I wish An Coppens all the best, of course, but I’m at a loss as to the purpose of her book ‘Attracting IT Graduates to Your Business‘. Much of the focus, at least in terms of examples given, is on mega-business. Microsoft. Google. Facebook. That’s all very well but, if you’re hiring for a mega-business then these tips are already likely to be ingrained into your company culture – and, if you’re not, then you probably can’t afford to hire in quite the same way that they do. That’s not to say that a small business can’t attract excellent graduates, of course, just that they techniques that they’ll need to use are rather different.
Many of the offered top tips are trite and rather pointless and generalisations are made about the Millennials that I find somewhat hard to believe. I’m sure that learned research can be presented to back up these claims, but in my experience they hold equally true for Generation X (talkin’ ’bout my generation). That’s not to say that there’s no merit in reiterating what applicants want, just that these traits aren’t particularly unique. I concede though, that the traits described may be Geek traits – in which case what is required isn’t a Masterclass in hiring Millennials for Hiring Managers, it’s a Masterclass in hiring Geeks for Suits.
Millennials are, we’re told, in a hurry for success. It was ever thus. I remember being in a hurry for success when I graduated, and I haven’t stopped hurrying since. Hunger and drive are admirable traits in an applicant, but they’re rare traits too. How many students set up businesses or have columns in nationally published periodicals, versus those who like to go out and party? True hunger, fire-in-the-belly hunger, puts partying on hold in order to prioritise success. And until most students are doing that, I don’t believe that there is anything special or unique about Millennials. Merely wanting a fat salary from day one isn’t hunger for success – it’s greed combined with an unwillingness to earn that wage. You come in at the bottom, you work your way up. The only way to shortcut that system is to set up your own business and then work like a dog.
There’s an interesting table by Deloitte which purports to contrast different styles through the generations. It is pure suit nonsense. Geeks, the graduates that we’re trying to attract, can smell a suit like a fart in a car and, to most Geeks, suits are about as popular. In my experience, and in no particular order, Geeks of all generations like working for a business that is ethically aligned with their beliefs. Creative, and that allows them the flexibility to use their own creativity and in their own time. Most importantly Grateful, and that gratitude doesn’t necessarily mean offering a fat wage, offering credit where credit is due and saying thank you freely and ungrudgingly.
I was highly amused by the assertion that an intern needs a minimum of an hour a day spent on supervision and instruction. Interns that require this much effort haven’t been selected with sufficient care. There is no reason why a carefully selected intern can’t perform at the same level as a fresh out of university graduate. In fact, in many circumstances, they may perform better because they haven’t been as indoctrinated in the ways of academia. You may even find them to be more open minded and flexible.
The one part of the book that may well be very useful to a hiring manager, although it applies to all roles and not specifically graduate positions, is the section on creating a role description. This is, however, too little too late, and nothing that can’t be found on the internet. I’d like to be able to recommend this book, because it’s never nice giving a bad review, but I really can’t.