5 great reasons to hire a graduate

It’s that time of year again, when university students are entering the market and Companies are trying to kick-start their budgets off, without having a lot of time to invest in training a rookie.

But let’s talk honestly. Would a little investment into a graduate reap way more reward than always hiring someone with experience? The answer is yes, my friends. We all got that break at one point and how much passion and effort did we put into our job because we were grateful for the big break. For me, it was a lot.

But don’t get me wrong, one does not staff a department on graduates alone (oh my, it would turn into something like a frat party). But a mix of all levels can be very beneficial.

So, here are my top 5 reasons to hire a graduate:

1. They are technology pioneers

In today’s environment, keeping up with changing technology can really give your innovation design process an edge. Hiring a graduate of today means you may not only import new tools into your business, but you will also have someone with a lust to learn whatever is the latest technology on the market. Consider them your resource for learning much more than just tik tok (or is that super outdated now?)

2. Their open & questioning mindset

The quest to learn everything in their job means that graduates adopt an open and questioning mindset. Have you ever been in the situation where you are explaining something to a child, and they ask ‘why’ to which it gives you pause as you don’t have a good answer? The same thing can be said about graduates. It can help to improve processes, ways of working, or just simply take a new approach to your design process.

3. They are a clean slate

What better way to reinforce your Company’s values and processes than hiring someone keen to learn, without any habits that they may be carrying over from a past employer.

4. They are like a puppy

Usually, a graduate is so happy to have found a job in today’s competitive environment that they bring all the enthusiasm and energy of a newborn puppy to their role. It can inspire and energise the whole team to have someone keen to turn up every day, learn and pull their weight. It can also create a healthy competitiveness with their peers which can help push forward projects in a good way. And who doesn’t love a puppy.

5. They cost less

The obvious benefit is that graduates offer a lower cost workforce. But additionally, their willingness to learn can also mean they reach required productivity levels faster than someone with established ways of working, which also has a positive financial impact.

We recognise that it’s not that easy though to find and connect with graduates. It can be lengthy, costly and time-consuming. If you want an easier, more cost-effective process, use our free portal to reach and view portfolio’s from a global database of design graduates at www.pathfinder.careers.

by Kylie Le-May