Yes, we know it’s March. But let’s fast forward a few weeks and take a look at the month of May and why it’s an important time of year for the HR and staffing world.
But first, some fun facts! May is a month that’s filled with lots of notable & historical events for our country:
- The United States Post Office was established.
- Cheerios cereal was introduced to supermarket shelves.
- Alan Shepherd became the first American in space.
- Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
- The first Star Wars movie was released in May 1978.
The list goes on and on, but you get the idea.
So – what happens in May that’s of interest to our industry? U.S. colleges and universities graduate thousands of students from their hallowed halls. These grads are eager and looking for work. And you might be looking to hire them.
What can you do to attract the top college grads who can contribute to the long-term success of your organization? First, you need to understand what they’re looking for when it comes to an employer.
A poll of 15,000 Millennials (60% still in college/40% recent grads) conducted by Collegefeed (now part of the AfterCollege social network for job-hunting college students and Millennials) shared the following insights:
- When asked which top 3 companies they’d like to work for, poll respondents answered with Google (top spot), Apple (2nd spot) and Facebook (3rd spot). Other companies making it into the top 10 included Microsoft, Amazon, eBay and LinkedIn. Many are brands that are frequently found on ‘best places to work’ lists.
- The top 3 things that millennials look for in employers are #1) people and culture fit, #2) career potential and #3) work/life balance. Coming in fourth place – compensation.
- Despite many big companies having on-campus recruiting programs or job fairs for attracting college grads, nearly 70% of poll respondents said they hear about companies primarily through friends and job boards. Hearing about companies on college campus came in a distant third around 45%.
What’s to learn from these insights? If you want to attract college grads to your organization, keep these tips in mind:
Have a clear brand and mission
Promote your company’s mission, values and goals. Most college grads want to work for a company that has employees and a culture they can relate to and fit in with. If you’re a good match, they’ll give you top consideration as a potential employer.
Promote opportunities for growth
Opportunities for career growth are important to college grads. They like challenges – and the chance to conquer them. If you make it known that advancement opportunities are available to them, it’s likely they’ll be more interested in working for you.
Embrace digital communication
College grads are digital natives – masters of paperless communication. It’s vital to connect with them in the digital space – via your website, job boards, social media and LinkedIn. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, current and visually engaging. And make sure there’s a simple, direct way for a prospective employee to reach out to you – through email, your website and other social channels.
Be responsive and direct
Be clear, transparent and direct when communicating with college grads. Also, the younger generation craves instant gratification. The more responsive and to-the-point you can be when communicating, the better.
If you’re looking to add to your workforce this spring, connect with us! We work with a wide range of motivated job seekers every day – from entry-level college grads to skilled senior-level professionals. Read our testimonials to see what some of our clients have to say about working with us.
Sources:
http://holidayinsights.com/history/history05.htm
https://hbr.org/2014/03/how-companies-can-attract-the-best-college-talent