Graduation Season: How to Attract New Grads for your Entry-Level Positions

Lately, the weather has been getting warmer and spring is declaring its presence. For recruiters, this change of season will bring about another new class of college graduates. New grads are passionate and eager to work – they will no doubt bring a fresh energy to your office. However, as you’re putting out your job posting, hundreds of other companies are also fighting to fill their entry-level positions with the most competent new grads. Don’t want to miss out on hiring new talent? Try considering the following points as you prepare to recruit some new grads!

Include Crucial Information but Keep it Concise

Hundreds of entry-level positions are available on job-posting websites at all times. As new grads comb through websites like LinkedIn and Indeed, it is likely that they are spending more time clicking “Next Page” rather than reading them carefully. Make sure you are using the right keywords and not just diving into whatever buzzword that comes to mind. There are many SEO tools online that can help you figure out which job titles are being searched up most often and would be relevant to your posting. If you are specifically looking for new grads, make sure you include that in your job title!

As much as you want to find the perfect candidate for your position, it’s important to remember that it is highly unlikely for a new grad to have years of experience and a long list of professional skills. Traditional job ads with a long list of requirements can scare away many candidates. Studies find that many applicants, especially women, do not apply for a position unless they feel 100% qualified. Remember, many hard skills can be trained on the job! By placing more emphasis on finding a right fit for your company, rather than someone with the longest list of skills, will bring more benefits to your team in the long run.

Company Culture & Benefits

On top of salary and work experience, which is no doubt very important, millennials are looking for more from their jobs now. Your job ad is not only a place for you to describe what you want from a candidate, but also a place to highlight what you can offer at your company. What is your company culture like? Do you have unique traditions or celebrations? How is the work-life balance? How are you keeping your employees connected with one another during the prolonged WFH period? These are points that will make you stand out from your competitors in your job posting.

Coming out of school, millennials lose a lot of the previous student benefits and protection that they’ve enjoyed. Therefore, another key factor that would attract new grads would be benefits offered – show how your company cares for your employees outside of work. What is your health insurance policy? Any dental insurance? This is also an additional method to showcase your work culture. For example, if your office is filled with active employees, offering a gym membership would be a great addition to one’s regular paycheck!

Show Them the Potential

Let’s be honest, most people do not want to stay in an entry-level position forever. Show your candidate where they can work up towards from the current position! By pointing out a clear direction, you are able to provide some guidance and clarification for those ambitious new grads. Furthermore, by giving them space to advance, you are more likely to be able to keep these new hires longer. Avoid employee retention issues by making sure your entry-level candidates are reaching not only their financial goals, but also personal and career goals.

For start-ups competing for talent, consider offering stock options! Not only is this monetarily attractive, it also provides a greater sense of inclusivity and involvement in the job. Now, the new grads are not only working for the paycheck, but also for the overall development of your company which directly relates to the equity that they would receive.

Keep the Connection

Just as it is extremely competitive to find an ideal job upon graduation, it is just as competitive for companies to recruit the best talent from each year’s graduating class. We hope that this blog can give you some inspiration for your preparation in hiring upcoming college graduates and find the perfect fit for your company. For those that you do end up turning away, consider writing a rejection letter. Many new grads are intimidated by the job hunting process, and being ghosted never feels nice. As they are just entering the job market, it may be a good idea to keep a relationship with them. You never know when you might cross paths again!