With the 2020 graduating class about to hit the employment market, now is the time to take a second look at this new pool of talent.

Yes, we know that a resume showing  a series of part-time jobs doesn’t always add up to the 2-3 years of work experience that up to now has been a screening must.  But at a time when no segment of the candidate marketplace should be overlooked, it might be time to take a second look at your experience requirements.  For jobs where a fresh perspective and high levels of motivation or technology skills are needed, a new college grad might be the just right hiring decision! Here are some benefits you’re likely to get from choosing a new college grad over a more experienced job seeker:

New College Grads are moldable.

They have no bad habits that need to be reprogrammed, no baggage coming from how they’ve been treated as an employee in the past.  If working for you is their first job, your culture will be the only culture they know.  Train them well, and you’ve made an investment in your future.

New College Grads are technology gurus – I mean gurus!

They often will use their technology skills to get more done in much less time.  Need some help in internet research or social media?  A new college grad can quickly fill that bill.  And don’t worry about what resources you do or don’t have in place to train them on your industry specific software.  They’ll learn it quickly.

New College Grads actually know how to multi- task.

Let’s face it, the younger you are, the more you’ve grown up in a world where the ability to multi task is a must.  A new grad has spent the last 4 years listening to a professor in class, while researching a topic with their smart phone, all while texting a friend about where to meet for lunch.  While us older ones grew up with the belief that multi tasking is a mythe, my sense is that apparently these young brains have been pressed to do more and have re wired themselves to do that.   You’re not likely to hear new college grads complaining about being  asked to handle multiple  people or tasks at the same time.

New College Grads are enthusiastic, energetic and motivated.

Most don’t have a lot of outside responsibilities.   They have college loans to pay off.  They are personally motivated to make their first job a success – to get started on their next adventure. We find that new grads are often willing to do work or accept assignments that more seasoned professionals are not.  For example, jobs that have some menial components, require travel, or long working hours are often hard to fill with a with a seasoned professional who is moving away from those tasks, but would welcomed as a special “opportunity” to a new college grad.

New College Grads are already trained to deal with a workplace built around diversity and inclusion. 

Their world has been all about diversity for a very long time.  They’re educational experience has put them in numerous team settings reflecting a wide range of ideas, perspectives, and ethnicities.

New College Grads can provide valuable insights …

….into  the new and up and coming communities of customers your company is either already serving or will be soon.  They know this customer group well.  And when it comes to thinking differently about how work gets done – be prepared to hear their fresh ideas! Last but not least…

New College Grads often cost less.

Most new graduates realize they don’t have the experience or knowledge to command a top of the scale pay rate.    This gives employers the opportunity to hire an employee with more upside potential than they might otherwise be able to attract.   For a new grad, money is often secondary to “getting their feet wet”…a strategy we think is very well placed.

Many of the six figure resumes we see today are coming from candidates who just 5-8 years ago were new college grads who began their careers in very entry level roles.

We just saw a resume from a candidate who graduated from college in 2014.   She started her career just four years ago as a receptionist.  After taking advantage of several opportunities to “step up”, last week she accepted a position as a marketing specialist earning well over six figures. The message?  There is a lot to be gained from selecting your first or second job based not on the money you can earn, or its “perfect job content’ – but on the opportunity each new assignment would give her  to grow her skills and talents.   PACE Staffing Network is a  2017 and 2018 Best of Staffing winner and a leading Northwest staffing and recruiting agency.  PACE has been helping  local employers find and hire talented employees for core and temporary roles for over 40 years.  To contact the PACE team call 425-637-3312 or email us at  infodesk@pacestaffing.com