Five Tips for Hiring College Graduates in 2021

Businesses of all kinds are hiring new employees in 2021 and college graduates are trying to get hired. While there are a lot of college graduates from 2020 who still haven’t found a job, 2021 graduates are joining them. This means that if you are looking to hire entry-level workers, there are plenty of candidates. Competition will increase and a lot of prospective employees will be willing to take a pay cut to get started in their position. While it may sound easy with all these graduates looking for jobs, there are still some things all businesses should do when they are looking for entry-level employees. Here are five tips to hire college graduates in 2021.

Carefully Look Over Resumes

Since college graduates usually lack experience, the hiring team should carefully look over resumes. Sometimes these candidates are clever and frame their experience in a way that looks better than it is. While you want the resume to be impressive, you should also be cautious when it looks too impressive. With an unemployment rate that could have reached as high as 16 percent, all kinds of people are looking for work. If you are looking to hire an entry-level graduate, read their resume carefully to find the right candidate.
Look for candidates who have experience that matches the culture you are looking to foster.  Because college graduates may not have a lot of professional experience, look for experience in other aspects of their life.  For example, if you are an auto parts manufacturer looking to hire an engineer to design auto parts it would be advantageous to hire a candidate who has experience with cars.  Maybe their resume lists that they are president of a car club or lists that they have experience working on and building cars.  

Research Salary Trends

With the job market and economy fluctuating like it is, it’s vital for your company to do some research on salary trends. This will provide a great way for your hiring team to determine what they should offer college graduates for a position that doesn’t require experience. Obviously, the pay is lower if the person doesn’t have prior experience in what the job is, but a lot of positions don’t require it. Not only will you have a better handle on the situation if you put the time into research salaries, you’ll know when you can offer someone less. While you’re not trying to get high-quality work for cheap, every business needs to keep overhead down if they are to thrive.

Use Background Checks

While most college graduates won’t have a criminal record, using background checks will provide a great way for the company to tell if the candidate is honest and trustworthy. Background checks don’t just provide criminal history, they offer information on education, employment verification, tax issues, and much more. Usually they are used as a metric to determine if the person is being transparent. It’s a great thing to use for college graduates because many of them are tempted to embellish their experience. Every business should utilize this tool, whether they are hiring entry-level workers or not.

Offer Internships

A great way to see if the candidate is right for the job is to start them on an internship that could eventually become a full-time job. Most college graduates will take this opportunity because, at the very least, they will be able to put the internship on their resume. Over the period that they are interning for you, you will get to know their personality, work ethic, intellect, and more. By the time they are finished with the internship, you will know if they are the right fit for the job or not. If you’re cautious about hiring entry-level workers, an internship is a great way to test the waters.

Provide Training

Perhaps the most important thing to do when you are hiring college graduates is to provide the training that they will need to succeed. If the new employee doesn’t get proper training, they will have a hard time learning the job. Furthermore, a college graduate is a blank slate who you can train to your specifications. Once you hire the entry-level worker, be ready to train them and create an employee that knows the ins and outs of your business.

It is a time that many companies are hiring. Not everyone wants to hire expensive workers with a lot of experience. Sometimes you need workers who are fresh-faced, motivated to learn, and able to take on new tasks. There are disadvantages to hiring college graduates but there are also many benefits. Learn about those advantages and find the right person for the job with these five simple tips. You will be able to hire employees who will grow with your company. 

 

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