Hiring Recent College Graduates

As workers they are energetic and need extra feedback

By Judy Rakowsky, Freelance writer/editor

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.

Recruit Online

Surveys show that most recent college graduates do their job hunting online.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.
Try: Create a policy to limit personal cell phone use in the office during work hours, and add it to your employee manual.

Prepare for overly involved or “helicopter parents” who may seek to join the interview, serve as a reference, or negotiate the terms of employment. Some large companies copy parents on offer letters. You may want to restrict all discussions to the applicant alone, and let him or her deal with the parents.
Expect to answer more questions. You may have to prove what the company has to offer, to sell the job even. It may be generational, not necessarily a prickly applicant.
These applicants are not experienced at job interviews. But you are hiring an employee not a professional interviewer. So look past the rough edges or less traditional attire if other elements are strong.
Don’t be surprised if they are not ingratiating. This generation expects less hierarchy in the workplace and wants executives to earn their respect. You may hear exactly what they think of management.
As a group this generation knows what it wants and goes after it, including salary. Find out that figure and avoid losing a good candidate over a small difference.