{"id":4303,"date":"2017-10-19T17:39:55","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T15:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jobboardfinder.com\/news\/?p=4303"},"modified":"2019-07-10T14:31:12","modified_gmt":"2019-07-10T12:31:12","slug":"top-tips-graduate-recruitment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jobboardfinder.com\/news\/top-tips-graduate-recruitment\/","title":{"rendered":"Top tips for graduate recruitment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Graduates<\/strong> are one of the most interesting<\/strong> groups of candidates for recruiters, and are a valuable<\/strong> new addition to companies. They are motivated<\/strong> and willing to get involved<\/strong> in the workforce, injecting a boost of energy<\/strong> and fresh ideas<\/strong> into your team.<\/p>\n

However, the graduate job market is fierce<\/strong> and just about every company out there wants the most\u00a0talented\u00a0<\/strong>university<\/strong>–leave<\/strong><\/span>rs<\/strong> to work for them. <\/span>Medicine<\/a> and <\/span>engineering<\/a> degrees are particularly sought after. We’ve put together a list of tips<\/strong> to help you maximise<\/strong> your efforts in graduate recruitment<\/strong>, and attract young and original talent<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Graduates\"<\/a>
Graduation day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Make it as easy as possible for them<\/h2>\n

The most important thing to remember is how many companies are directly competing<\/strong> with yours for the high quality graduates from top schools.<\/p>\n

This goes beyond your competitors<\/strong> in the market. Apart from the very specialised sectors, many companies nowadays will search for the level of the qualifications rather than the degree subject<\/strong>, meaning you are unlikely to have the monopoly of graduates in a particular field.<\/p>\n

Therefore, you want to make the process as smooth<\/strong> and simple<\/strong> for applicants as you possibly can, throughout every stage.<\/p>\n

Application process<\/h3>\n

Some graduate jobs seem to have particularly\u00a0complicated<\/strong> and un-user-friendly online systems<\/strong> to process their recruitment needs. This is off-putting<\/strong> to graduates who may be applying to several schemes at once.<\/p>\n

Your company could easily be written<\/strong> off<\/strong> because of the hassle<\/strong> of applying and lack of relevant information your website provides. Don’t let this happen! Make your system clear<\/strong>, easy<\/strong> and quick<\/strong> to use.<\/p>\n

Interview<\/h3>\n

Make graduates feel as comfortable<\/strong> as possible in interviews<\/strong>. Remember: this might very well be the\u00a0first time<\/strong> that students are putting themselves out there and trying to sell themselves. Recruiters often fall into the trap of making hiring decisions too quickly<\/strong>; sometimes within the first 5 minutes of an interview.<\/p>\n

When recruiting graduates, this could cost you precious talent<\/strong> from young people who don’t know how to formulate what they have to offer in a polished<\/strong> way yet. Give it time, be patient and try and reserve judgement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Understand what they want<\/h2>\n

Gone are the days when all graduates cared about was their\u00a0paycheck<\/strong>. Millenials in particular are much more interested in positive working conditions, general job satisfaction and opportunities for career development than salary<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This should give you an incentive<\/strong> to make sure that what you’re offering graduates really correlates<\/strong> with what they are looking to get out of a job<\/strong>. Personal development and real opportunities for learning outweigh the paycheck you’re offering.<\/p>\n

Flexible working hours<\/strong> and benefits<\/strong> are often more attractive to graduates than just the base salary.<\/p>\n

\"Graduates<\/a>
Graduates want to work for you: show them why they should!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don’t drag your feet<\/h2>\n

Graduates do not want to wait around endlessly<\/strong> to be told the next steps in your recruitment process. Many companies have a graduate scheme application process so long and slow that students are ready to\u00a0quit<\/strong> it altogether.<\/p>\n

Be<\/strong> reactive<\/strong>! You need to streamline<\/strong> the application process for schemes or else you will get nowhere. This is helpful not only for graduates, who will know where they stand, but also for your business, as it will keep you on top of candidate applications rather than waiting and letting these swamp you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Maximise your talent inputs<\/h2>\n

Internship programmes<\/h3>\n

Hiring from your company’s internship<\/strong> programme<\/strong> is the easiest and most effective<\/strong> way to keep graduate talent within your firm.<\/p>\n

Past interns will add tremendous value<\/strong> when they finish university, as they will have had an experience of working with you and proven themselves to be capable<\/strong> in the role. They will also have a deeper understanding of your company<\/strong> than other candidates and, provided they enjoyed their internship, would likely be willing to return to you. They might even\u00a0recommend<\/strong> your company<\/strong> to their peers.<\/p>\n

Employee referrals<\/h3>\n

Following on from these recommendations, your current young employees will have an expansive network of peers<\/strong> who may come from the same schools or universities. Recommendations from current staff are a fantastic way to expand your graduate intake.<\/p>\n

Not only can you rely on their judgement to suggest diverse<\/strong> and talented<\/strong> individuals, this saves you huge amounts of time and effort<\/strong> as you benefit from an already filtered candidate pool.<\/p>\n

Connect with universities and colleges<\/h3>\n

Building strong and meaningful connections<\/strong> with universities around the country can only have positive repercussions for your company. Getting your name and brand out there and visible to students means they can form a real connection<\/strong> to your identity as a business before they have even graduated, so that when they do, they turn to you for employment.<\/p>\n

Attend careers fairs<\/strong>, offer to give advice<\/strong> and speak at events, consider offering mentorship<\/strong> to students who are interested in your field and generally stay relevant<\/strong> and on the minds of the people who will soon enter the job market.<\/p>\n

Use Jobboard Finder<\/h2>\n

For both employers and jobseekers, Jobboard Finder<\/a> is the first decision-making tool<\/strong> for recruitment campaigns and job searches. Here are our recommendations for job boards specialising in job adverts for graduates and young people.<\/p>\n