While hiring college students, a common but faulty perception exists - that college freshers are blank canvases, waiting to be filled with your corporate wisdom. companies often hire college students with promises of compensating them for their time and effort with “exposure” and “work experience”. There are times when even great managers can make rookie mistakes while hiring these young, energetic, and slightly clueless minds. So no, it is not the lack of experience or the absence of email etiquette that should keep companies from hiring promising college freshers, it is these reasons below:
To pay or not to pay (the interns)
It's not uncommon for interns to be overworked, underpaid or even not be paid at all. In smaller setups and in certain industries (especially publishing, advertising & startups) they become integral to the organisation’s work, and take on responsibilities meant for full-time employees. Companies are faced with two options - the first is rolling out a full-time offer (with full-time compensation), and the second is getting comfortable with the current situation and not creating enough budget leading to losing a great team member. Your interns can be a great investment of time and money because they’ll understand your work and culture the best and will make for great culture carriers IF you are ready to appreciate their potential.
So no - do not hire a fresh college grad if you want cheap talent or are okay with a high attrition rate among freshers.
The art of smart investments
Reiterating the previous point, one reason companies might hire fresh grads is the perception that they are an inexpensive workforce. Now, while we all for making smart budget decisions, companies must avoid the temptation of squeezing every last penny out of their entry-level talent. Fresh Grads are very often the keenest to make the most impact and carry your company to success, paying college freshers fairly and investing in their training is a smart and might we say - a small investment considering the long-term success of both the individual and the company.
So no - do not hire a fresh college grad if you are unwilling to invest the time and resources to train college freshers - interns or full-time hires.
If you’re foreseeing a mismatch of expectations:
While, fresh grads might have unrealistic expectations about their starting salaries, job responsibilities, or career progression, companies are also usually nervous (sometimes even ambiguous!) talking about the same. Clear communication and managing expectations are crucial to help mitigate this issue, ensuring both parties are on the same page.
While it might be tempting to hire the top of the class based on CGPAs and communication skills, companies must spend time trying to understand whether the topper is viewing your company/the role/industry as an aspirational or is just thinking of you as a stepping stone towards something they view as more aspirational. This is the number 1 reason companies face high attrition amongst their campus hires. Hiring someone with lesser CGPAs or less proficiency in English may be challenging initially, but if they are genuinely passionate about your industry/company, it can yield a higher ROI in the long run.
So no - do not hire a fresh college grad if you’re unsure about what is a realistic expectation for your fresher or want to hire only toppers
No bandwidth for soft skills coaching
College freshers often come armed with a wealth of theoretical knowledge and an eager attitude, but they might lack some essential soft skills initially. Perhaps communication skills can be improved and culture can be ingrained, but it’s a long game to teach your sales intern - resilience, your marketing fresher - creativity or your Finance hire - attention to detail. Although it is a fact that nobody is born with the perfect balance of hard and soft skills and it's all part of the learning process, when you hire employees on a tight budget and with demanding goals, you should consider replacing the class topper hire with a culture-fit hire.
So no - do not hire a fresh college grad if you’re expecting them to have all the soft skills beforehand or you do not have the bandwidth to coach/mentor.
Ignoring Perspective: A Missed Opportunity
More often than not, companies underestimate the value and insights of college freshers. They often come from diverse backgrounds, bringing unique perspectives to the table. They make up for their inexperience with their tech savviness, innovative ideas, enthusiasm and creativity.
So no - do not hire a fresh college grad if you are not open to adapting or your business processes have little scope for innovation.
In conclusion, the aim here is to highlight the pitfalls that companies can fall into while hiring freshers. It's important to recognize that like any employee, freshers have unique strengths, weaknesses, and untapped potential. By offering them a fair chance, mentorship, and guidance, you can help shape them into successful professionals. After all, college freshers aren't just blank canvases; they're vibrant, eager and ready to make their mark on the corporate world - with a little bit of help along the way!
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