The New Recruiting Psychographic Persona

Published by Danielle on June 22nd, 2007 in Recruiting | 14 Comments

This was a piece I put together as part of a presentation to my company's HR department as background for redesigning their recruiting materials. Although some of it seems pretty obvious to a twentysomething, some of the people that it was presented to were absolutely amazed.

"I" statements that reflect what recent graduates are looking for:

The most important things to me are my coworkers and the company's culture. I want to work with people who are enthusiastic, stimulating, friendly, competent, and fun. I like to be able to form friendships with my coworkers and also want to have a good relationship with my boss. I think coworkers and management should be approachable, especially if I need help.

A competitive salary is also important to me. With college loans looming, I'm very concerned about money. As it becomes the norm to have an undergrad degree I would like to maintain a competitive edge by pursuing a graduate degree. I am very interested in finding an employer who will help finance my MBA.

I would like to be appreciated for my accomplishments. It's important for me to receive actionable and detailed feedback, so that I can improve and exceed your expectations.

I am aggressive and constantly seeking to improve myself. I want to be challenged. I am looking for a job that allows me to participate fully in the projects I am working on. I am comfortable working on teams, in a supportive or leadership role.

I want the work I do to mean something. I would like to work with a product that correlates with my ideals and may be important to society.

Location is important as well. I'm thinking about: How far will I be from friends and family? How long will my commute be in the morning? What kind of activities in the area can I participate in?

I think volunteering is important. I am concerned about politics, socio-economic impact, and the environment. I'm looking for opportunities to give back and the ways that your company will support me in these endeavors.

I want to be able to make connections with those in and beyond my peer group. It's in my nature to network.

I may view this job as temporary, a stepping stone in my still-as-yet-undecided career path. Give me a reason to stay. Give me a reason to tell my friends why they should work here, too.

I am constantly connected to the Internet , to my friends. My cellphone is on 24/7. I am on Facebook daily and might even have a Myspace, too, but don't check it often.

When I look for a job I check my college's career search engine, the local paper's classifieds online, craigslist.com, and maybe Monster.com. I will also try to find someone who worked for the company to get the inside scoop about the corporate culture.