Ask an HR Pro: What Skills Should I Look for When Hiring College Graduates?

College graduation season is here, and that means millions of recent graduates are actively looking to join the workforce. This is a great opportunity for employers hiring junior positions (or other positions well-suited for recent college graduates) – they can bring new energy and ideas to your company, as long as they are fit to handle the real world.

However, choosing the best candidate out of all the new grads can be difficult when most have comparable experience and hard skills. When that’s the case, you should be looking for candidates who check off specific boxes outside of the job’s qualifications. But which soft skills are most important?

In this Ask an HR Pro, we talk with Lisa Shuster, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP and iHire’s Chief People Officer to determine the skills employers should look for in college graduates, and how to be sure they actually possess those skills.

Skills Employers Should Look for In College Graduates

The three most important skills to look for when hiring new college graduates are effective communication, high emotional intelligence, and problem-solving abilities.

“Being able to communicate effectively, manage your emotions or relationships, and solve problems are paramount when working as part of a team and can’t be as easily taught as the skills necessary to perform a specific job,” Shuster said.

Keep reading to learn the best way to evaluate each of these skills in your college graduate candidates.

Communication

When it comes to communication skills in particular, Shuster says you’re in luck.

“It is safe to assume that the bulk of new college graduates grew up with a phone in their hands, and are always communicating with their friends, families, and networks,” she said. “One would think that this should translate to solid communication skills, and that is the case for some recent grads.”

But she also warned that just because they’re used to communicating constantly, it doesn’t mean that every college grad has an innate sense of how to properly communicate in the workplace.

“The transition from college to the workplace can be challenging for many young people, so you need to evaluate their communication style during the interviewing process,” she advised. “Also, take note of how prompt they are when responding to your emails/messages, as well as if their writing style is professional.”

Emotional Intelligence

Positive communication factors into another box your candidates should fill – emotional intelligence, or EQ. Emotional intelligence is defined by traits such as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

“Emotional intelligence is important in the workplace because it increases an employee’s ability to deal with stress, form relationships, and adapt to change quickly,” Shuster explained. “Your recent college graduate candidate’s ability to work within a team likely correlates with their level of EQ. You can gauge EQ in your candidates through administering an EQ test, as well as through behavioral interviewing.”

Problem Solving

Being new to the world of work, many college graduates will have novel approaches to the problems your team is facing. Evaluating how they respond to or approach the obstacles they may encounter on the job can reveal a lot about them as a candidate. During the interview, provide them with hypothetical situations and ask about their own personal experiences in solving problems.

“There are multiple types of problem-solving situations you should be exploring with your candidates in interviews,” Shuster added. “When asking situational questions, pay attention to the creativeness and adaptability in their answers, and see if they view those problems as opportunities to grow.  Gauge not just their responses, but their body language and confidence levels when answering, too.”

The Importance of References

Anyone can claim that they are a team player in an interview or cover letter, but it is often difficult to gauge whether that is true until they are hired. This underscores the importance of verifying these claims before extending an offer, and the best way to do so is with references.

“Professors and internship coordinators have the best idea of how your candidate really behaves in a work environment, so references from these sources should be highly prioritized when evaluating new graduates,” Shuster said.

References from prior work experiences or internships can provide valuable information. Even if a candidate seems to possess the necessary requirements for the open position, a lack of work experience – in your industry or any other one – should be a red flag.

“For managers who have been in the workforce for decades, it can be easy to forget how important it is to have familiarity with a work setting or even the importance of demonstrating initiative or holding a job,” Shuster clarified. “Recent college graduates with a lack of job or internship experience may not be ready to handle all the responsibilities you expect at your company.”

The key takeaway when hiring recent college graduates is to make sure to do your homework. While their drive and fresh perspectives can be a major asset to your company, you need to make sure they’ll be able to handle the day-to-day stresses of the workplace. Remember to ask the right questions during your interviews and always check their references.

For more answers to your HR and hiring questions, check out our Employer Resource Center.