Korn Ferry Executive Survey Shows Best Time to Recruit Grads is the Autumn of the Candidate’s Senior Year

     — Nearly Half Believe Grads are Not as Motivated as Those Who Graduated a Decade Ago –-
— Drive and Passion Beat Grades as Top Reason to Hire —
— One-Third of Respondents Say Their Companies Don’t Require Degrees for Professionals –-

Counter to traditional thinking, a new executive survey conducted by the Futurestep division of Korn Ferry (NYSE:KFY) indicates that back-to-school time is the best time of year to conduct college recruiting. 

In the survey of nearly 1,500 professionals and executives, 64 percent said the autumn of a college student’s senior year is the best time to recruit top candidates. Zero percent said that waiting until after graduation is the optimum time to seek out the best candidates.

“In our experience, students who know what they want to do and are driven to pursue their career goals while still in school make the strongest employees,” said Adam Blumberg, vice president, Key Accounts, Futurestep. “Solid recruiting programs start early and focus on securing the most qualified talent months before they actually graduate.”

The survey showed that while the majority of respondents (61 percent) feel drive and passion are the top attributes they look for in college candidates (grades and university they attended came in last), only 42 percent say grads have the skills they need to succeed on their first job, and 42 percent also believe that compared to a decade ago, today’s college graduates are not as motivated to succeed on the job.

“Ten years ago, we were on the cusp of a major recession and graduate hiring was much slower, so it stands to reason that graduates back then had to fight much harder to succeed,” said Blumberg. “With today’s unemployment rate the lowest it’s been in years, it’s a candidate’s market, so employers need to work quickly and effectively to capture the best talent.”

The largest percentage of respondents (38 percent) say that social media (e.g. LinkedIn) is the best way to engage college candidates, followed by in-person networking at 28 percent. When asked why candidates would choose one job over another, the largest percentage (35 percent) said it’s because they like the people with whom they meet as part of the recruiting process.

“It’s critical that companies make the recruiting experience as positive as possible for candidates,” said Blumberg. “A big part of creating that inviting environment is training hiring managers and others in the organization on how to best communicate the organization’s employer brand and the positive culture of the company.”

College Degrees Not Always Required

The survey also reflected a growing trend when it comes to hiring professionals. One-third of respondents say that holding a college degree is not a firm pre-requisite when hiring professionals within their organization.

“Companies across a wide range of industries are now not requiring professionals to have college degrees,” said Blumberg. “While college helps teach skills and critical thinking for many people, several organizations realize that there are smart, driven, talented people who do not have degrees but who are valuable assets.”

About the survey

Korn Ferry Futurestep fielded the survey in May through July of 2017. It garnered 1,427 responses. Percentages are rounded to the nearest decimal. Totals may not equal 100 percent.

Survey Results

About Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is the preeminent global people and organizational advisory firm. We help leaders, organizations and societies succeed by releasing the full power and potential of people. Our more than 7,000 colleagues deliver services through our Executive Search, Hay Group and Futurestep divisions. Visit kornferry.com for more information.

More information on Futurestep can be found here.