7 Tips to Attract New College Graduates to Your Team
Every year, millions of new job candidates enter the market, excited to take on a new challenge and begin their careers. With Boomers leaving the workforce en masse, Gen X and Millennials are ascending to leadership positions, so new graduates are needed more than ever to fill entry-level positions.
New graduates offer tremendous value to a company; they are enthusiastic, brimming with fresh ideas, willing to learn, and intimately understand what consumers in their generation are looking for.
There is fierce competition for graduate talent; employers plan to hire 31.6% more new college graduates from the Class of 2022 than they hired from the Class of 2021, according to a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
So how can you position your company to beat out the competition and attract applications from recent graduates?
Here are a few ideas:
Advertise where the grads hang out. Look beyond Monster and Indeed and advertise on entry-level-specific boards such as College Recruiter, Scouted, and Entry Level Jobs. Set up a booth at your local Campus Career Fair.
Partner with your local college or university. By creating dedicated new grad programs offering on-the-job training, mentorship, job rotation, and career path guidance, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with students before they graduate.
Communicate your purpose and values. Candidates are paying attention to the details and want to work for a company that aligns with their values and goals. Make sure you have a compelling brand story and well-defined company culture and showcase your diversity and inclusion efforts.
Emphasize your learning and development program. If you’re going to attract top graduate talent, you absolutely need a robust development plan in place - this will assure candidates that you take their careers seriously and that they have a bright future ahead of them at your company.
Focus on social media to spread the word. A strong social media presence means you may attract the attention of an about-to-be graduate who hasn’t officially started looking for a job yet.
Set up a focus group. If you’ve employed graduates before, use them as a sounding board. How did they hear about you? Why did they join your company? What keeps them at your company? Use what you learn to inform your approach going forward.
Create a careers page on your website that will appeal to grads. Showcase benefits, flexible working arrangements, development opportunities, and of course, your company mission and values. If you have recent grad employees, feature testimonials from them.