By: Hanif Hemani

Adding New Workers? Check Out The New Grads.

With summer right around the corner, business leaders will soon be seeing dozens of resumes from new graduates cross their desks. Many companies have begun preparing to add these entry-level professionals to their workforce, while others have already started the hiring process.  And, it appears that this year even more employers are taking advantage of everything new grads bring to the table.

Hiring Increase Predicted
According to Forbes, a study conducted in August and September of 2014 found that the hiring of new bachelor’s degree graduates is expected to increase by 16 per cent. USNews similarly reported that two other studies predicted an increase in new-grad hiring, with the National Association of Colleges and Employers expecting an 8.3 per cent increase.  Even out of the 65 per cent of organizations that told The Society for Human Resource Management they had not yet hired any 2015 college grads, almost three-quarters still foresee hiring graduates this year. “We are beginning to see entry-level hiring pick up”, explained SHRM Survey Program Director Evren Esen. “Compared to recent years, 2015 college graduates can be optimistic in their job search.”

Businesses Benefit From New Grads
Not only is this good news for the job-seeking grads, it’s also good for the companies doing the hiring. While some business leaders are wary of hiring employees fresh out of college, smart employers understand these new professionals have a lot to offer and can greatly benefit the workplace. Their youthful energy and knowledge of what’s popular among the younger generations can be instrumental in shaping effective marketing and sales campaigns. New grads are also known for their enthusiasm and hope for the future, which can translate into hard work and the willingness to tackle big projects. And, with the constant need for innovation to stay ahead of the competition, the youngest employees are sometimes a company’s greatest assets.

A Job Offer Isn’t Enough
With the rise in college graduate hiring, though, employers are also going to have to work harder to attract and keep this new talent wave. Forbes found that simply getting new or upcoming grads to accept the job offer doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve committed to you and your company. It’s now recommended that employers, “after making a new hire, devote effort to making them feel wanted before their start date.” Some ways to keep a new hire’s attention and build loyalty include maintaining communication through emails, phone calls, or social media, and providing relationship-building opportunities either in person or through social media sites. The more ties that are created between the new hire and employer, and the more often they’re reminded of why they want to work there, the less likely they are to take another job offer elsewhere.

This may sound like a lot of effort to go through in order to bring a young, inexperienced professional to your team. However, the war for talent has been going on for years, and now that hiring is picking back up, businesses can expect to have to fight a little harder for the top talent graduating from college this year. And, in light of all that new grads have to offer, it could be well worth it.