In September, we asked you what is more important to your employee selection process, education, experience, or a combination of the two. And the results were conclusive, to say the least. More than 65% of respondents said qualified, on-the-job experience was the most important factor when hiring new employees. A combination of education and experience was selected second by 31% of respondents.
In a distant third, only 3% of respondents said strong college credentials are the most important factor to consider during the hiring process. For recent college graduates, this statistic could be particularly troubling since they typically do not have extensive on-the-job experience.
These statistics also help to emphasize the growing importance of employee retention. According to research by the American Psychological Association, only half of employees say they feel valued on the job and more than 30% indicated they plan on seeking new employment opportunities. And, in a time when the battle for talent is fierce, it’s in a company’s best interest to make every effort to retain their most skilled and experienced workers.
It’s hard to believe with unemployment still hovering around the 9% mark that many companies are struggling to hire new employees. But in a climate where hiring decisions carry even more weight than before, business leaders have to be picky to ensure the investment they make in a new hire won’t be lost due to turnover, poor cultural fit, inexperience, or a wide variety of other factors.
Has your business been affected by a hiring decision, good or bad? Does your company have any safeguards in place to always be sure you hire the right person for the job? Let us know in the comments section below.
Jared,
Perhaps another reason college grads are having trouble finding work is their shocking lack of business etiquette. I would guess that at least 50% of the time our interview candidates don’t even show up and don’t bother to call.
I get emails from young applicants in all lowercase, containing misspelled words and no punctuation. During interviews they seem more focused on what our company has to offer them in terms of salary, benefits, training, telecommuting, etc. etc., rather than what they have to offer us.
I realize this sounds harsh, but I much prefer hiring a person who’s been in the workforce, has responsibilities, and has untied themselves from mommy’s apron strings. Having children myself – an employed college graduate, another headed into college, and a third entering high school – I would say that many of the kids coming out of school today need a rude awakening.
I absolutely agree. I have seen many recent grads who are simply clueless about how the business world works. And it’s not necessarily that they aren’t capable of doing the work, they just haven’t been exposed to that environment. The business world is typically a lot less forgiving than what they are used to from college.
I think there is a lot of value for recent graduates who are having a difficult time finding work to consider internships – paid or unpaid – even if it’s in a field outside their area of interest. At the very least, they’ll be getting some real world experience until they can land a full-time gig. And, it could even lead them down a different career path they haven’t considered yet.