Recruiting Strategy
5 tips for recruiting graduates during the summer season
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Summer is great time to kick-start your graduate recruiting. What will help you set yourself apart from the competition?
School's out for the summer, but that means the work starts for recruiters. The class of 2017 are done with education and making their way into the working world. As graduates are now looking for their first opportunity, it is the time for recruiters to strike. Here are a few tips for recruiting graduates and interns.
A good working relationship with colleges could ensure a steady stream of graduates or interns. Get in contact with colleges recruitment services' or relevant departments, as they may have work placement programs or may be offering credits for work experience.
This sort of relationship can be beneficial in the long term, ensuring you have a constant source of well qualified new hires. Colleges also often have several recruiting events every year, which are a fantastic way of recruiting graduates.
Image: UCC often hold recruiting events where companies can meet promising graduates
This is not just for huge technology companies, who hire dozens of graduates each year
Come up with a graduate program
This is not just for huge technology companies, who hire dozens of graduates each year. No matter how big or small your company is, an established program will help you to appeal to potential hires.
Graduates will be seeking meaningful work, so the promise of a training program within the industry, as well as career development, will have a huge appeal. By taking time with your team to develop project plans or potential goals, you can easily develop a program for recruiting graduates.
Image: Check out Gradireland where companies often advertise graduate programs
Various studies have found that millennials value a good company culture and flexibility, over a high-ranking job that does not offer these benefits. To appeal to graduates, consider what your company can offer them to achieve a better work-life balance.
Programs like work from home, or time off from work to do charity work appeal hugely to potential candidates. These may well be already in place at your organisation, so do not forget to include them in job advertisements or marketing materials.
By determining their relevant skills, you can take more time to assess their soft skills
A change of tactics when interviewing and screening
Graduates may only have done one or two interviews before graduation. They may have had summer jobs or done internships, so they may struggle to give examples from past jobs or draw on past experiences.
A good solution here is getting them to demonstrate skills. Maybe include a small project as part of the application process or ask them go through their portfolio in the interview. By determining their relevant skills, you can take more time to assess their soft skills.
Where to find graduates and interns
The days of advertising jobs in the newspaper are long gone, but when hiring millennials, even tried and tested recruiting strategies may be a waste of time. Social media may be the way to go here. Graduates use social media platforms like Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram widely, so they may be worth including in your strategy.
Dedicated careers social media accounts are often a point of call for graduates and many will follow industry related accounts. By engaging with potential candidates, you may easily build up a talent pool to refer to when hiring.
Image: Ernst and Young advertise their graduate opportunities via dedicated Twitter accounts
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