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Advice for Employers and Recruiters

3 benefits from Findem that employers should offer to attract and retain graduates

Ryan Wood
Hari Kolam (Guest Author)
September 15, 2021


It is often said that recent graduates must be able to “stand out” in a crowded job market. While this is still true, the opposite is also becoming increasingly important. With recent graduates being more and more selective, employers must begin to find interesting and unique ways to attract and retain talent. In the words of College Recruiter’s Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Steven Rothberg, “companies have gotten away with treating employees like crap and paying them like crap for far too long.” He continues to press that this will no longer work in today’s market.

College Recruiter recently asked experts for three benefits, in addition to better pay, that employers can offer to attract and retain recent college graduates

Hari Kolam, CEO of Findem, a people intelligence company that helps HR leaders find and hire the right talent for their workforce, recommends:

1. Free Pass To Work from Anywhere
The pandemic has made it crystal clear that people overwhelmingly want to work from home, from a different state or even from an island in the Pacific. The Great Resignation is a perfect case in point. Employees have left their jobs in droves after the pandemic awakened them to what matters most in their lives, which is more flexibility and happiness and, optimally, more money.

Graduates are often not weighed down by school-aged children, homeownership or older parents needing care that would require them to live and work in a specific location. The ability to work from anywhere without restrictions is a very enticing benefit for attracting top talent or winning out in the recruitment process over a competitor not offering the same freedoms. There obviously have to be certain parameters in place, and not every role is suitable for an employee based in the Seychelles; however, a large number of companies have figured out processes to accommodate a remote workforce, so this shouldn’t be a heavy lift on their end. For many grads spinning up their job search, the option to work from anywhere will far trump things like a flexible vacation policy or an online class stipend.

2. Cross-Training Program for Flexible Career Path Options
Many college graduates may know the field they want to work in, but haven’t had enough exposure to the business world to know all of the various positions available to them within that field. It’s daunting to start off in a new profession and be worried it’s not something you will love and want to do long term.

One attractive benefit, then, is to offer a program where you give graduates the opportunity to select different roles and/or departments beyond their core position and allow them to cross-train with individuals in those areas. The idea is that they could eventually transition into a different role if they find their calling elsewhere within the company. It’s imperative, however, that you have a set process and path to make the program work and the benefits felt.

This ends up being a win-win because you have an employee who ends up in a position that they’re passionate about and, when that happens, they end up staying longer and contributing in a more meaningful way. 

3. Top-Shelf Health Insurance 
Think health insurance is a negligible benefit to recent grads? Think again. A nationwide study by Benenson Strategy Group found that millennials rank health insurance as their No. 1 workplace benefit, even ahead of retirement contributions and vacation time. Another study by American Health Insurance Plan shows just how important it is for recruitment, and even more so for retention, with 56% indicating coverage remains a key factor in their choice to stay at their current job.

It goes without saying that the Covid-19 outbreak has made premium-quality health insurance an even bigger priority and incentive. Companies tend to be quick to dangle “cool” benefits like a clothing allowance or “summer Fridays” to new grads, without truly listening to what they really want. In this day and age, companies bucking stereotypes and marketing first-rate health insurance benefits will be the ones standing out as the innovators in the recruitment process. 

— Hari Kolam is the CEO of Findem, a people intelligence company that helps HR leaders find and hire the right talent for their workforce.

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