College Grad Season: 4 Tips to Remain Attractive When Hiring is Flat

HR pros will see a different hiring landscape in this year’s college grad season. 

While you’ve probably always been somewhat excited about the new crop of skilled, and hopefully, eager job candidates, it won’t be the same experience as the past decade.

Graduates are pragmatic, expecting less from you and hoping more for themselves.

In fact, according to Monster’s 2026 State of the Graduate Report:

• 67% of grads would take a lower-paying job if it offered long-term security
• 69% are willing to compromise on their ideal role
• 75% would take a job that only lasts a year if it provides income
• 89% worry AI could replace entry-level roles (to note, that’s up from 64%)
• 76% are concerned about the economy’s impact on their job prospects, and
• 35% expect their job search to take four months or longer.

“Today’s graduates are entering the workforce with ambition, but also realism,” said Monster’s Career Expert Vicki Salemi. “Pay matters, but stability is increasingly shaping early career decisions. Many are weighing long-term security more heavily than rapid advancement.”

College Grad Hiring Flat

After several years of steady hiring for recent college grads, it will likely be flat this year. According to data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers are planning a 1.6% increase in hiring for the Class of 2026.

With such a flat hiring rate, the few who land jobs will have experience: Nearly all HR pros in the NACE survey said they valued internships, and more than three-quarters wanted to see co-ops on resumes.

But it’s not just what shows up on paper. Nearly 70% of HR pros also said they use skills-based hiring to choose the best college grads. Top ways:

• Have them share how they’ve used skills to solve problems in interviews 
• See they participated in experimental learning and/or work during college
• Connect coursework to professional skills, and/or
• Industry recognized certifications. 

Not surprisingly, nearly 11% of entry-level job posts that college grads are vying for require AI skills now.

What College Grads Really Want

It wasn’t long ago when new college grads were lured into the corporate world with what seemed like silly perks such as snack bars and ping-pong tables, but that’s not the case these days.

According to research from Handshake, new graduates are more likely to apply for a job when they see:

• The ideal location (73%)
• Job stability (70%)
• Positive employer reputation (67%)
• High starting salary (67%)
• Flexible schedules (52%)
• Competitive benefits (48%)
• Hybrid work schedules (39%)
• Familiar company brand (25%)
• Fully remote work (19%), and
• Fast-growing company (17%).

How to Remain Attractive to College Grads

So the questions now for HR pros and hiring managers: Even if you aren’t hiring out of the gate this year, how can you remain an attractive employer while the job market remains stagnant? Then, when it’s time to hire, college grads are excited to come work for you? 

Focus on what’s important to them now. 

1. Emphasize Stability

Perhaps for the first time in decades, new college grads admitted they care about stability in their work more than money. So it’s time to emphasize your company’s stability and financial health in any recruiting efforts you have. 

If you are doing interviews, introduce job candidates to your long-term growth opportunities. Ramp up information on your internal mobility opportunities, giving them examples of people who’ve succeeded and routes they can take.

2. Consider Short-Term Roles

Remember that about three-quarters of recent college grads would take short-term roles for immediate income. Those kind of roles can help you fill gaps, too.

Consider expanding internship programs or contracting roles to fill internal skills gaps, expand networks and possibly find good long-term fits.

3. Stay in the Groove

Soon-to-be and recent college grads will still attend career fairs and networking events.

You want to be there, too. Work with local campuses, industry groups or the chamber of commerce to stay involved and put your best face forward.

4. Maintain the Right Incentive for Them 

Regardless of when you hire new grads, they will have student loan debt. If they’re hired some time after they graduate, that loan will feel like an even heavier weight. So it’s not surprising that 55% of those with debt say it’s a significant source of stress for them, the Handshake study found.

As you might imagine, new grads will be interested in a student loan perk. A student loan payment matching program is a top benefit offered these days. Thanks to the Secure 2.0 Act, when employees make payments toward their student loans, employers can make matching contributions to employees’ 401(k) or 403(b), just as if they had contributed that amount directly to their retirement plans

You can learn more about administering that kind of perk in our story: Student Loan Payment Matching: IRS Issues Timely, 5-Step Guidance.