Do you prefer hiring candidates with prior work experience or fresh graduates?

Question

When it comes to expanding the team at the grassroots level, startup entrepreneurs, do you prefer hiring candidates with prior work experience or fresh graduates?

Some people say that experienced candidates are ready to hit the ground running and can quickly adapt to the job. Others argue that nurturing talent means starting from scratch with individuals who have zero experience. What do you think?

Accepted Answer

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Kevin Lu · Answer

@kim_meng It really depends on the position and the number of employee in the team. If the position is crucial and the number of employee is small, it would be better to hire a more experienced employee though~

Sarmad Qadri · Answer

It depends on the candidate themselves, as well as the state of the startup. A big reason many startups prefer to hire senior people first is because they don't have time to provide the kind of mentorship and environment that new graduates need to grow and thrive. But there are also new grads who love that environment and are capable of figuring things out quickly and independently. There are also startups with enough senior people on the founding team to be able to get a new grad up-to-speed.

So like many things, there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach here. It's important to identify the constraints of the situation you're in and develop a philosophy around that.

Oleg from FirstHR · Answer

Work experience, of course.

Sebastian Janus - derStartupCFO · Answer

It totally depends on the role. With a fresh graduate you have an impressionable individual however their performance is left to be tested. With a person with experience you know how they have performed. But their attitude have been already set.

Nick from FirstHR · Answer

It completely depends on the position.

Answer

It depends on the job's requirements and the company's goals. Fresh graduates often have a fresh perspective and are eager to learn from their previous experiences. Experience can bring valuable skills and knowledge. The combination of both can make a great team.

Shajedul Karim · Answer

his isn't a question of fresh vs experienced. rather, it's about the willingness to learn, adapt, and grow. a seeker, regardless of their career stage, is a true asset.

Elenny Frometa - witcopy.com · Answer

Both. Everyone has to start somewhere, so as long as they're eager to learn and I have someone who can coach them, I wouldn't mind hiring a fresh graduate for an entry-to-mid-level role.
Especially if they had a side hustle related to my company's needs while attending college.

Cyril Gupta · Answer

I work mostly with fresh graduates. I have my own systems of production and it works best when I can teach someone from scratch what I need to get done and how.

Also, as a bootstrapped venture, we can't afford the top salaries. So we train our guys for 3-4 months and make them suitable to work on the projects they are assigned.

There's churn, but it's manageable.

Kevin Lu · Answer

@john_price_kp agreed with you~ attitude and ownership are actually the key!

Kim HM · Answer

@saqadri I totally agree. I'm actually facing a similar dilemma right now. We need to fill some entry-level positions, and the boss wants to hire fresh graduates who are just starting their careers. But considering how busy everyone is, it's unrealistic to expect someone to have the time to mentor these newcomers. In the end, it might result in the new hires feeling overwhelmed and unable to stay for long.

Kim HM · Answer

@elenny_frometa1 
You hit the nail on the head. It's not about whether they have work experience or not, but rather if there are people who can guide them effectively. The key factor lies in the ability of the mentors or leaders who will be guiding them.

Kevin Lu · Answer

@zeeshan_ali18 agreed~ the more important position requires a more experienced employee to take care~

Do you prefer hiring candidates with prior work experience or fresh graduates?

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