How to be Earnest About College Hiring
By: Aimee Larrain
Talent & Culture
College recruiting has been an integral part of Clarabridge's DNA from day one. Although some companies may not see the value in hiring recent graduates, we believe there are many benefits to hiring top, green talent. As a company, our mission is to create change and drive innovation through experience, not only for our customers but also for our employees and business. We believe that there is a role for recent college grads to play in working toward that mission.
In our experience, a student who possesses our core values and has a strong aptitude for learning can undergo training and become to be a successful contributor. Despite often having relatively little work experience, college grads bring a fresh perspective and eye for innovation to a company's operations that may not be present in a more seasoned workforce. They aren't set in their ways and haven't established poor habits, bringing a clean slate and open mind to the opportunity before them.
"Hire character. Train skill." – Peter Schutz, Former CEO, Porsche
With an eagerness to move the needle, recent graduates are motivated to prove themselves and move up as fast as possible; perhaps it's the hefty student loan debt or merely motivation to get out of their parents' homes. Each summer, our incoming class of associate hires walks through our doors, ready to learn and grow. New faces and personalities are a crucial component of our office culture and help create a community of diverse interests, opinions, and perspectives.
It's a Win-Win
The college hiring process typically starts a year before graduation. Internship experience and class credits allow future employers to better understand an individual's passions and proclivity for a certain type of work. By building a pipeline of potential future employees through internship programs and participation in academic capstone projects, organizations can gain exposure to bright young minds and access a promising candidate base. Over time, with consistency and some hiring success, companies will form relationships with universities and career services departments, further allowing organizations to identify students who will be the next wave of innovation for their company.
With the need for more diversity and inclusion in many workplaces, university recruiting offers employers access to a large talent pool of potential applicants from many different backgrounds. Once hired, our incoming class of associates attends a training boot camp together. The irreplaceable bonds formed while in the trenches of boot camp have led to friendships, sports teams, and even roommate arrangements. By cultivating collaboration and adaptability early on, companies can foster these traits from the beginning of younger employee's careers. What's more, incentivizing college referrals for employees throughout your organization will help to accelerate the process and inevitably bring the additional talent.
Hungry to Build, Grow and Learn
Our success stories are hardly few and far between when it comes to associates moving up through the organization. We have employees who have started working with Clarabridge directly out of college and grown to develop leading product features, solve critical customer issues, and become true partners in driving our business forward.
In our next blog post, we'll feature some of our recent and past college hires and highlight their experiences. It's been incredible to witness the upward mobility and tenacity with which these employees have navigated their own paths to success.
While college hiring may not make sense for every company, it certainly has provided Clarabridge with an opportunity to mold and shape enthusiastic minds into strategic leaders. Our culture and evolution rely on new perspectives and we warmly welcome them.
Interested in joining our team. See our openings at clarabridge.com/careers.
Aimee Larrain is the Manager of Talent Acquisition and has been hiring top talent for Clarabridge for over six years. A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Aimee is a mid-western transplant passionate about all things hiring and family. Her shift from healthcare public relations and four years of prior recruiting experience led her to Clarabridge where she has piloted initiatives for college recruiting and intern programs, partnered with leaders to create short and long-term hiring strategies, and continues to drive brand and employee culture awareness.