Why you should give freshers a chance
What is the best thing about fresh out of college graduates ? Loads of passion! They have a point to prove to themselves, to establish themselves in the market. They are fresh off the boat fellas and lasses, nary of any skills to boast about either. They'd be keen to work on projects that might be beneath them.
Overlooking talented and dedicated applicants based just on the lack of experience, is a folly many hiring managers commit. Save for a few jobs, at least at the entry level, some of the tasks can be done by new kids on the block. All they need is a little direction and loads of support.
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Hire newcomers for the potential that you see in them. When you sift through a bunch of CVs, you tend to judge people with no experience, try if you can see some sort of gnawing talent somewhere.
We list out the qualities that a newcomer can offer and how as an employer you should take advantage of them.
Dedication and will to learn
The worst thing about someone with oodles of experience is the ‘been there and done that' attitude. It is difficult to expect them to adapt and grow into the system as they may come in with a rigid mentality about how they work. Someone with no experience doesn’t have the ego and burden that bogs down their learning capability. It might sound wise to hire an experienced person but taking a chance on a fresher might help you rake in a lot of benefits in the future.
Ability to adapt
It is easy to mould someone when they don’t have any airs about them. You’ll rarely find an inexperienced recruit who is conceited. They will be open to new ways of doing things. An inexperienced employee is like clay that can be molded into any form you want. You don’t have to make them unlearn anything, only guide them into learning new things.
An appetite to impress
For every entry-level job posting out there, there is an inexperienced recruit willing to put more than 100%. They have the appetite to impress you, hence there will be an eagerness to learn each detail of the job and drown themselves in the responsibility given to them.
You will gain loyalty
Before you think that I come across as Italian mafia boss, hear me out. It is difficult for a new college pass-out to get a good job given the market scenario these days. Experienced individuals are always in high demand and leave the job at the whiff of a better opportunity while new and inexperienced recruits don’t jump ship that often.
They don’t dent your pocket:
If you are a bootstrapped startup, hiring a fresher would be your best bet as you don’t have to pay a lot too. An inexperienced candidate would be willing to work above and beyond what is mentioned in the JD at a much affordable salary. If you are working at a budget, hire a fresher as it is good for your bottomline too.
It is common to see inexperienced candidates being ignored at the altar of a HR’s all-powerful cabin. The candidate’s CV never gets passed on to decision makers. One thing that needs to be understood is that ‘inexperienced’ doesn’t mean lacking in qualifications, more often than not, they have what it takes to succeed. Rake in the benefits of having passionate people in your team by hiring fresh candidates who are willing to give their all.
