You know those YouTube videos of little puppies running around? The kind where the owner lets them loose in the living room, and the pups fall all over themselves playing, knocking over lamps and scaring the bejesus out of the cat?
That’s kind of what it’s like hiring recent grads out of school. Lots of energy, lots of enthusiasm … but they’re probably going to crash into a few things and require significant amount of oversight.
However, despite the fact that these fresh faces come with some inherent challenges, hiring recent grads also unlocks a number of potential upsides. Channeling that enthusiasm can bring a significant boost to productivity, and coming directly from school, they are often a good source of new ideas and a conduit to a new generation of potential clients.
Still, getting the most out of the situation requires some managerial finesse. There are a few pitfalls you need to sidestep. With that in mind, here are three mistakes to avoid when hiring recent grads.
Mistake #1: Assuming They Are Finished Products
New graduates don’t have a lot of experience … that’s basically their defining characteristic. What they offer in enthusiasm and fresh ideas, they often lack in maturity and worldly background.
Keep that in mind as they start their tenure at your company. They might need some seasoning. Part of the reason to hire a recent graduate is to find someone who can grow with the company. Look at their youth and inexperience as a deep well of potential rather than an annoyance or a detriment.
Mistake #2: Looking at Them as Glorified Interns
Instead of forgetting their lack of experience and treating them as if they were seasoned veterans, you go the other way, dismissing them outright or completely ignoring their higher-level abilities.
In this scenario, the recent grads become mere gophers and the first recruits for low-impact assignments.
That’s a mistake. Relegating your new grads to the fringes cuts you off from a lot of meaningful talent. Treat each employee as an individual, with particular strengths and weaknesses. Recognize the things your younger hires can contribute immediately, and work with them to develop the skills that require more refinement.
Mistake #3: Adhering to a Narrow Recruitment Process
Times change quickly. Something that became standard operating procedure a few years ago might already seem old-fashioned now. In a few years, it might strike people as incomprehensible … like powdered wigs or chamber pots.
Younger applicants, recent grads in particular, will provide the vanguard of these changes. Things that strike you as wild innovations might be things they’ve done their entire lives.
All this is to say: Be prepared to show some flexibility. You can either write off an entire generation completely or come to the recruitment process ready to bend to changing trends. Finding younger recruits might require venturing onto unusual platforms or getting used to unfamiliar technology. Ultimately, the process will push you into the future, which can only help you long term.
Building a diverse team provides you with the wide variety of talent and perspective you need to operate in a constantly changing marketplace. A top recruiter, like Qualified Staffing, can help you find new team members from all walks of life.
Contact Qualified Staffing today to find out more.