Fresh from college, members of the class of 2019 are ready to make a difference, walking off the graduation stage and hitting the real world.
Or is the real world hitting them? Research suggests it might be a little of both.
According to CareerBuilder, about 80% of employers are looking to hire recent college graduates. Yet, it still takes the average grad 7.4 months to find a job if they haven’t accepted an offer before accepting a diploma, per ConsumerAffairs.
The disconnect places employers in an opportunistic position to re-evaluate their hiring practices and ask themselves, “What do young professionals really want?”
Here are three things to consider when hiring recent graduates.
A culture for all
Ping-Pong tables and beanbag chairs aside, the majority of recent grads said a robust workplace culture – including clear lines of communication and investments in their future – is the No. 1 thing they look for in an employer, according to the LaSalle Network staffing agency.
Does your company have that? How do you know for sure? Anonymous surveys of your employees can provide insight – that you otherwise may not receive – regarding benefits of your culture and places for improvement.
Once your culture meets – and potentially exceeds – employee needs, consider taking a more hands-on hiring approach by highlighting that culture and showing candidates how they can add to their skill set by working for your organization. Share perks like on-site lunches or free parking, but also take time to capitalize on development programs and career progression.
Back to school
If your aim is to hire talented college grads, it’s time to head back to campus. Between school and job hunting, many students don’t have the bandwidth to seek employers. Solution? Seek them instead.
According to Entrepreneur, offering students a chance to solve a problem your organization has faced gives them the opportunity to not only gain real-life work experience, but allows you to find proven top talent for open positions.
You can also gain traction by attending hiring events and campus job fairs, connecting with students on social media and posting on job boards. Showing interest in and caring for students’ success is a great way to attract them to your company.
Tech real talk
With each graduating class, the comfort level with tech rises, as does their reliance and dependence on it. Incorporating tech into your recruiting, hiring and everyday processes is crucial to gaining and retaining recent grad hires.
College students expect access to first-rate technology on the job, and because of a do-it-yourself mindset, they want to be empowered to use it.
That includes their HR tech. Recent grads will not find an email chain to change his or her address as an efficient means of communication. Instead, introduce them to an all-in-one app as soon as they accept their job offer – if not even earlier, through applicant tracking – which allows them to enter, submit and update their personal HR information instantly, from their phones or computers.
Before the seniors of 2019 throw their graduation caps into the air, ensure your hiring practices are efficient and up-to-date to land the best candidates for your business.