When it comes to interviewing job candidates, one of the most important areas to assess is work history. But what if a candidate doesn’t have much of one, or one at all?

As one of the leading staffing services firms in Woodland, California, Pacific Staffing knows that interviewing candidates with little or experience can certainly be a challenge. If you’re looking to hire new college grads for your organization, you need to take a bit of a different approach then you would with seasoned candidates.

To help you determine whether a green candidate is the right one for you, here are some tips to consider:

Know Your Needs 

Are you looking to hire someone you can groom into a leader? Or do you need to hire an employee who doesn’t need a lot of training and support? If it’s the latter, then a new college grad isn’t your best bet when it comes time to hire. That’s why it’s important to know your needs before hiring. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself and the candidate up for failure.

Evaluate Soft Skills 

It’s hard to know what a candidate can really do when there’s little work history to assess. However, evaluating soft skills is a good first step in determining whether they’re a good fit for your company and its culture.

You can do this by conducting a personality test to ensure their personality will mesh well within the culture. You can also ask behavioral-based questions that help you assess other capabilities. For instance, if you need a candidate with strong collaboration skills, ask them to tell you about a time they had to work together as a team on a college project.

Don’t Forget About the Basics

A candidate could have graduated top of their class, but if they showed up to the interview late, are dressed inappropriately, or act disrespectfully in any way, then you should scratch them off your list. They’re not ready to work in a professional environment.

Give Them Homework

Since there’s little work history to go on, one way you can evaluate a candidate’s potential is to give them a homework assignment that’s related to the job they’re interviewing for. Not only will you have a chance to see what they can do in terms of work quality, but you’ll also be able to assess their eagerness and willingness to do the work.

Need More Help Finding Your Next Great Entry Level Hire?

If you do, let Pacific Staffing know. As one of the leading staffing services firms in Woodland, California, we pride ourselves on learning about the culture of our clients’ teams and discovering the hard and soft skills that help predict an ideal job match. Contact us today if you’re ready to learn more about how we can help you.