By Chris Ziembko
Every year in professional sports, there’s a draft. Organizations are excited to evaluate prospects and see how they’ll fit in with the team. The president, the GM, the coaches–EVERYONE is interested in getting the most talented players from this year’s class. They know how a player will mesh with their systems and culture. They know how fast he’ll develop. Aside from the Super Bowl, the NFL Draft is the most anticipated event in the football community.
Why isn’t the college recruiting process like a draft for companies? I know, catching a 66 yard touchdown pass in front of 50,000 people is a little more exciting than briefing the clients on the new management strategy. Still, it’s as if no one cares about getting the best entry level hires or interns. Most college recruiting consists of pouring time and money into the resume/interview process.
Companies should evaluate college students based on past performance instead of a fluffed up resume. What can they possibly tell about a potential employee’s benefit to the company from a 30 minute interview and a one page life summary? The hiring process for internships and entry level jobs is a gamble based on first impressions and instincts.
There isn’t a successful system yet for evaluating prospective employees. The best way to evaluate someone is by performance in the field. Just as NFL teams look at a college prospect’s performance the last four years, companies should look at projects that students have worked on in the past. They need to know what a student can come up with, given a problem and a blank page. Let students compete on projects. It’s the best way to see how they’ll benefit the company in the future.
If companies looked at ideas and actions instead of arbitrary behavioral questions and extracurricular activities, college recruiting will be more effective. And, it’ll be more exciting.
