Students and graduates? How to spot and hire entry-level talent

Livia Rusu28 mai 2023

Autumn is the best time to hire! According to a LinkedIn study, most job offers are posted in October, 89% being filled in less than 4 weeks! With so much competition, how can you be sure that you’re attracting future top employees? We will share a secret with you: focus on entry-level talent.

The fact of hiring entry-level talent brings quite some benefits to your company: if you can identify, promote, and reward top talents, chances to lose them to the competition will fall. But these candidates have no experience whatsoever and that’s why recruitment for entry-level might be a little bit different than your specialists’ one. But have no worries, Jobful prepared some advice for you to be able to identify, hire, and keep in your company the best entry-level candidates, following 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Attract

The young generation is used to find EVERYTHING online. Including you, your company, and your job opening. Are you ready for it? For recruiters and HR Managers, we have 2 pieces of advice if you are looking to hire entry-level talent:

1# Invest in your employer branding – Make a talent magnet out of your company. The best way to attract candidates is to work on your company’s image. Just think about what would interest them more: maybe interesting projects, a flexible schedule, or remote working (given the current situation) and make sure you’re one step ahead of your competition, regarding these details too.

2# Job descriptions in their language – Your message has to get to students and/or recent graduates. You have to understand your audience and adapt your message so it could reach as many people as possible. Gen Z is entry-level now and it’s very different from Millenials – so getting creative, offering training and plenty of growth opportunities will be your winning strategy.

Step 2: It’s a MATCH!

After sourcing candidates, interviews are next. How exactly do you choose them? Jobful experts say you should focus on their attitude and skills, to make sure they’re fully compatible with your company. How to find them:

1# Extracurricular activities volunteering, internships, passions. During interviews, try to find out what activities they were involved in, for how long, and how well they align with your domain. Furthermore, their passions and the way they choose to spend their free time will tell you a little more about their personalities and even about their time management.

2# Gamification Through gamification, you don’t just suppose how skilled the candidates are, you KNOW. Such an approach will bring you 2 benefits: you’ll offer a new, fresh experience, adapted to candidates’ age and interests and you’ll know for sure if they have the set of both hard and soft skills that you’re looking for. Win-win. Jobful hops in too, with many challenges and academies, for an unforgettable recruiting experience!

Step 3: Be a keeper!

1# Each with his/her rhythm – Entry-level employees are like flowers: some bloom rapidly and show their potential right away, while others need a little bit more time to adapt to their new life. Give them time to adapt and reach their true potential – that will help your company flourish, too!

Recruiting entry-level talents may seem difficult, but with the advices above, we’re sure that you’ll be able to attract, hire and keep the most talented candidates.

Curious how to spot the best candidates when looking to hire entry-level talent? Book a demo and let’s talk about your hiring strategy.

About

Livia Rusu

Digital Strategist at Jobful. Firm believer in education, powerful insights and businesses that bring solid advantages to the table. Hates buzz words. Runs on coffee, and is a high school debate coach in her spare time.