How to Recruit College Graduates

How to Recruit Recent College Grads

Every year there is a new batch of college graduates hitting the pavement looking for their new career. Actually, there are about 6 million graduates each year. That is a lot of newly qualified individuals hungry for the American dream. So how do you get the right talent first? Here are some key tips to make the most of the college recruiting process:

Tips for Recruiting College Graduates

Think About Job Descriptions

What jobs are you planning to have for the college graduate who is looking for a great challenge? Do you have positions that have a career path? Additionally, make sure the positions don't accidentally have minimum requirements that exclude college hires. How many entry positions have you seen that say College Degree required and 2 years of experience?

Target the Schools You Want

Every school has specialties that they focus on, and produce great talent in. There are a couple of ways to target the schools you want to hire from. An easy way is to use social media to find out where your employees graduated from. For instance, would it surprise you that one of the largest number of employees from Facebook graduated from Stanford? The second is to talk to your directors and see what schools they recommend.

Related: How to Recruit & Retain Gen Z

Develop an Internship Program

If you know that you need 30 mining geologists every year, consider building intern or co-op programs with the top schools with the degree. Each school has its own requirements on co-op programs (some require rotations, etc.), but it is a great way for your teams to get familiar with the talent you could hire once they graduate.

Get Ahead of Job Fairs

The job fairs start in the early fall and the offers from your competitors often start flowing in November. Internally, this takes pre-work on the HR organization to have the summer slots for the next year already approved and ready to make offer letters.

Related: 3 Reasons You Should Consider Hiring Candidates Without College Degrees

Showcase Your Employment Brand

College graduates not only want a great job, but they want a great experience at a great company - and make sure your employment brand reflects what it's really like. Are you showcasing what makes your company a best place to work? Expect to be asked about promotion rate, community involvement, sustainability, diversity - just to name a few.

Of course, trying to put all of the tips into one blog is a bit difficult! There are lots more - like bring employee alumni to the career fairs, job postings, master Twitter feeds, have a great booth that is easy to set up and break down. There are many more! What tips do you have?

 

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