Hiring of recent college graduates is on the upswing as companies tap a talent pool with the communications skills for the online world and the ability to adapt technology to their employer’s purpose. But along with savvy come candidates who are more accustomed to frequent feedback and who may want more work-life balance than their parents had. Recruit recent college graduates because:
1. They are comfortable with cutting edge technology.
2. They know how to work in teams and see success in group effort.
3. Many – up to 80 percent of the hiring pool – already have done internships or adaptable community service.
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Recruit Online
Surveys show that most recent college graduates do their job hunting online.
I recommend: Many use popular job sites such as
Monster,
Careerbuilder, or
CollegeGrad.com. There are also entry level job sites that are accessed with a password only through college career offices, such as
MonsterTRAK,
eRecruiting and
NACElink, sponsored by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. But don’t stop at passive recruiting, put up a page on
Myspace and similar sites these candidates frequent.
Reach out to local colleges
Contact local college career counselors to find out how you can get involved in on-campus job fairs and other hiring events.
I recommend: You can look up colleges in your state at
Yahoo! Develop a list of target schools and keep the school year schedule in mind. Spring break is an excellent time to conduct interviews and don’t forget about the early graduates who finish school in December.
Prepare the package
Millenials, as the generation born between 1982 and 1995 are called, tend to look at the entire picture of a job. So be ready to answer questions not only about salary and benefits, but about the computer hardware and software you offer and even whether the company allows employees to do community service on company time.
I recommend: Check
www.vault.com or
www.payscale.com for comparisons.
Do your due diligence
Despite warnings from college career counselors, many students and recent graduates have posted embarrassing material on their blogs, Myspace and other sites. Find it before a client sees salacious content on your new sales representative. Do this, of course, in addition to criminal and other background checks.
I recommend: For a small fee online companies such as
KnowX.com will do a background check. You can also do a quick
Google search on any candidates to find personal Web pages and links to Myspace pages.
Pay Attention
These baby boomer offspring have been heavily stimulated and supported, from preschool graduation to daily cell phone contact with mom and dad during college. Does that fit your workplace culture? Watch out for candidates who could become easily bored in the available job.
I recommend: Create a policy to limit personal cell phone use in the office during work hours, and add it to your
employee manual.
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