15 Compelling Reasons to Hire Graduates

It's that time of year again: graduates nationwide are celebrating with Instagram posts of their hats in the air and are now setting up their LinkedIn profiles. As they step into the job market, companies can benefit from using advanced document management systems to efficiently handle the influx of applications and streamline the hiring process.

Some graduates have likely been job hunting for six months. With the economy still feeling the effects of the Covid-induced downturn, both recruiters and candidates are under significant pressure. Utilizing effective recruitment management systems can help streamline the process and alleviate some of this stress.

So, without further ado, here are 12 definitive reasons why you should hire graduates this year:

Why hire graduates?

More cost-effective

Due to their lack of experience, most graduates don't expect an exorbitantly high starting salary. Of course, that doesn't mean you can just pay your graduates a wage that's well below market rate! Generally speaking, graduates in the UK earn between £18,000 and £28,000 per year (depending on the role in question - some roles, such as in banking, are significantly more expensive).

Highly motivated

Graduates have studied for years to gain a better position in the job market and most are highly motivated to prove their place in the business environment.

It takes hard work and a lot of commitment to decide on a degree before the age of 18 and to see it through for 3 or 4 years. This level of commitment would undoubtedly benefit a company. This is where a little healthy competitiveness can come in. The fresh work ethic and motivation can inspire your existing employees to step up and can bring new energy to the workplace.

Striving for growth and development

According to our recent Graduates at Work Report, an overwhelming 94% of graduates surveyed viewed work as an opportunity to hone their own skills. This eagerness to hone one's skills opens the door to new innovations that benefit the entire company.

In addition, 80% of respondents consider the prospect of career advancement to be very important. This provides employers with the opportunity to offer training and secure a valuable team member who actually wants to grow and improve.

Perfect for small businesses looking to grow

It follows that a graduate's drive and motivation is particularly useful for businesses looking to expand and develop.

Graduates' ambition can help to move a small business forward much faster, especially if it means their future career development can be enhanced.

Fresh perspectives

Hiring graduates brings a fresh eye and new opinions to old projects. Having spent the last 3 or 4 years learning critical thinking skills, most graduates will be very curious when starting a new role.

They will be able to notice things that existing employees seem to miss, or question methods that have been in place for years, helping to make your business more efficient.

Expert knowledge

What graduates may lack in years of work experience, they make up for in specific areas of knowledge.

A degree means acquiring in-depth knowledge of a particular subject, but with graduates more common than ever, they need to excel in other ways too, such as: through work experience, excellent social skills or a good fit with the company culture.

Another advantage is that, having grown up with the Internet, most graduates today have excellent knowledge of digital technology, the Internet and computer usage compared to those who remember life before the Internet. Young graduates also know more about upcoming trends, whether they are Internet-based or not.

Motivation and engagement

In our Graduates at Work survey, 86% of graduates surveyed preferred meaningful work to a high salary. Employees who derive motivation from the work itself often demonstrate higher levels of engagement, driven by the realisation of the impact their contributions have.

Young graduates (we like to think of them as diamonds in the rough) have the potential to make significant contributions with the guidance and support they receive. A company that gives its graduates the opportunities to work, grow and develop is investing in its own future success. These graduates have enormous potential to advance within the company and quickly become extremely valuable team members shortly after joining.

Inexperienced

Unlike other new employees, graduates are less likely to have developed bad habits they may have picked up in previous jobs (unless you count living on beans on toast).

You can be taught your preferred way of working from the start, which will benefit the business the most, and are likely to learn this much faster than non-graduates.

Value Benefits

The flexible student lifestyle means many graduates are afraid of starting the dreaded 9-5 job.

With more flexible hours, work from home options and rewards later, graduates may be a little less afraid of entering the working world. Little things like a working lunch or a good supply of biscuits will be a luxury after 3+ years of budgeting and scrimping.

Transferable Learning Skills

Many of the soft skills graduates learn at university are transferable to business. During their studies, students will be required to create and deliver presentations, write coherent and persuasive arguments, collaborate on group projects, prioritise their workload to meet deadlines and many will be required to work with data or unusual computer programs.

They are also more comfortable with change; see how well many of this year's graduates are handling a global health and economic crisis. Many are excellent independent learners and also cope well with less than ideal work environments such as crowded university halls, meaning they are good at tuning out office conversations and getting down to work.

And finally, thanks to all their social media and online know-how, graduates are good at juggling a conversation, their work and an online interaction all at once.

In today's world, social media visibility has become a norm rather than an exception.

Most graduates are experienced social media users, meaning many of them can provide new insights and find new opportunities. Their digital skills position them as potential catalysts for increased visibility and resonance of the company's message across different platforms.

The benefit of using employees as brand ambassadors cannot be overstated. Brand ambassadors actively promote company-related content on their personal channels, significantly improving the company's social media presence and adding credibility to its messages.

Adaptable

Graduates can not only work hard, but can also work at anything. The education system requires one to overcome many hurdles to advance, so graduates are better prepared to make a good impression in the professional world.

While your current employees may find some tasks unglamorous or beneath them, a graduate will jump at anything you offer them as they will be more open to new opportunities and will do much more to gain new experiences.

In addition, graduates are less likely to have to start a family or take on long-term household responsibilities. For some, this is their first taste of life outside of the education system and they are ready to pack their bags and head out to wherever you need them.

Can try out their work

Is there anything worse than making a hiring decision and regretting it a few months later? Well, yes. But it is still a huge inconvenience and expense.

Graduates are eager to gain work experience in any way they can and are often open to internships.

Whether these are paid or not, they are a no-strings-attached way to see how someone works. If you think they'll be a good fit for your team, you can offer them a position. If not, there's no major financial or time resource loss. Think of it as a worker preview.

Come with their contacts

Students have a completely different pool of contacts to those already working at your company. You can use this novelty to your advantage; graduates can easily connect with lecturers, other graduates in a wide range of career fields, companies they've already gained work experience at, and professional family contacts. You never know when they might come in handy.

In addition, hiring graduates could lead to further commitment to their university, which can be mutually beneficial for both business and the university. This would give you greater access to new employees and groundbreaking new research and collaboration opportunities. For example, if you find that your field of work is lacking a certain talent pool, you can raise this with the university and they may agree to offer additional programs for their students to better support them in the job market.

Return on Investment

While it may take some time to get your graduates up to speed initially, they can quickly become a valuable asset to your team. You have the potential to retain a college graduate for the entire duration of their career, allowing them to thrive in your company over the long term.

Compared to hiring employees with 10 years of industry experience, hiring a college graduate often brings a higher return in the long term. At the end of the day, in the increasingly competitive job market, they will be forever grateful that you gave them their first real job, and what could be more rewarding than that?

Hiring graduates offers numerous benefits, from fresh perspectives to cost-effective solutions. Tools like IceHrm streamline the recruitment process, ensuring you find the best candidates efficiently and effectively.