Tis the season for Holiday Parties, New Years Resolutions and December Graduations across the country. Congratulations to all those achieving their educational milestones! That said, it’s a perfect time for any organization to look at the opportunities new graduates can bring in 2024.
A great quote about recruiting is “Be curious. Use data. Leverage imagination. Be an expert. Be an enthusiast. Be authentic. Know your competition.” (Jim Stroud, HR Consultant, Speaker and Author of The Seven Highly Effective Habits of Sourcing). This is highly applicable when it comes to hiring college graduates. While KPIs (quantifiable measure used to evaluate an employee's overall performance), top GPA’s and Ivy league schools are great criteria, there are other elements to consider. These other elements can make a good hire a GREAT hire. Let's explore a few below. 1.Maturity
Maturity is a key element for college recruits. This candidate understands what most organizations value and can show that during the interview process. Things like punctuality, professional behavior through the interview process and a realistic salary expectation for their level of experience and education are critical to the recruiting process. Most of us have had many experiences where the candidate did not understand the importance of scheduling and reliability. Regardless of school and GPA, not valuing these things and being able to demonstrate them are a concern. Soft skills such as these are critical to the success of any organization. 2. Passion
Another factor to consider is what the graduate is passionate about and why they are considering your organization and position. What are their long term and short-term goals and are they realistic? There appears to be a shortage in tenure today with many people moving from one organization to the next without a solid reason for doing so. Many career advocates are encouraging candidates to choose a career they can be passionate about regardless of income and the income will follow. Evaluating this during the interview process can help assess the long-term success of the candidate within your culture and whether they will go the “extra mile” to attain success. 3.Work Ethic History
Internships enhance most college experiences and give students a good grasp of working in a fulltime position. We often see resumes that do not read well because a candidate only has a 6-month internship but has not had a “professional” position before that time. They may have worked at a local eatery or clothing shop. However, we would be remiss to not consider the experiences that those positions could have. This is an opportunity for an organization to “be curious.” Working in any position while getting your education can add work ethic, reliability and some business acumen to their skillset.
The current market, as it has been for some time now, is competitive when it comes to hiring top talent. The recruiting process should be intentional with a good pathway for long-term success. Considering maturity, passion and any work history can open your candidate pool and assist in choosing not only the brightest candidates; but also, those that may best fit your company culture.
Questions about hiring recent graduates? TalentRemedy has a team of experts to perform consultative and recruiting services. We can help you fill those open roles with a great recent graduate. Contact us at info@talentremedy.com or 703-362-0175 to set up a time to discuss how our team can support you.
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