Onboarding of recent graduates
Imagine this: You have the technology. You have the plans. But your team is stretched to breaking point. The project should be in full swing, but you are missing your hands and the clock is ticking.
This is what reality looks like in many Danish companies right now.
Recruitment processes drag on. Ambitious plans are being postponed. And as the competition runs on, you're waiting for the “perfect profile”.
But what if the solution lies not in more seniors, but in new forces that can create speed from day one?
Experience is not everything: pace, curiosity and ownership can weigh more heavily
The new graduates in 2025 are far from green. They grew up with digital tools, AI and data, and they are used to experimenting, collaborating and creating results in practice. They come with:
- Experience from case projects, innovation and company processes
- A sharp understanding of technology and natural adaptability
- A learning mentality where “I'm learning it” replaces “I've done it before”
It's an energy many companies underestimate, but which can be the difference between keeping up and leading the way.
Onboarding as a growth engine
Taking in a recent graduate is not about taking chances. It is about investing wisely in the key employees of the future. When the onboarding process is structured and clear, they can contribute from day one:
- They translate theory into practice in real projects
- They create momentum in development work
- They relieve key people and add new energy to the team
It's not “cheap resources”, but new knowledge at high speed. For many companies, it has been a wake-up call: recent graduates can be worth their weight in gold if they make the framework succeed: “We see again and again that the companies that succeed best are those that dare to give the new graduates a clear responsibility from the start. Once the framework is in place, the results come much faster than many think,” explains Sourcing Specialist in KOLLAB, Kathrine Bahnsen.
Recruit potential; create results
Traditional demands for three years of experience may seem safe, but they close the door to a growing talent pool that thinks and works in new ways. The best results occur when the company dares to recruit for potential – and use onboarding to build the experience together.
It requires a change of mentality: from “they must be able to deliver from day one” to “we must make it possible to deliver from day one”. When the framework, expectations and learning curve are well thought out, it rarely takes many weeks for the first results to appear: “Many are surprised at how quickly the new graduates gain a foothold. They come without old habits and with a curiosity that makes them incredibly easy to onboard – especially in tech and data roles,” elaborates Kathrine Bahsen.
Jumpstart: a shortcut to the next key employees
KOLLAB's Jumpstart program has been developed exactly for the companies that want to act before recruitment comes to a standstill. Here, selected newly qualified candidates are matched with roles such as Project Manager, BI Consultant, Developer or Change Manager in a flexible try-&-hire course of 6–12 months.
The result is that the companies are given the skills they have lacked for months in a few weeks. Candidates who grow into the role and stay. And teams that experience that less experience sometimes is more speed: “Jumpstart is created based on a real need we see again and again: Companies have the technology and vision in place, but lack their hands. With Jumpstart, they get both talent, pace and security in one solution,” she continues.
Customers experience the effect on their own bodies
The companies that have used Jumpstart are not only experiencing faster recruitment, but faster business:
“Jumpstart allowed me to quickly start a project with few risks, as well as the ability to create value, before potentially adding the fixed costs of a new employee.” – Anders, hiring manager, EDC
“KOLLAB has been really good at finding profiles we wouldn't have gotten otherwise. It has created great value for the entire organization.” – Christoffer Rahbek, Vestas Wind Systems A/S
Several of the companies that have tried Jumpstart tell the same story: That the journey starts as an attempt – but quickly becomes a fixed part of their recruitment strategy. Once they experience how quickly the candidates create momentum, the model becomes difficult to do without.
And Kathrine Bahnsen recognizes that image, which on a daily basis matches candidates and companies in the Jumpstart courses: “We see the same pattern in almost all Jumpstart courses: the candidates contribute from day one, and many are employed permanently because they have already proven their value.”