How To Attract Graduates

It’s that time of year, again, where many plucky young graduates will be looking to make their mark on their respective industries. In the Accountancy and Finance market, it can be a time to secure some incredibly lucrative talent to develop your business for the future. However, attracting graduates can be a fickle process, particularly if you are a smaller firm or simply not part of The Big 4, who will always have applicants clamouring to join them.

So, how do Accountancy firms attract these bright young minds in to their offices? What can be done to ensure that the talent is spread across the market, and smaller firms don’t lose out to The Big 4? As a recent graduate myself, I know what this generation of students are looking for.

Here is my advice for securing some great graduate talent.

Offer internships

Here at HRC, we have offered internships in everything from marketing to recruiting to resourcing. By offering internships, you are getting your brand out there and (with any luck) generate positive word-of-mouth reviews about what life is like working for your company. It’s also a great way to bring some fresh perspectives in to your office.

Job fairs

The best way to get graduates thinking about your company is to make yourself a presence at university job fairs. Set up a stall and send along a couple of members of staff to really sell your employer brand and company culture. It will, at the very least, make your name known and get graduates thinking about life beyond university.

Have decent tech

Make sure your website is up to date and fresh – you’d be surprised how many people can be put off by a tired looking website that tells you nothing about a company. In-house, make sure your software and internet is of a speed and standard that isn’t going to frustrate a graduate who is used to achieving certain processes within a few clicks.

Benefits packages

Millennial graduates aren’t just in it for the money. They’re looking for options such as flexitime or agile working, perks such as gym memberships or parking spaces and a good work/life balance. Make sure your benefits packages are attractive to graduates. If your company has a good social life, be sure to mention this too to prospective candidates.

Career progression

Graduates want to know that accepting an offer at your firm won’t mean their career path grinds to a halt. Like anyone joining a company, they want to know that hard work will be rewarded and that there are opportunities to be promoted or achieve more. It’s not necessarily about a fancier job title, it’s about the chance to learn more and develop their personal brand.