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Original poster

Young staff at work

107 replies

partyetiquette · 04/07/2025 07:37

Hello this is a bit of a moan really , can't really talk about it in actual work as it wouldn't be my place to do so.
Each year, we have a set of new trainees, they are with us for between 3 and 7 months depending on their training. This last batch have been here 6 months. They are between 22 and 28. There are a team of 2 staff who look after them. These two have worked solidly for all of them for 6 months. They have also organised extra things for the trainees like birthday cakes etc A big part of their training is 'soft skills' as we do a lot of client work. The mentors have been unanimously good, professional etc. Our trainees left last week and not one of the 6 trainees gave their mentors a card, or a gift or even a nice email. The two mentors were quite inward about it and started to think maybe the trainees has been unhappy etc
Yesterday, we had a site visit from an equivalent company, the mentors there said the same!
Has this sort of normal niceties gone out of work?

OP posts:
Cheeseplantandcrackers · 04/07/2025 08:08

Our student nurses are often quite young and we always get at least a card.
We know that they’ve had a good placement well before they leave because we check in throughout and they are valued in the team. A card is nice but knowing that they have enjoyed their time with us and learned a lot is nicer !

Pandersmum · 04/07/2025 08:02

One of my children did a couple of weeks work experience in a ‘naice’ office in London. At the end of his time I asked him to take some chocolates in for the 2 people who had been looking after him. They had gone to a lot of effort. He was away from home so chose him themself from M&S. They were absolutely delighted. He was so surprised at their reaction, that I would hope he would do the same again without me asking,

BeyondMyWits · 04/07/2025 08:02

My daughter 23, is training to be a teacher, just finished final placement, has given her mentor and subject lead a card and flowers, and left a couple of tubs of chocolates - one in the admin office and one in the subject staffroom. (She did similar at end of first placement)
So not all young people are like that.

Itsallsostressful · 04/07/2025 07:59

I place students for placements and the vast majority give their mentor a card and small gift. It's lovely to feel appreciated and thanked for your support. I can see how people would worry that the experience hadn't been good if they weren't acknowledged tbh 😊

MidnightPatrol · 04/07/2025 07:49

I hire countless interns and have never received a thank you card from any of them. I have not given it much thought.

One view could be that it’s quite transactional - they are there working, being paid to do a job - so an additional thank you beyond what is said verbally to those people isn’t strictly necessary? It’s not like the trainers were doing them a favour - it’s everyone’s job?

I would find it very odd to get a gift from any of them.

BlueMum16 · 04/07/2025 07:46

You said yourself the trainees are learning soft skills. They obviously haven't learned gratitude or manners yet

Needtosoundoffandbreathe · 04/07/2025 07:44

It's this kind of experience which feeds the stereotype of young people being self-obsessed, thinking they're special and need lauding for just turning up. Where I work there's a clique of younger workers whose behaviour is loud, foul-mouthed and frankly unprofessional. At least they weren't those things.