It’s the end of March, which means the end of the academic year is just around the corner. As highly trained and eager IT graduates are about to enter the job market, your company should have a plan in place to attract these qualified, eager candidates. Below, we take a look at what your organization can do in order to attract the best and brightest of the IT grads.
Be an Organization that Nurtures Employee Development
First and foremost, recent graduates are going to be looking for an organization that can provide them with the opportunity to advance their professional careers. In addition to growing their technical skills (which we’ll address in the next section), they’re looking for an organization that will promote their development. This means, as an organization, you should be implementing exercises and employee training programs that place an emphasis on growing and nurturing the soft skills that are vital for continued business success. Areas of focus should include communication, accountability, planning and prioritization, creative thinking, emotional awareness, and knowing when to ask for help.
Another great way to nurture employee development would be by offering a mentorship program. This provides the younger worker a chance to learn from a seasoned veteran – someone who has been through the ropes. This will enable them to gain a better understanding of the company and give them the opportunity to learn from someone with first-hand experience on the proper way to conduct business. The experience gained would be truly invaluable.
Offer Career Advancement Opportunities
The majority of recent graduates, if not all, are looking for an organization that offers career advancement opportunities. For those in the technology sector, that means they’re looking for a place that will allow them to work with and expand their knowledge of new and emerging technology. For organizations that cannot achieve this organically you’re not without options. In this case, you should be investing the time and effort into making sure they see you care. Achieve this through providing:
- Networking Events – In this scenario they’ll have the chance to mingle with and learn from other industry leaders and experts within their chosen field.
- Skills Training and Seminars – The benefits to this are numerous. It promotes increased job satisfaction, motivation and morale among employees. It increases efficiencies in processes, which can result in greater financial gain for the organization. And it increases the capacity of the employee to adopt new technologies and methods.
- Candid Employee Performance Reviews – Performance reviews that provide positive feedback on ways they need to improve encourage the employee to become the best possible version of themselves. It’s a win/win outcome.
Provide a Flexible Working Environment
Last but certainly not least, and possibly above all else (yes, even above title and salary), the younger generation of tech workers is looking to be assessed on the quality of their work (how well they’re able to perform and deliver) not the quantity (the amount of hours they sit behind a desk). That means they’re looking for a work environment that promotes a positive work/life balance. Your organization can achieve this by offering flexible working hours or even work from home options. Studies have shown that a good work/life balance has helped employees avoid stress, mental exhaustion and burnout. Recent college graduates, especially the most sought after, know these options exist elsewhere so this is what they’re seeking.
So as The Graduation March begins to play at colleges and universities throughout the nation, and around the world, follow the above advice to place your organization in the best position possible to attract the most promising IT grads.
