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Every year around this time, a new group of young people graduates with a degree of their choosing with eager anticipation of getting their first big job. If your company is looking for fresh faces to fill your growing organization, then you want to lure in these hungry go-getters.
However, while you know that there are people out there looking, it may be necessary to adjust your recruiting and hiring processes to be attractive to this new class, especially as you hire globally where it is always best to reach out to a recruitment agency China, for example. Let’s talk about some strategies and perks that the recently graduated are looking for and how you can hire them in 2021.
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
As a first step to recruiting the recently graduated, you want to make sure that your job descriptions are in working order. Many of these young people have never held a job before, so they don’t know what to look for. The best thing you can do is make the listings and expectations clear from the start. General guidelines include:
- A descriptive job title so the applicant knows exactly the position for which they are applying.
- Required tasks should be clear and descriptive.
- Mention chain of command and potential promotional opportunities.
- Talk about the positive culture at your workplace.
Listings should also mention certain soft skills that are required for a position. Developing soft skills should be an important part of any student’s growth, and the clearer you can be about which skills you want, the better. These skills cannot always be taught but are important for the role, like communication skills for customer service positions and critical thinking for project-based roles. If certain soft skills will help an applicant succeed, add them into the listing.
CHANGES IN PAY
The new graduating class is a bit of a different breed. As young people who haven’t been in the working world very long, they may be used to getting things when they want them. On top of that, many are graduating with mounting student loan debt and the fear of defaulting on their loans. Defaulting on student loans can damage credit severely, so if your organization can come up with a way to pay your workforce faster, you could attract more of the recently graduated.
Many companies are looking into earned wage access, which is a process using cloud-based computing to offer immediate access to employee earnings around the clock. Think of it like a bank account where your staff can take their funds out at any time. If your company can separate itself from the pack with this process, you could attract more young people and create a workforce that is less stressed about finances.
On the point of student debt, your organization can come up with a potential selling point on that front as well. By adding tuition reimbursement as one of your benefits, you can draw in young people who know that they need extra schooling to reach their professional goals. If you really want to separate your company from the crowd, then join the growing list of businesses that help employees pay off existing loans.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Once you have your job descriptions and benefits set up, the final step is to find and recruit the recently graduated. Some young people may not know where to look for jobs so you can start by going to them. Many colleges have job fairs for their graduating class. Consider setting up a booth and get to know potential candidates right there on the spot.
It is also a smart idea to advertise your job postings on social media. Many graduates will be online trying to network with their friends, so this could be prime real estate. Create attention-grabbing posts and spotlight the benefits that your organization provides.
Of course, you should also post your job listings on career sites like CareerBuilder, Monster, and Indeed and get their attention with your well-written job titles. Maintenance on these listings is key. Repost the positions whenever you need new people and discontinue them when the positions are full so you don’t give false hope.
Many companies get excited about graduation time because it means a new group of potential candidates is on the horizon. Play your cards right and you could attract the best new faces of the graduating class.