Why Your Business Should Hire a Recent Graduate

Any recent graduate has experienced the struggle that comes with searching for a new job. It can seem impossible to find an employer willing to take a chance on you. If you need experience to get a job but need a job to get experience, you can be caught in a stressful and discouraging cycle. From the perspective of an employer, it can also seem risky to hire a recent graduate who may have excelled in an academic environment but have not yet proven themselves in the working world.

Despite this, hiring a recent graduate can be a strategic move for an employer willing to think long-term and invest in their employee’s growth.

Organizations who avoid recent graduates altogether often miss out on high-quality talent because of preexisting assumptions that young and inexperienced candidates pose too much of a risk. Recent graduates can provide an employer with several notable benefits, making them worthwhile additions to teams across any industry.

Hiring for Character

Although some organizations view skills and experience as the most important quality a new candidate can have, there is significant value to be seen in hiring for character.

While new hires can be trained and upskilled, character is not something that can be taught.

The right hire in many roles is therefore one who has good work ethic and seems to fit well with an organization’s existing team, rather than one who has spent a couple years in the industry but lacks drive.

In small businesses, these impacts can be felt even more acutely than in major corporations, making it essential for business owners and recruiters to consider the personalities and motivations of candidates rather than just the items listed on their resumes.

Willingness to Learn

While it may seem obvious, recent graduates are fresh out of school and, as such, are both comfortable with and accustomed to learning new things. This can translate into a true willingness and ability to learn on the job.

Related blog: Why Hiring a Recent Graduate Makes Sense for Many Canadian Businesses.

Recent graduates can absorb new information and concepts quickly and do not typically struggle with the learning curve that older or more experienced hires may face. The adaptability of recent graduates just beginning their careers can therefore be very valuable to organizations willing to train them on the skills they’ll need for success.

Enthusiasm and Energy

Being new to an industry, recent grads often bring high levels of enthusiasm and energy with them to a new job. There is, of course, the enthusiasm at having secured a job, but there is also a general desire to learn about the industry and apply recent post-secondary learnings to new tasks. This can result in process innovation within an organization as dynamic new team members bring new ideas to organizations of all sizes. The ambition of recent graduates makes them motivated, resulting in a desire to succeed and impress more experienced team members.

Government Funding to Support Hiring Recent Grads

Businesses are eligible for Canadian government grants to support the hiring of recent post-secondary graduates. Taking advantage of these funding opportunities is another way in which hiring recent graduates can be a strategic move for a company.

Hiring grants can be used to help companies offset onboarding and training costs as well as to offer more competitive wages in order to attract new talent.

If you are interested in learning more about funding opportunities that are currently available, please register for an upcoming Hiring and Training themed webinar!