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O P I N I O N
R ecruiting great talent takes skill, a little bit of luck, and some great benefits. The other day I was trying to figure out ways our clients could separate themselves from the competition when it comes to recruiting the best talent. Let’s talk about student loans With college debt at an all-time high and expected to increase, now’s the time to think about adding loan reduction as a benefit.
Of course, everyone wants to just throw money at the problem without thinking about the factors that drive a candidate to decide to go with one firm or another. It’s probably a bit more involved than that. Ask any recruiter and they will tell you that the deal isn’t done until the candidate signs the offer letter, and even then things can fall by the wayside through no fault of your own. “The other day I was trying to figure out ways our clients could separate themselves from the competition when it comes to recruiting the best talent.” I was on a plane recently and stumbled across an article in The Wall Street Journal that addressed student relief as a corporate perk.
What a novel idea! This issue got me thinking about the challenges facing young engineers and architects who are looking to work for a great company. It’s hard enough beating the pavement and finding a job, and when you add to it the stress of dealing with student loan debt ($35,000 average student loan debt at graduation in 2015), the decision-making process for these newly minted engineers and architects becomes a bit tricky. Here are some ideas to consider as you work to fine tune your pay and benefits package to attract this millennial generation of talent. Imagine being able to offer new employees healthcare, a 401(k) program, and a student loan repayment option or bonus. That’s a big deal for a young employee dealing with the kind of debt that this millennial generation is facing.
Randy Wilburn
See RANDY WILBURN, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER May 9, 2016, ISSUE 1151
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