A Business Guide To Finding The Very Best Graduates To Hire

October 16, 2015

There are thousands of young graduates leaving university every single year. These people are smart, talented, and passionate. The right ones will be a fantastic addition to your team. They’ll work hard and passionately alongside you and your colleagues. Their insight into the younger generation, digital communication, and technology will be invaluable.
Unfortunately, not all graduates are created equal. There are now more people leaving university with degrees than ever before. These are Generation Y millennials, and that comes with certain tricky employment options. Most of them are ambitious, but want quick promotion options. They want flexibility, and excitement in their jobs. And if it’s not the right job for them, they’ll be gone in twelve months. So, how do you find a brilliant, long-term graduate?
Build a relationship with the right institutions
Certain university institutions excel in particular areas of study. Highlight the top rated institutions in your industry or business sector. Now, start building a relationship with that university, and the relevant departments in particular. Visit the university early, host events, and make yourself known to students. Start identifying the best possible candidates from the early pool of recruits. It’s one of the best lessons your business can learn.
Boost your online presence
Generation Y live their lives through social media. They don’t hunt for jobs in the newspaper, and they don’t often get out and speak to recruiters. Instead, they use Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to find the right jobs. The best graduates will find it easier to engage with you, and give you a boost in the job hunt.
Look for enthusiasm and passion
As graduates, your candidates won’t have a lot of credible work experience. What they will have is sheer passion and ambition. During the interview process, look for key signs of genuine passion and interest in the industry. Remember, if they’re not excited and ambitious within your sector, they won’t stay very long. Passion will ensure they stay loyal and work hard.
Recruit from talent academies
More and more graduates are going through a talent academy before, or just after, they graduate. It helps put prospective candidates in real-world scenarios regarding jobs. It mentors them and coaches them about the world of business, and invites them to motivational speaking seminars. Many put their students through a mock hiring process and give them feedback. Candidates who’ve been through a talent academy already have a keen insight into your world. Read more about talent academies and consider partnering with one to find your graduates.
Offer internships
Most graduates instinctively look for internships as a step in the door to their preferred industry. Don’t be afraid to offer these work experience placements. The best graduates will line up to take them. Make sure you comply with internship legalities, and we do suggest offering a reasonable rate of pay. If they perform well during the internship, you can start to bring them in as part of the team.
That’s all for today, folks. Have you got a team of fantastic, passionate graduates? How did you find your best candidates?

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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