Written by Amber Thomas, Consultant
Let’s face it – entry-level hiring can be frustrating. On the one hand you don’t 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, organizations and its 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 organization.
What does entry-level mean for a job?
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 organization that requires little to no professional experience, making them ideal for recent graduates or 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.
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 organization, and eventually move into higher-level roles.
4 tips for hiring the best employees for entry-level positions
Hiring entry-level employees can be a challenge for organizations. No matter what industry or role you’re looking to hire for, having an efficient process in place can help you attract the best candidates. Below are some steps to take to ensure you hire the right employees for your entry-level positions.
1. Screen only on relevant job criteria
You know that you don’t want to hire just anyone, but the screening that you’ve done before just isn’t 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 that are hard to measure with a resume review – things like collaboration, work ethic, dependability, work pace, and service orientation.
You’ll also want to ensure that you don’t fall into the trap of screening candidates for 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.
Once you’ve determined what those job-critical competencies are, assessments are a great way to measure them reliably and easily before you even begin reviewing resumes and applications. 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.
2. Make your selection process efficient
Once you’ve 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. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or suspect that many candidates aren’t truly interested in the role, it may be time to rethink your approach for how to hire employees.
This may be a perfect opportunity to ask for an outsider’s 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 minimize 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:
- What steps in the recruitment process can be automated?
- Are you using the application to appropriately screen candidates?
- When hiring for entry-level positions, do you have a way to communicate to large groups of candidates and update their records easily?
- Are you providing enough information about the role to candidates upfront?
3. Take advantage of high-volume hiring
It’s important to remember that not every candidate is going to be a perfect fit or have exactly what you’re looking for. Many times, when hiring entry-level jobs and deciding who to progress forward, there may not be enough ‘perfect’ candidates who meet the criteria.
Instead of agonizing over a stack of resumes, let your employee selection process do some of that work for you. Use application screening and various types of talent assessments to help you screen out candidates who don’t meet the basic job-relevant criteria, leaving you with a more manageable list of applications to review. Best of all, this data-driven approach allows you to make more informed decisions when hiring entry-level candidates and reduces the likelihood of settling for someone who isn’t the right fit.
4. Assess for motivational fit
It’s important to remember that hiring a new employee isn’t just about their skills or qualifications – it’s also about whether they’ll enjoy the work and fit well with your company culture. When hiring entry-level employees, hiring managers may even feel like they need to dress up the position to get the interest of higher quality candidates. Unfortunately, this can lead to selecting candidates who may quickly become dissatisfied because you are not presenting a realistic depiction of the job.
To prevent turnover, be transparent about what the job actually offers. You may end up losing a few candidates, but this approach ensures that your entry-level hires are motivated, satisfied, and less likely to leave soon after onboarding is complete.
Streamline your hiring process to find the best entry-level employees
For those still wondering how to hire the best employees for entry-level positions, the answer is simple – a straightforward and transparent process. By implementing these strategies, you’ll be better equipped to hire the best candidates who will not only succeed in their roles, but also contribute positively to your company’s culture. These solutions give you a reliable, consistent way to efficiently assess all entry-level candidates to help you find the best fit. So, the next time you’re thinking to yourself “there has to be a better way,” just remember – there is!
