Hiring recent computer science graduates can mean adding fresh perspectives and enthusiasm to a team. The life they can breathe into a stagnant group can be welcome and refreshing. While these hires bring a lot of good to the table, they can also be the source of some frustration.

Despite their skills, you might find yourself dealing with recent graduates who don’t know how to work in a real-world environment. They’re used to completing projects differently and may perform at a slower pace than typically desired. To get the most out of recent graduates, try the following suggestions.

1. Set Goals

Fresh out of school, your computer science hires are used to goals, and this is a natural transition. It’s important to be as clear as possible so there isn’t room for misinterpretation or misunderstanding. Recent graduates need to be able to focus on goals without wandering down incorrect paths.

By establishing both short and long-term goals, you’re expressing your expectations and creating a roadmap for success. Frequent check-ins can help both parties stay informed about the progress and make timely course corrections when necessary.

2. Keep the Communication Up

While you can typically leave seasoned employees to their own devices and trust them to complete their work, you want to check in frequently with recent graduates to see how everything is going. This can be achieved in two ways. One, through scheduled meetings and two, through ongoing communication services like instant messenger.

If you’ve set goals, these meetings already serve as the perfect check-ins. For the times in-between, using an instant messenger service can keep you available for the employee so they know you’re there to ask questions and help when needed. Acting distant may cause them to proceed without asking for help, which may cause project delays, disruptions or backlogs.

3. Provide Feedback

This generation of recent grads thrives on feedback, both positive and negative. They want to hear how they’re doing, why it’s good, and if or how they can improve. Being engaged is crucial to them, and this is a simple way to help them grow as professionals.

Try Hiring Recent Computer Science Graduates With Experience

Entry-level employees can be challenging due to their lack of experience, but there is a way to combine that fresh out-of-school enthusiasm with a more seasoned worker. Smoothstack is a technology talent incubator that kick starts IT careers and delivers a singular source of targeted talent. It delivers a predictable pipeline of enterprising, innovation-fueled IT professionals to solve long-term hiring challenges. To learn more about the ways Smoothstack can provide you with a tech talent pipeline, contact our team today.