The Ultimate Guide to Hiring Graduates
Are you a top-level SaaS, Fintech, or other tech company planning on hiring graduates? The graduate market is definitely competitive – and not just between the graduates themselves, but also the companies looking to hire them.
Statistics show that of both fresh and existing graduates of working age in England, 87.4% were employed in 2021 – a 0.4% increase from 2020. This shows that the graduate labour market is a fruitful one in terms of employment rates, and this can probably be attributed to graduates’ specialised skills and knowledge that prove them to be an asset for certain companies.
If you’re looking for graduate recruits from the top universities and with relevant skill sets, look no further than Timberseed’s recruitment services in helping you source graduates, making the graduate recruitment process far simpler – and refined – for you.
We match your company’s needs with our network of graduates, hailing from Oxbridge and Russell Group universities, ensuring that any job opportunity that opens within your company can be fulfilled successfully by a graduate with the necessary skills.
Get in touch with our team to learn more about our services for talent seekers.
Why should a company hire graduates, exactly?
Depending on the company and the job role that you’re hiring for, a graduate may potentially tick all of the essential and desirable criteria that you’re looking for – especially for specialised roles that involve specific skills and knowledge.
After all, those who have graduated from medicine are more likely to obtain a role in the medical field than non-graduates who have zero experience or academic knowledge. Additionally, graduates will also have spent the remainder of their university experience bracing themselves for the beginning of graduate job hunting.
Recent graduates are arguably easy to mould, fresh from university and eager to learn about the professional and working world that, unless they had undertaken a student placement during their time at university, they would have little to no understanding of.
University students are taught the knowledge and skills needed for a career in an industry that is related to their degree – this means that, once they have graduated, they possess a great deal of potential within their degree-related industry.
At Timberseed, we help graduates of any discipline, regardless of their degree, find graduate jobs that’ll lead them to professional success. Therefore, graduates do not necessarily need to have an industry-specific degree to apply for roles at Timberseed, widening our graduate market.
What do employers look for when hiring graduates?
When hiring graduates, other than the candidate fulfilling any essential criteria that the role asks for, employers also look at graduates’ enthusiasm for the business and a passion for the role. There are some expectations when it comes to graduate hires, particularly that they have already attained transferable skills through their time at university.
A graduate’s CV is extremely important and it is, of course, what employers look at when combing through job applications – thus, the first indication of a potential candidate’s competence will be determined by how they’ve pitched themselves through their CV. This should list relevant skills, experience, and their university degree and their achieved grade.
However, as above, you may be looking for certain attributes that showcase how candidates will fit into your company’s culture. In order for candidates to prepare, it’s therefore important that your brand values and any quirks of the job are outlined on your website – if not, at least within the job advert itself.
To show how they would be an ideal match for the role, good candidates will prepare the how and why. It is drummed into them since university that this is what employers are looking for – that’s why it’s essential that you give them a clear idea of exactly what the job and environment entail during the early stages of their application.
The team at Timberseed know how nerve-wracking it can be once graduates have entered the graduate job market, which is why we are committed to fostering their skills and their passions so that they are matched in positions that are meaningful to them.
What are the advantages of hiring a fresh graduate?
A fresh graduate is almost like a blank canvas – after graduation, some graduates find themselves lost and unsure of what career path they should choose, despite graduating with a degree in an industry-specific field.
This is where Timberseed develops their skills that can be used in any industry and role – and thus, these graduates can be moulded to become the perfect fit for employment at top companies in the technology sectors.
As a result, once graduates are placed in your company, you can expect the cultivation of a long-lasting and loyal relationship since they are passionate about the industry and are keen learners.
Hiring a fresh graduate is a long-term investment, meaning that, as an employer, you are looking to help our graduates grow in their professional career, providing them with the tools to help them progress upwards on their career ladder.
When successful in a job application, that job will most likely be the first professional job for a graduate straight out of university, meaning that these graduates are more pliable and can be shaped to become the ideal employee.
You can expect Timberseed graduates to offer new and refreshing perspectives, with creative and out-of-the-box ideas that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. In addition to this, graduates are tech-savvy, which makes them a foolproof choice when it comes to tech-related roles, whether that’s in Fintech or a graduate job in Edtech.
