Quality and Productivity: New Hire Delivers Double Win
A Halifax software company is delivering better software in less time, thanks to an employee it hired fresh out of college.
Becca Solomon-Smith, the head of Quality Assurance at Garvin-Allen Solutions, which serves the insurance industry, says recent hire Zachary Dunn is making a huge difference.
“Zac saw an opportunity and took the initiative to develop an automated software testing portal we didn’t have before,” says Solomon-Smith. “Now we use it every day. It has reduced human error in software testing and refined the quality analysis process. It’s making us more efficient and helping us deliver better quality software.”
Hiring Dunn was made easier with the Graduate to Opportunity (GTO) program, which offers 25% of a grad’s first year salary — 35% if the grad is from a recognized diverse background — and 12.5% of their second-year salary.
The GTO program is available to small businesses, start-ups and non-profit organizations. Complete applications are typically approved within five days.
Recent graduates bring with them most updated skills, fresh ideas and the zeal to prove themselves.
“The learning curve is a little bit higher for someone coming right out of school but the enthusiasm is fantastic and he’s made a real impact on the company,” says Solomon-Smith. “I’ll do it again in a heartbeat.”
Zac graduated from NSCC in 2020 and wanted to find a meaningful career close to home with a local organization.
“When I came to know Garvin-Allen was hiring I jumped at the opportunity,” says Dunn. “I’m really enjoying myself here. They’re giving me a lot of room to grow and I feel like I’m making a real contribution.”
It didn’t take long to make an impression.
“Zac can do anything he puts his mind to,” says Solomon-Smith. “I hope he never leaves. I don’t know what I would do without him.”
Zac has shown Garvin-Allen what a new grad can do. The company hired another recent grad for its team last month.
“Earlier we used to look only for people with experience. Now, we are more willing to bring on recent graduates and train them on the skills we are looking for,” says Solomon-Smith.
To date, more than 1,000 organizations like Garvin-Allen Solutions Ltd. have hired recent graduates across Nova Scotia using GTO funding. If you haven’t yet, it is time to see what a recent grad can do for your team.
