Hiring the right person for the right job has always been a challenging task for almost every organization. Whether hiring a professional candidate or a fresh graduate, companies must do their homework. Each firm has a specific mission, vision, and a set of goals that it wishes to accomplish. But to achieve those objectives, it is important to have a capable workforce.
Every organization has its hiring criteria based on skillset and education requirements. Notably, organizations tend to follow rigid standards specifically for the business graduates since they are the major role players in organizational development. While some firms seek to acquire a professional workforce, others focus on hiring new talent. Perhaps both are considerable, depending on the nature of the job. If you are currently hiring business graduates, here are a few points that you should keep in mind.
- Academic Qualification
The academic qualification of a business graduate is a crucial aspect to consider during the hiring process. It indirectly reflects whether the candidate is capable enough to fulfill the desired job role. Your employee’s college plays a huge role in his/her professional grooming. Reputable educational institutes emphasize preparing students for a professional career while also delivering adequate theoretical knowledge.
If you’re a student, then it is better to prefer institutions offering accredited courses. One such accreditor is AACSB (Association for Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business). The accrediting agency puts multiple factors into account to assess the effectiveness of proposed programs. AACSB accredited educational institutes are considered some of the most credible institutes that offer sound learning programs. These programs promise you a head start towards a successful career.
Besides, if you’re looking to enhance your net worth as a professional, an AACSB online MBA no GMAT is always on the cards. The course is also accessible. It enables you to hone your skills and knowledge while working and saves you from the grind of admission tests. In other words, the better the qualification, the higher would be your chances of getting hired. From an organizational perspective, graduates with accredited degrees are a viable option for long-term workforce planning.
Moreover, pursuing a higher education program opens more opportunities for leadership roles. The good news is that there are plenty of reputable higher learning institutions where you can get an online master’s degree, like Carroll University Online Masters. An MBA provides a deeper and broader understanding of business, which makes it a worthwhile investment for future success. An essential factor in choosing a business school is accreditation. Accreditation ensures that the degree achieved is legitimate and will have the same meaning in the professional world as it would in academic circles.
- Prior Work Experience
As a business graduate, an individual with the know-how of organizational setting is preferable. Applicants must be able to provide references that’ll validate their work experiences, and these should include some form of work description that outlines the duties and responsibilities that they’ve fulfilled. Many institutions encourage students to work either as a volunteer or intern in various organizations. While most graduates have little to no experience, even a few weeks of working experience can work in your favor.
However, in another case, providing a few months of training to a candidate would be a plus. It will allow the candidate to remain in line with your organizational goals and better understand how to cope with different situations. Notably, potential employers seek experienced business graduates as an excellent investment. It is mainly because these individuals have a better understanding of the workplace environment.
Employers are always looking for a potential candidate with a well-rounded academic background and work experience. Therefore, the business school where an applicant graduate matters, too. A good business school shouldn’t only be able to teach the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the business world, but should also be able to instill a sense of community and professionalism amongst its students. There should be a wide range of internship and community involvement opportunities available.
- Cultural Fit
Every organization has a unique culture. The management and employees are collective role players in forming their organization’s culture. When hiring a business graduate, you must focus on his/her qualities that suit best to your culture. As an organization, you should think as to how a business graduate will fit in. Most organizations expose potential candidates to numerous screening processes to check whether they are a cultural fit or not.
Culture is something that is specific to each company. If an employee works in a corporate environment where everyone knows each other and knows how to get along, this is ideal. However, if the employees are often at odds with each other, communication will be at a premium and could lead to organizational problems.
If your employees are acquainted with your organizational culture, they will show immense respect for your corporate values. At the same time, they will enjoy their work and blend in nicely with other employees. Consequently, you can expect a reduced turnover and an overall boost in the organization’s performance and productivity.
- Interpersonal Skills
Be mindful that having interpersonal skills as a business graduate holds excellent value. It is possibly one of the major qualities many recruiters look for in a business graduate. Having strong interpersonal or soft skills is what makes an individual worth the job. These skills are not only limited to effective communication but also dictate your problem-solving skills. Moreover, they also depict your ability to think critically and work as a team player.
Unfortunately, with the advent of modern technology, business graduates lack interpersonal capabilities. However, you can always turn things around by providing professional training regarding communication skills. Similarly, you can also direct the existing employees to work on their listening abilities to interpret information correctly. Organizations generally seek graduates who display good soft skills. It negates the chances of human error to a great extent and promotes effective communication and teamwork.
- Hard skills
Hard skills are just as essential as soft skills. The only difference is that these skills are measurable and learned through practice and education. We often relate hard skills with technical, analytical, and management skills that we acquire during our academic tenure or work experience. To perform job duties effectively, the candidate must have the appropriate hard skills. Without these skills, he/she won’t be able to fulfill his/her responsibilities as an employee.
Organizations should never neglect the importance of hard skills of a business graduate. Although every job has different requirements yet hard skills hold a crucial place for effective job performance.
- Academic History and Interest in Extracurricular Activities
Before you hire a couple of business graduates, you must keep an eye on their academic history. An individual’s interest in extracurricular activities and engagements can give you a lot of information about their personality and past endeavors. Although most business graduates don’t have much working experience, knowing about their previous experiences can help you better understand them.
As an organization, you can learn a thing or two while peeking into an individual’s career history. You can find out about their interests and whether their personality resonates with your organizational culture.
Conclusion
Matching the right people with the right kind of job is always a daunting task for many organizations. With so many factors involved, it truly becomes difficult to predict the outcome. However, there are certain ways through which organizations can minimize the risks involved while hiring business graduates. Standardizing your hiring process is one way to ensure that only the high-potential candidate can get the position.
It is not a bad ploy to look towards new talent as the future of the organization. While it does involve some risks yet the outcomes can be rewarding. Most organizations look forward to hiring fresh graduates due to their high energy levels. However, recruiters must assess all factors thoroughly before making a final decision.