In 2021, the world of hiring has turned upside down. Most of the organizations stopped hiring as soon as the pandemic hit, as no one really knew how the future would look like. But now that things are normalizing and people are getting back to their daily routine, the hiring industry is also picking up at a fast pace.
But lately, we’d been hearing and reading about how tech giants, especially FAANG, have been bolstering their hiring. That’s not to say that thing have changed, far from it.
It is aptly clear that the practices that used to work in the pre-pandemic phase aren’t reliable anymore. The work pattern has shifted, so the strategy should, too.
When it comes to hiring recent graduates and freshers, the strategy has to be altered further. Because where freshers might lack in experience, they compensate in potential. So, it is your job, as a recruiter, to find potential candidates. Now, the question arises, what is it that FAANG recruiters are doing that is working for them so well. Is it just their brand? Well, not so much.
The young workforce is professional and smart. They choose a profession before selecting a masters. They undergo internships in the same field or do a part-time job and get work experience before they start working. In short, students and universities have taken good measures to strengthen their end of talent supply chain. So hiring strategy has to be alined as well.
Here’s what recruiters are doing to engage today’s graduates:
- Providing Growth Opportunities: The first step while hiring graduates is to get the best people to interact with the students. In simple words, show that if they work with you, they will get to work with the amazing people and learn and grow in their careers. The current best talent in your organization can be a ladder of growth for candidates.
- Good Candidate Experience During Recruitment: Several candidates appear for the sake of experience. A good recruitment experience can speak volumes about how seriously you want the candidate to come onboard.
So even though initially they might not be sure about joining your organization, they’d feel confident about it after the experience. For instance, you can use and online skill assessment platform such as imocha to ensure that your candidates have a hassle-free test experience.
This way, you’d also be able to spot the candidates that are best suited for your organization.
An effective and transparent assessment can help you attract and retain the best talent.
- Use Social Media Smartly: If, as a recruiter, you can target them smartly based on their interests, what they like, and what they search for, you can engage them better.
Targeting sites like Quora can be put to good use to engage them into reading more about your organization. Add meaningful and valuable content for candidates so that they value your brand in return.
According to Accenture’s strategy report, 59% graduates would trade salary for a good company environment. So, leverage social media to show your working environment, perks, culture, and other benefits that help you move beyond the clutter.
- Employ Necessary Branding Measures: Branding, in a nutshell, is how people perceive you. So, it is tantamount for you to keep your best foot forward. How well students perceive your brand will determine the amount of applications you receive.
Some brands have an advantage as their products are useful to students and, hence, students give certain brands more preference. But for others, how you narrate your brand story can also act as a talent magnet.
- Learning and Development: Learning is a constant process an employee needs to adapt if they seek growth. Today’s youth focus on upskilling and chase growth and learning opportunities early in their careers. Learning and development activities are strategic for developing good leadership for the future of your organization as well as retaining the talented workforce.
Formulating a comprehensive strategy to engage today’s youth is a challenging work for any employer. It requires resources and time to design activities in line with the aims and goals of fresh graduates and their academia. Despite of the challenges, successful engagement of today’s graduates is vital as they bring with them a youthful perspective, which every organization needs to remain relevant in this ever-changing world.