How You Can Connect with New College Graduates

Seniors across the United States are eagerly searching for their first post-college jobs. No doubt that leaving campus life behind without a job lined up has caused many college students to feel anxious about their future. This time of year is also when organizations are under pressure to find and attract top new recruits. The competition over the best candidates is fierce. LinkedIn and other online employment-oriented services have made it possible for recent graduates to effectively share their resumes with the world. As a result, it’s become more and more difficult for organizations to distinguish themselves.  

Yet with over 67% of graduating college students having not yet accepted a full-time job,  there’s a deep pool of potential talent for HR professionals and hiring managers to tap into. Below, are some powerfully effective ways to increase your chances of attracting and keeping new college graduates. 

One-on-one coaching

In college, students are used to getting assignments that include clear steps for successful completion. As they enter the workforce, these students turned new hires now expect to receive immediate feedback on their work. According to Leigh Steere, co-founder of Managing People Better, LLC in Boulder, Colo., this is why one-on-one coaching can help new graduates understand their jobs better. Allowing new college graduates to practice in a roleplay or simulation with a mentor in an environment that offers real-time feedback will, according to Steere, provide them with “some amount of confidence about the mechanics of the job and the output you expect.” 

Culture counts

The Harvard Business Review reports that the top trait that Millennials are looking for in an organization is to fit in with its people and culture. Even if you can’t offer the same compensation package as your competitors, new college graduates can still be persuaded to give your company a chance. Culture counts because as Ken Staut, founder and CEO of GrowthFountain, an equity crowdfunding platform, says: “Life is too short. If team members aren’t having fun, if they don’t enjoy the environment where they spend most of their waking moments, they’ll look for something else to do.”

Tap here to onboard

In less than six months, 86% of new hires decide if they want to leave a new job. This puts pressure on organizations to effectively onboard newbies, especially new college graduates who have little to no professional experience. The most effective way to establish and maintain contact with recent college grads is through their smartphones. Technology can be used to create videos that new hires can view on their mobile devices to learn about your organization’s mission, vision, and values in a fun and engaging way. And, if your organization uses team collaboration software like Slack, you may want to create a special channel where new hires can pose questions that your team can answer.

Digitize their training

Technology can also be used to train recent college graduates in ways that are customized for different jobs and learning styles. A revealing survey found that  in-person onboarding leaves many new hires dissatisfied. Specifically, 47% of respondents wanted to be able to go through the material at their own pace and 39% wanted to be able to go back and review the content whenever they needed to. Incorporating digital training platforms into your organization’s onboarding process will give your newly hired college graduates those benefits.

Make your organization their opportunity

College graduates may leave campus life with a great deal of knowledge, but their workplace skills may be weak. Because of this, 87% of recent college graduates believe that the opportunity for professional development at an organization is crucial. It’s important that after your team hires top notch graduates to create development opportunities for them. There are many popular ways to foster a young person’s career development, including job shadowing, job swaps, and time swaps.