When to Start College Recruiting – NOW! - American Society of Employers - Anonym

When to Start College Recruiting – NOW!

Back to school time usually means summer vacations ending and heavier traffic on your way to work, but does it also mean time to start college recruiting?  Traditionally the end of the school year and graduation season kick-starts the hiring of college seniors, but a new survey by the Futurestep division of Korn Ferry says by then your organization will be late to the game and will have already missed out on top candidates. 

Over 60% of the respondents in the survey said that autumn of a college student’s senior year is the best time to conduct college recruiting for employers. Only 15% thought that the spring before graduation was optimal, and not a single respondent thought that waiting until graduation was ideal.  But why should organizations start recruiting perhaps before some colleges are even back in session?  According to Adam Blumberg, Vice President, Key Accounts, Futurestep, “In our experience, students who know what they want to do and are driven to pursue their career goals while still in school make the strongest employees. Solid recruiting programs start early and focus on securing the most qualified talent months before they actually graduate.”

When asked for the top attribute looked for when hiring a new college senior, 61% of respondents chose drive and passion.  That attribute is certainly evident in college seniors who are applying for jobs and going on interviews before they even receive their last syllabus.

If you are looking for a way to start recruiting ahead of graduation a college internship program seems to be a good start.  63% of organizations reported having a college internship program and 88% of those organizations cited the primary reason for the program as a way to help identify the best students to hire upon graduation.

When recruiting soon-to-be college graduates, keep in mind that many students graduate with excellent technical skills, but might lack the softer skills required to succeed in the workplace. Only 42% of respondents believe that recent college graduates have the necessary skills to succeed in their first professional job, and 55% have a formal on-the-job training program for them.  ASE’s Salaries for Co-Op Students and Recent College Graduates Survey reports that the top three perceived shortcomings of recent college graduates are: 1) career expectations (62%); 2) adaptation to work environment (60%); 3) compensation expectations (47%).  When hiring recent college grads, be sure to have a continuous onboarding program in place that offers soft skills training and career paths for these new workers.

The ASE survey also reports that nearly three out of four respondents (74%) say their company has hired, or plans to hire, a recent college graduate in 2017.  Don’t miss the boat – start now!


Source: Korn Ferry


For more on this topic tune in to WWJ Newsradio 950 this Thursday, August 24th at 7:00 p.m.  ASE president and CEO, Mary E. Corrado, will be speaking with Murray Feldman about what Michigan employers are seeking in college graduates.

To obtain a copy of ASE’s 2017 Salaries for Co-Op Students and Recent College Graduates Survey, members should visit their ASE Dashboard. This survey is available free of charge to ASE members and for $525 to non-members. Non-members please contact Kevin Marrs.

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