Hollerings | Graduate

These 6 Things will help you Attract the Top Technical Grads

So a graduate might not solve your search for a Senior Data Scientist or a Lead Developer for your latest project, BUT they are available now, keen to learn and could well develop within a role at your company to become a key member of your tech team! It was reported that almost 100,000 students began a Computer Science Degree in 2015 in the UK, meaning those students are finishing up their final exams as we speak and are ready to graduate. The influx of grads is of course great news for companies that are desperate to recruit, but the bad news is it’s not always so simple to attract them to work for you over your competitors. These 6 things will help you attract the top technical grads before your main competitors snap them up!

INCREASE YOUR BRAND AWARENESS

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Computer Science grads will undoubtedly know which tech Giants to apply to. The likes of Google, Apple and Facebook for example will certainly have an influx of applications from grads eager to join but for the SME’s and tech start ups it isn’t always as simple to attract the right people. If you think you can’t compete with the big boys you are wrong, in fact a lot of graduates actually prefer to join smaller organisations rather than feeling like “a cog in a big corporate machine”. All you need to do is increase your brand awareness! To do this you need your recruitment team to act like marketers. You’ll need a solid employer brand architecture, exciting content and most importantly the right advertising options to get your brand name in front of those IT Grads! Platforms like social media are fantastic for this because they are so widely used by the younger generation. If you’re not sure where to start with increasing your brand awareness (or if you simply don’t have the time) then get in touch with our sister company JobHoller to see how they can help.

LOOK AT YOUR COMPANY CULTURE

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Company culture isn’t “one size fits all”, in fact all companies are slightly different but there are certain aspects of company culture that could help you attract IT grads. You may not be able to compete with Google’s offer of free lunches, office slides and international travel but there are ways you can introduce some “Google-esque” perks into your office. Modern décor, ping pong tables, office dogs and Friday beers look great on social media and will get you noticed by grads so think about what you have and start to shout about it! One aspect of company culture that is becoming a most wanted on graduate’s lists is the desire for a better work-life balance. If you have options for flexible working, working remotely, generous holiday allowance then you need to promote this as much as possible as it could well swing a candidate’s choice when applying for a role.

OFFER TRAINING

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A computer science degree is a brilliant starting point for any technical career, but as technology is constantly developing, and new versions of tech are being released every week it is impossible to sit still in a technical role. Certifications and qualifications cost time and money, so if you can offer external training as part of your graduate role and show support throughout their career it will go a long way to show your commitment as an employer. Plus it will benefit your organisation as your employees increase their skill-sets too.

PAY THE GOING RATE

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Just because someone is a graduate doesn’t mean you can start them off on the minimum salary, especially when the demand for IT grads is so strong. Instead investigate competitive salary rates for grads with your desired skill-set in your location and build a package around this. It doesn’t have to be purely salary either, some companies offer annual bonuses, subsidised gym membership, pension schemes and a whole range of benefits which ultimately make their offering a whole lot more inviting for a graduate candidate. Consider the first month as well, grads are likely to step out of Uni with very little money and a whole lot of debt, a small offer of subsidised train fair or parking can make a big difference to that person while they are building up their first month’s salary.

HAVE A MENTOR / GRAD ACADEMY

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The world of work can be daunting for a new graduate, especially in a big company where you are surrounded by highly experienced people. Instead of throwing candidates in at the deep end why not offer a mentor to help them settle in and support them through the first few weeks in the office. If you are lucky enough to hire multiple grads at the same time, then you could even introduce an academy style training programme to help ease them all in together.

USE A RECRUITER

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Companies like Searchability work around the clock to source the best IT and Digital candidates for clients around the UK, so if you want to make sure you find the best people before your competitors do then using a recruiter is one of the best ways to do it. The good news is if you use Searchability to find your IT Grads they will source via social media, avoiding candidates that are active on the major job boards and speaking to multiple recruiters, that way salary expectations don’t spiral out of control as a result! Recruiters can help take the stress out of finding people too, just tell them about the role, give them an insight into your organisation and culture and they will deliver your shortlist, book all the interviews and deliver your feedback. Find out more about using Searchability to find your next IT Grad here.

There you have it – 6 things that will definitely increase your chances of securing the best IT / Digital Grads for your organisation. To keep up to date with the latest available grads simply follow @ITGrads on Twitter today!

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