One of the reasons we’ve been successful is that Atlanta is a great city for young professionals and we’ve developed a methodology for identifying recent college grads that can immediately start adding value to our company. Many companies are leery of hiring recent college grads as they are unproven, require training, and might not work out. Well, looking at most people’s resumes, regardless of being a recent college grad, you could say the same thing. Some benefits of recent college grads include that they are more Internet savy, social media active, and energetic, on average. Plus, they are eager to learn and prove themselves.
Here’s how we identify recent college grads to hire that do a great job and fit with our corporate culture:
- Determine if they have a strong work ethic demonstrated by a good GPA or challenging extra curricular activity like varsity sports or a full-time job
- Give a written portion during the interview process in the form of essay questions about your industry that require research and writing skills
- Have the candidate use your product and produce a deliverable that shows some competence after self-paced teaching
- Look for professional and personality traits that fit your organization — one of my favorites is receiving a handwritten thank you note in the mail after interviewing a candidate
These steps have worked for us and I encourage you to try them out.
What else? What are some other strategies you use to determine if a recent college grad will be successful in your organization?
David Cummings on Startups 
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