Digital technology is not only changing how we shop, book holidays and watch films, but it’s also changing what we do for a living. In fact, a recent report by O2 claims that between 2013 and 2017 we’ll need a whopping 745,000 additional workers with digital skills to meet employers’ needs and to support the economy. A fifth of these jobs could be filled by employees aged 25 and under. 

Enter our graduates: educated, enthusiastic and ready to learn! University leavers are among the ideal candidates for jobs in sales and marketing in the digital industry. At the moment, recruiters are seeing a boom in vacancies in this field across the East of England, and job seekers are suddenly finding themselves spoilt for choice. A sharp contrast to the last few years of recession!

There’s a lot of information out there about how we can arm young people with key skills for the long term, but if you’re looking for graduate talent now, you need to know how to attract these selective job seekers.

As your trusted recruitment consultants in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, we thought we’d offer some advice! So, with inspiration from Conscious Communications, (introduced to us by the lovely Creative Front - a noisy voice for the creative industries in Cambridgeshire), we’ve come up with some tips for recruiting first-rate graduates into the digital industry.

1.    Show that you’re a responsible business

Pure is big on corporate social responsibility and cites this as one of the most important factors in attracting young talent. Graduates want to work for an organisation that contributes to its local communities. Whether it’s an annual charity fun day or a more strategic partnership, graduates want to be part of an organisation that is a responsible corporate citizen.

2.    Be flexible with your requirements

First-class degrees aren’t necessarily the sign of a great employee. It’s just as important to attract candidates who ‘get’ your organisation and its culture. Since the digital industry is forever changing, it’s essential that the young recruit can adapt and have vision. Top-scoring students may be smart, but are they also flexible? So, be open to education, existing skills and experience, otherwise you could miss out on the most suitable candidates – and that would be a real shame!

3.    Provide a positive workplace

If Google’s success is anything to go by, the company’s indoor slides, sleeping pods and Swiss chalet meetings rooms seem to bring out the best in its workers! However if ‘chillaxing’ on inflatable sofas doesn’t fit with your corporate culture, look at other measures. Social events, staff awards and free massages could attract young starters who work hard but who also want something in return that goes beyond a salary.

4.    Visit your future employees

Students start thinking about their career a lot earlier than they used to so it makes sense to meet them before they actually graduate. Build a strategic partnership with a university; give workshops, exhibit at career fairs and generally have a presence on campus. You get to tell students that you’re recruiting and you also get insight into what they’re looking for in a career.

5.    Give them a springboard into full-time work

Graduates benefit hugely from internships, work experience and job shadowing. Running programmes like these can help them get to know your organisation and industry, while doing a valuable job for you.

6.    Take their careers seriously

Tell graduates that you’ll take their career development seriously. It’s essential that you have a structure in place that supports careers from day one. Bright, young people are more likely to join you and stay with you if they know they can develop their skills, and invest them in the company’s development. Get this right and your graduates may one day become your directors!

Final exams will soon be over and our graduates will be ramping up their job hunts – good luck and we hope our tips have helped!