{"id":68622,"date":"2022-12-12T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-12T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talogy.com\/?p=68622"},"modified":"2026-09-01T16:06:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T16:06:31","slug":"investing-in-early-careers-4-tips-for-hiring-entry-level-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en-gb\/blog\/investing-in-early-careers-4-tips-for-hiring-entry-level-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"How to hire the best employees for entry-level positions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Let\u2019s face it \u2013 graduate hiring<\/a> can be frustrating. On the one hand you don\u2019t have much to screen, and on the other hand, you know that not just anyone will be a good fit. To really get it right, organisations and their hiring managers need to devote time to develop an effective early careers strategy. Here are a few tips to help you attract and hire the best entry-level candidates who will not only accept the job offer, but thrive within your organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does entry-level mean for a job?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we can dive into best practices for hiring entry-level employees, we must first define what an entry-level position is. An entry-level position refers to a job within an organisation that requires little to no professional experience, making them ideal for\u00a0recent graduates<\/a>\u00a0or individuals that are new to the workforce or a specific industry. These roles are typically designed to help employees build foundational skills and gain experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the importance of establishing a person\u2019s career, there has been growing concern that AI is taking over jobs<\/a>, with recent graduates among those most affected. While entry-level positions may not demand advanced qualifications, they are crucial for companies looking to nurture top talent and for job seekers aiming to launch their careers. We all had to start somewhere, right? Entry-level hires often see these jobs as a way to get their foot in the door, providing them with the opportunity to grow and develop within an organisation, and eventually move into higher-level roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 tips for hiring the best employees for entry-level positions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hiring entry-level employees can be a challenge for organisations. No matter what industry or role you\u2019re looking to hire for, having an efficient process in place can help you attract the best candidates. Below are some steps to ensure you hire the right employees for your entry-level positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Screen only on relevant job criteria<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You know that you don\u2019t want to hire just anyone, but the screening that you\u2019ve done before just isn\u2019t working. Before you start tinkering with that job posting, stop and ask yourself what is really important to the position. This is likely going to be things like collaboration, work ethic, dependability, work pace, and service orientation which are hard to measure with a CV review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll also want to ensure that you don\u2019t fall into the trap of\u00a0screening candidates<\/a>\u00a0for qualifications that are not actually needed for success in the role. For example, avoid requiring a certain amount of years of experience when many of the required skills can be trained on the job. There are clear dos and don\u2019ts of skills-based early career hiring<\/a>, and setting arbitrary experience requirements falls into that category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve determined what those job-critical competencies are, psychometric assessments<\/a> are a great way to measure them reliably and easily before you even begin reviewing CVs and applications. Talogy\u2019s Spotlight solution<\/a> allows you to assess early career skills<\/a> that are important for these professionals just starting their careers to possess. This leaves you with more time to spend with those candidates who fit your company culture and are a good fit for the target position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Make your selection process efficient<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve collected your applications, you inevitably have the hiring manager calling to ask if there are any good candidates. The pressure is on to get the spot filled quickly. And that can be difficult, given the increased time recruiters are spending<\/a> sorting through AI-assisted CVs. If you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed or suspect that many candidates aren\u2019t truly interested in the role, it may be time to rethink your overall hiring approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may be a perfect opportunity to ask for an outsider\u2019s perspective. Often, we become so accustomed to our own process that we overlook opportunities for improvement. It may be helpful to map out your current steps and redesign certain parts or perhaps overhaul your entire approach to hiring. Consider automating parts of the process to minimise the strain on internal resources and make better use of their time. For example, make sure the application is serving as an effective screening tool to eliminate unqualified candidates early on in your hiring and selection process. A few questions you should ask yourself are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n