As an employer, you want to hire the best people you can at all levels.
This can be a challenge for technical positions, but it is also difficult for entry-level positions. The problem is compounded by the high turnover in entry-level jobs. The standard solutions include casting a wide net and interviewing a ton of candidates, though this often ends up wasting your time and accidentally turning off quality employees. Here are 5 tips for filling entry-level positions.
Have a Targeted Job Ad
Emphasise the requirements, not the amount of experience required. This allows you to attract qualified candidates, whether they’re new to the industry or returning to the workforce. Talk about the benefits you offer and the opportunity for growth as well. This tends to attract entry-level workers with the goal of staying with the company. You also have to be clear in the job expectations. List the “must-haves” for the job instead of 20 nice-to-haves. This will result in fewer unqualified candidates applying for the job.
Have Unbiased Tests for Candidates
Don’t waste everyone’s time asking subjective behavioural questions. Leverage assessment tests to verify that they have the necessary skills. For example, CAT4 practice tests can be used to assess candidates. These tests can measure their verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills. Another option is giving them skill-based assignments. This ensures they can complete the job assignments. This also gives people who lack relevant work experience an opportunity to prove that they can do the job.
Solicit New Graduates
One of the best ways to fill entry-level positions is to attract people new to the workforce, and new graduates fit this bill. You could set up job shadowing for secondary students or recruit students for internships. You could also host job fairs at universities or network with alumni groups and ask them to refer new graduates.
Get the Word Out
A good starting point is building up your social media network. Create social media accounts on a variety of social media platforms and make a series of posts that present your company as the type of company young graduates would want to work for. Ask your current employees to reference the company on social media and ask younger employees to refer their friends to the company. You could also offer current employees training on how to expand their network and post new job positions on social media.
Onboard Entry-Level Employees
Entry-level employees are generally new to the workforce and certainly new to the company. This is why you need a formal process for onboarding new employees, getting them up to speed.
Help them understand the company’s rules rather than throwing the handbook at them. Have formal processes for setting up their accounts and getting them the right hardware. You also have to make sure they have help filling out paperwork.
Take the time to teach them about the work culture as well. Young employees may not know how to dress professionally. Consider assigning them a mentor. Tell them what their schedule would be and give them advice on the company dress code.
Give them their first assignments, and give them immediate feedback on performance. Provide positive feedback when they do well rather than just criticise them when they make mistakes. Check-in regularly, giving them an opportunity to ask questions rather than making it seem like an imposition. Then they’re less likely to quit out of frustration, forcing you to find someone new.
While it can be harder to find and keep good people in entry-level positions, there are steps you can take to attract the right people. Then do what you can to filter out unsuitable candidates early in the process.