Recruit fresh graduates! According to a survey by the Robert Half staffing firm conducted among employers across Canada, 76% of senior executives are likely to hire those who recently graduated from a college or university.
“Lack of experience”. This reproach addressed to new graduates has had its day. With the situation of full employment making it necessary, employers no longer see a lack of experience in the field as a disadvantage when going through resumes.
Canadian employers even see as “very likely” (30%) and “somewhat likely” (46%) the chances that their organization would hire new college or university graduates in 2019. Barely 7% would dismiss them outright… It is unclear whether these employers have (or don’t have) staff turnover issues.
Considerable benefits, a “winning” generation
Beyond the context of difficulty in recruiting, employers note real benefits in turning to new graduates. They would consider them as “enthusiastic about starting a new career” (34%), fertile in “new perspectives and ideas” (27%) and as candidates who learn easily and are easy to train (24%). Surprisingly, ease with the digital age and the technical skills frequently attributed to young people were only cited 14% of the time.
These four benefits seem to be a consensus, since only 1% of employers preferred to choose “other” as a reason motivating them to turn to recruit fresh graduates.
“The 2019 cohort is fortunate to arrive in a strong and competitive hiring environment, where new perspectives and up to date skills are valued by employers,” said Greg Scileppi, President, international staffing activities at Robert Half. “While this may mean that a range of opportunities are offered to new graduates, this context also indicates how a positive attitude, the motivation to learn in the field and a taste for new challenges are essential to attract the attention of hiring managers.”
It remains for candidates to put these qualities forward, without being embarrassed by the lack of depth of their past experiences! The job market is ready and receptive.
Conducted by an independent specialized firm, the survey by the Robert Half global staffing firm collects responses from more then 600 senior executives from across the country.