Tips for Hiring Recent College Graduates in 2021

Summer is here and thousands of college students are graduating. With an economy reopening and companies looking to hire employees, competition will be intense. While businesses want to hire the best employees for the job, it is also necessary to cut down on overhead. Salaries are one of the ways that companies can decrease these expenses. When you need educated employees but don’t want to pay for the experience, hiring college graduates will provide a great way to strike this balance. Here are some tips for hiring college graduates in 2021.

Hire for Growth

One of the most important things to keep in mind when you are hiring college graduates is to hire with growth in mind. This means that the position you hire them for may not be what they end up doing in the end. It can feel risky to hire someone fresh out of college, but it isn’t if you keep their skills in mind and help them grow into the future. This is a great option because it gives businesses the opportunity to train the employee in any way they see fit. It is an advantage because as the employee grows, they will be trained to your liking. This is why you should always think about and ask the graduate what their plans are for the future.

Use Background Checks

You might think that all college students have a clean record with the law, the IRS, and other entities, but that isn’t necessarily the case. It is always a good idea to utilize background checks to your advantage. This method can not only illuminate if the prospective employee has been in trouble with the law, it will also show whether or not they are being honest about their work history, education, and other details about their resume. It’s a perfect metric for discovering whether or not they have been honest with you and if they will be trustworthy in the future.

Do Research on Starting Salaries

If you’re not used to hiring college graduates, you should do some research on the starting salaries. You can probably pay the starting employee less than the person with experience. Another option is to hire them for a slightly different position then you need and give them a raise when they are ready to take on the role. You can also offer the graduate a little bit more than your competitors to have access to the highest-quality graduates.

Attend College Events

As colleges let out for summer, there will be hiring and career events taking place at the school. If you are interested in hiring graduates straight out of college for an internship or an entry-level position, attending a college career event will provide a lot of candidates to choose from. Some of these events are specifically designed for particular careers and others are more general. When your company is looking for employees to hire right out of school, go straight to the source.

Focus on Training

A great way to ensure that your college graduates will do well in your company is to focus on their training. While they probably have no experience, think of your new hires from college as blank slates. You can train them exactly how you want to be trained. Another advantage is that you can hire graduates for entry-level positions and promote the employee currently in that position. Then the promoted employees’ first task will be to train the new hires. Focusing on training will enable you to cultivate amazing employees who will grow with the company.

The job market is fluctuating and college graduates are entering a whole new world. While companies want experienced workers, hiring college graduates provides a way to pay lower salaries and train the new employees to your liking. While the economy is uncertain, hiring college graduates can be a great way to overcome obstacles and help the business create a strong team that grows with the company. So many people need jobs and businesses are looking to hire new employees at a reasonable cost. College graduates are a great way to find educated, intelligent employees that can be molded to the company’s preferences and training. It’s an option to be overlooked.