What skills do Timberseed graduates bring to a business?
At Timberseed, graduates are given tips on not only improving their interview etiquette and CV, but also how to further develop their skill sets for their desired career. Timberseed is dedicated to the future success of our graduates, which is why we provide them tailored support and introduce them to companies like yours.
In particular, our graduates possess necessary soft skills such as:
- Time management
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Problem solving
- Interpersonal
The above list is not exhaustive and does not represent every single soft skill that Timberseed graduates have. However, it does help to paint a picture of the general transferable skills that our graduates possess that make them a more attractive candidate in the graduate job market.
With access to our talented network of graduates, you may also find that certain graduates have role-specific hard skills like:
- Analytical
- Technical
- Project management
- Presentation
- Specialised skills such as coding, photo and video editing, or fluency in a foreign language
- Digital literacy – knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
These are skills that they may have learned from previous experiences, but primarily through their university life and extracurricular activities, meaning that you have the opportunity to seize raw talent and aid them to prosper in their professional career.
No matter what skills our graduates put on their CVs when they send them to us, we ensure that these skills are honed and enhanced so that they become the ideal candidates for graduate roles. Our nurturing of only the best candidates means that they become a valuable asset to your company on their very first day on the job.
How do I attract promising graduates to my company?
Promising graduates are most likely to flock to companies with an attractive company culture and adequate starting salaries. Companies and graduate roles that offer career development opportunities are definitely more appealing than those who do not, which is something to consider.
At Timberseed, the majority of our graduate roles and entry-level jobs have a starting salary of £30,000 to £35,000, plus extra for OTE (on-target earnings), meaning that graduate job opportunities at Timberseed are fairly lucrative for graduates.
This may seem like a significant cost for your company, but it’s worth noting that, with Timberseed, your company is investing in a top graduate who’ll productively contribute to overall organisational success.
Research has shown that 91% of graduates also prefer flexible working arrangements, or at least this is seen as desirable in their eyes, which is useful to know as an employer in terms of enticing graduates to your company.
The recent graduate batch have most likely gone through remote learning and a virtual university experience for a portion of their time at university because of the COVID-19 pandemic, making their preference for remote work not surprising.
Additionally, a company culture that is welcoming and inclusive, with employee benefits and perks, will certainly draw the attention of bright graduates. After the pandemic, awareness of employee wellbeing has skyrocketed, meaning that employers should take employee benefits into consideration to further appeal to prospective employees – including graduates.
Sourcing raw talent with Timberseed
In terms of hiring graduates, as a recruiter, you’ll be wanting to find graduate trainees who are willing to learn and are motivated in career progression. When the recruitment process becomes overcrowded or is starting to look bleak, that is when Timberseed can give you a helping hand.
The Timberseed team can assist you with finding the right graduate for the role at hand, sourcing fresh and competent talent who can thrive and flourish in your business. Not only does this open up opportunities for the graduate, but it can also help open doors to your business’ success by curating a workforce that is thirsty for knowledge and eager to learn.
At Timberseed, most of our graduates have emerged from prestigious universities, including the likes of Oxford, Cambridge, and a whole host Russell Group universities, so you can rest assured that our network only consists of graduates with excellent knowledge and academic credentials.
FAQs:
How does Timberseed assess and match graduates with specific company needs and culture?
Timberseed evaluates graduates based on academic credentials, soft and hard skills, and cultural fit with companies. Through tailored assessments and interviews, Timberseed ensures graduates align with company values and job requirements.
Are there any additional benefits or incentives offered to companies that choose to recruit through Timberseed?
Yes, Timberseed offers companies access to a diverse pool of top-tier graduates from leading universities. Additionally, partnering with Timberseed streamlines recruitment processes and provides ongoing support in onboarding new hires.
What measures does Timberseed take to ensure the quality and suitability of the graduates it recommends to companies?
Timberseed employs rigorous screening processes, including academic evaluations, skills assessments, and interviews, to assess the quality and suitability of graduates. By maintaining high standards, Timberseed ensures graduates meet or exceed the expectations of hiring companies.
To find out more about Timberseed and our services in graduate recruitment, do not hesitate to contact us at 020 3030 5045 or drop us an email at info@timberseed.com.