They come in with promise, potential, and the right intent.
But somewhere between onboarding and execution, something
quietly breaks.
Not because they lack capability.
But because they’re not really trained, properly.
In many workplaces, especially in fast-paced functions like
communications, freshers are given tasks, targets, and timelines, but not the
depth required to execute them well.
Take something as simple as media outreach.
A fresher may be told: “Pitch this story to journalists.”
What they may be often not told is:
- Which
journalist is relevant
- What
they typically cover
- How
to tailor the pitch
- What
not to say
The result?
1. Brand impact suffers
A poorly targeted pitch doesn’t just get ignored, it can damage credibility.
2. Confidence takes a hit
When effort doesn’t translate into results, freshers begin to doubt themselves.
3. Work slows down
Managers end up redoing work and firefighting, losing more time than they
saved.
Here’s a small incident that stayed with me.
Years ago, interns were often asked to update media lists, going through newspapers and noting journalist names, contacts, beats, and story types in Excel (perhaps this still happens).
At an agency I worked at, I noticed an intern doing this
reluctantly. When I asked why, she said, “I’ve done my Master’s to do this?
This is such a menial task.”
That’s when it struck me, no one had explained why.
To her, it was repetitive, low-value work.
But when I explained that this task was foundational, that
teams rely on these lists to reach the right journalist, saving time, avoiding
mistakes, and protecting brand credibility, her perspective shifted.
She returned to the same task with far more focus and
ownership.
That moment reinforced something important:
People don’t resist work. They resist work that doesn’t
make sense to them.
And this is where most people get it wrong.
Delegation is not training.
Explaining what to do is not the same as teaching how and why.
Training requires intent, context, and time.
Because when you invest that time early:
- You
build independent thinkers
- You
reduce errors
- And
you create professionals who represent your brand better than you expect
In my experience, the best teams aren’t the ones with the
smartest hires.
They’re the ones where seniors take ownership of developing
talent.
Because freshers don’t fail organizations.
Organizations fail freshers, when they assume potential is
enough.
If you want better outcomes, start with better training.
#Leadership #WorkplaceLearning #TalentDevelopment #TrainingMatters
#FutureOfWork #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeExperience #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations
#MediaRelations
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