Now is a great time to hire entry-level employees. There are some incredible new grads on the market that are eager to jump in and make an impact on your organization. However, it can be intimidating to hire someone with little to no experience. But instead of piling on unnecessary requirements like meaningless years of experience or a laundry list of hard skills, look for these three things.
Strong Work Ethic
Recent findings show that 85% of managers believe that work ethic is crucial for employees to have. Rather than focusing on experience, look for employees who will simply work hard. To determine if a candidate has a strong work ethic, look at their past. Do they have volunteer opportunities listed on their resume? Did they hold a job or internship throughout high school or college? Then, when you get to the interview stage, ask them to explain their work ethic and style. Listen for cues that will tell you they are the kind of person who goes above and beyond, someone who is self-motivated, and will dive in and get stuff done.
Willingness To Learn
Hear us out on this one; it can actually be advantageous to hire someone without experience! A great entry-level employee will come in as a sponge and soak up all of the knowledge that your team has to offer. In order to judge a candidate’s willingness to learn, ask them a behavioral interview question. Here’s an example, “Let’s say we teach you how to perform a task that will be part of your everyday duties. However, you think there is a better approach to that task. How would you handle this situation?” The candidate doesn’t necessarily have to say they would do it your way, but you want them to be open to trying different strategies or talking it out with you.
Time Management
According to a recent survey, only 13% of managers think that time management can be taught. This means it should be moved to the top of your hiring priorities! An entry-level employee needs to be self-motivated and able to prioritize. With excellent time management, work ethic and willingness to learn will follow suit. To assess a candidate’s time management skills, ask them how they prioritize multiple projects at a time. Take it a step further with a behavioral interview question about a time they had to juggle a lot of tasks at once, or even have them explain a time they missed an important deadline and how they handled it.
We hope you’re ready to rethink your entry-level job descriptions! By limiting your requirements to unrealistic expectations, you miss out on incredible candidates with little to no experience. Interested in more ways to take your hiring to the next level? Explore our client resources!
