I work with a ton of recruiters and corporations looking to find top entry level talent, and one of the things I get asked the most often is “how do I get recent grads interested in my company?”  If you don’t have the ad dollars to conspicuously place a can of your soda on Olivia Benson’s desk in tonight’s episode of Law & Order, it can be difficult to get the word out about your company.  One of the things entry level college grads tell us all the time is they’re looking for a company they actually want to work for.  As crazy as that sounds, if you’re looking for young talent, building a great corporate culture can go a long way in attracting and retaining recent grads.

 

 

For some reason, when I was about to graduate college, I had this idea that all professional jobs required people to wear a shirt and tie to work.  I have no idea why I thought that was the case, but you can imagine my delight when my first job was business casual.  Maybe I didn’t do enough research, or maybe I’m just extremely easy to please, but I thought it was the coolest thing in the world that I could go sans tie.  My first company scored more brownie points with me when Thanksgiving came around.  They rolled a freezer into the reception area filled with free turkeys for everyone in the office.  They say a man’s stomach is the way to his heart.  Mine is a window into my soul, and I wasn’t going anywhere after that.  My boss had a strict open door policy, and I felt like I was a part of a family that cared about my success and well being.  This was doubly important to me, since my parents lived a thousand miles away.  They kept me happy, and I worked hard in return.  I eventually got home sick, and moved back to Red Sox town.  Again, my company had my back, helped me move, and had a job waiting for me when I got back to Massachusetts.  They even gave me a raise and a new title!  When I finally did quit, to scratch an itch I’ve had since high school to try teaching, it was with a heavy heart, and I’ll always think back on my first company very fondly.  The corporate culture there made me feel like I was important, and my superiors had my best interest in mind.

 

 

Stories like this are everywhere.  Companies are always looking for new ways to bring great entry level grads through their doors, but many of them forget to mention one of their best assets, culture.  Would someone actually want to work for my company?  Is my office modern and fun?  Does my company have great rotational programs or internship opportunities?  Do we have a great team of people who will help new hires every step of the way?  Will new hires get to work side by side with their superiors and receive mentoring to learn and grow?  Will they get to work with the latest in technology gizmos?  There are thousands of ways to build a great corporate culture that will attract and keep young talent.  If your company is building a great corporate culture, and you’re not telling your targeted students and recent grads, you’re missing a great opportunity to build interest in your company!

Have some great ideas on how to build an amazing corporate culture?  Let me know! tkeene@experience.com.