What a wonderful time of the year — flowers are blooming, the grass is turning green, and new college grads have sprung! Lucky for these new grads, they’ve graduated during a great economic time. The job market is hot, unemployment is low, and according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2019 Spring Update, employers plan to hire 10.7% more Class of 2019 graduates than they did from the Class of 2018.
The challenge for employers now is to attract and retain this fresh group of talent. Below are a few things for employers to keep in mind when looking to hire new grads.
1. They are entry-level
Don’t overlook their resume based on natural bias for experienced candidates. Look to see what jobs or internships that they held while they were in school, what groups they were involved in, and what projects that they worked on. These will be indicators of their work ethic and skills while their specific knowledge comes from their education.
2. Relax on the requirements
If you want to attract new college grads, the list of requirements for the entry-level job will need to change. Only list a few of the absolute must have requirements and relax on the things that can be easily taught. Instead, list some of the transferable skills that are needed for the position.
3. Have a job portal specifically for new grads
Show new grads that there is a place for them at your organization by having a portal specific for new and recent grads on your career site. This is a great way to kick off a great candidate experience with your organization.
4. You need to interview them differently
Because new grads lack direct work experience, hiring managers will need to perform behavior based interviewing techniques to identify transferable skills.
5. Provide training and mentoring
Having a strong training and mentoring program for new hires is very important to new grads. They’re not going to walk into the office and be an instant pro, and you shouldn’t expect them too. Be prepared to mold them into your ideal employee.
Happy Hiring!