Look at those shiny faces full of promise, or is that just the glow of their mobile devices? The class of 2016 may surprise you. They might not want what you think they want.

Let’s start with money

They consistently respond that it’s not a primary concern. Of course their loan officers probably haven’t contacted them just yet. Still, they are willing to trade salary for a fun and exciting place to work.

There could be less to choose from

About 25% of graduates already have a full-time position lined up, that’s up quite a bit from last year. If you’re a hiring manager, this means you may want to get in the market earlier if you want a fresh graduate.

They prefer full time employment

A significant portion of new grads want to be a part of something and find a place for themselves. While open to freelancing, they’d prefer not to join the gig­economy. The challenge for recruiters and hiring managers will be demonstrating the benefits of contract work [link to
blog Labor -­ On Demand] .

If it’s not on mobile you won’t be found

Not unexpectedly, the class of 2016 has gone mobile. They’ve done everything on their phones for a while now. You won’t reach them if you’re not accessible.

Value-Driven

It shouldn’t be surprising that recent graduates are ideological and want to work with a company that has strong values. What might be surprising is that they see corporate life as viable and can align with their values. They’re willing to help shape the system, as opposed to rejecting or avoiding it.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.