmes are growing rapidly in
Europe and are now an essential part of HR policies of major multinationals.
"Large multinationals have had coaching and training programmes for future leaders for more than 40 years. These
programmes are meant for high‐potential experienced managers already working in the company . Recent years
have seen the development of new types of programmes meant to attract and train recent graduates, more
frequently known as graduate or trainee programmes," says Manuelle Malot, director of career services at EDHEC
Business School, France, who has recently published the Guide to International Graduate Recruitment Programmes,
which describes programme contents, the backgrounds sought, and the admission requirements to such
programmes .
A marketing tool for recruitment, building loyalty and for career management , these programmes are sparking
interest in the members of 'generation Y,' whose demands for international mobility and a diversity of experiences
and training are met through these programmes.
"This opportunity makes it possible for the participant to discover the culture of the company and to get to know its
specialties by assigning him or her successively to several positions in different subsidiaries and countries,
interspersed with periods of evaluation, technical training and personal development, and a dual form of guidance:
coaching and mentoring," explains Malot.
These programmes are large investments for companies and contribute to their 'employer brand.' They are
promoted as products and services and bear names that will themselves become real brands, such as Beiersdorf's
Beyond Borders, Schneider's Marco Polo, British American Tobacco's Challenge Initiative; or they are acronyms:
EADS's Progress, Maersk's MISE, Microsoft's Mach, Avery Denison's Gold, to mention a few.
What the programmes give participants is an opportunity for continuous learning and development, guidance ‐
mentoring and coaching ‐ of senior management and human resources , help them build a strong international
network and equip participants to play a larger and more strategic part in the future of the company.
These programmes are characterised by an elaborate selection process created in the service of demanding entry
requirements to integrate graduates of institutions of higher education and to foster their loyalty. They help
companies to meet their long‐term recruiting needs for those with international backgrounds and to avoid
disastrous turnover of the best new recruits, says Malot.