hiring top-performing college grads

Hiring Top-Performing College Grads Better Information, More Diverse Candidates, and the Future of Recruiting March 13, 2014

David Gastwirth Program Manager Council for Aid to Education (CAE) 212.217.0806 [email protected] @cla_beat

Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

MEET YOUR PRESENTERS!

Lisa Rossi University & Recruiting Specialist Brazen Careerist 212.480.2792 [email protected] @BrazenCareerist

Three challenges: •  Ensuring that students graduate possessing

the skills they’ll need to succeed in the workplace

•  Giving graduates valid tools to differentiate themselves in a crowded job market

•  Helping employers identify candidates with the skills they require…in an increasingly diverse demographic and institutional landscape


“Considering all four years of college, we

find that 36% of students did not demonstrate any

significant improvement in

learning, as measured by CLA performance.”


High-performing CLA test-takers 1-2 years

after college are significantly less likely

to be unemployed, living at home, or facing

high levels of credit card debt.


“Are You Ready for the Post-College SAT?”


“Are You Ready for the Post-College SAT?”

“Next spring, seniors at about 200 U.S. colleges will take a new test that could prove more important to their future than final exams: an SAT-like assessment that aims to cut through grade-point averages and judge students’ real value to employers.”


Innovation Imperative: Enhancing Higher Education Outcomes. Northeastern University. September 17, 2013

Americans and business leaders agree it is more important for graduates to possess broader skills and capabilities.

Ensuring that students graduate possessing the skills they’ll need to succeed in the workplace



Which of the following skill sets do you think are most important for recent college graduates to

possess?





Being well-rounded with a range of abilities is seen as more important than having specific industry expertise.


Job Outlook 2013 Spring Update. National Association of Colleges & Employers. April 1, 2013.

But what are these broad skills that are so desired?




Although degrees and majors in demand may vary from year to year, the key skills and qualities that employers seek in their new

college hires remains nearly identical year after year.



“Most people would agree that skills like critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing—the things the [CLA] test does measure—are pretty important.”

Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses (Book Review by Bill Gates). October 30, 2012.



A College Degree Isn’t Enough (Column by Knight Kiplinger). December 2013.

“Another test that holds intriguing potential as a job credential for mentally demanding work is the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA), an online exam that was once administered mostly to students by colleges as an internal measure of their teaching methods. The CLA uses realistic hypothetical challenges to assess creative problem-solving.”



•  Analysis and Problem-Solving •  Critical Reading and Evaluation •  Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning •  Argumentation •  Writing Effectiveness •  Writing Mechanics

The CLA+ Measures...

...Using a Performance Approach


How should the mayor of the town of Jefferson address an increase in drug use in his town, particularly when faced when the pressures of a re-election campaign? Should he use existing town funds to increase the police force, or to set up a drug-treatment program?



bias



small sample



quantitative literacy



appropriate comparison

group



understanding correlation

and causation



recognizing improper use

of data



ability to filter


Does time spent social networking affect students’ grades?



A group of researchers believe that students who use social networks on a regular basis get lower grades in college than those who do not.



A group of researchers believe that students who use social networks on a regular basis get lower grades in college than those who do not. To test this theory, they stood on a popular corner of campus at a large public university, and asked 50 students a few questions.



A group of researchers believe that students who use social networks on a regular basis get lower grades in college than those who do not. To test this theory, they stood on a popular corner of campus at a large public university, and asked 50 students a few questions. They found that 75% of students do not think that time social networking interfered with their grades.



A group of researchers believe that students who use social networks on a regular basis get lower grades in college than those who do not. To test this theory, they stood on a popular corner of campus at a large public university, and asked 50 students a few questions. They found that 75% of students do not think that time social networking interfered with their grades. They decided to compare the average amount of time that students spend social networking each week with their GPA.



A group of researchers believe that students who use social networks on a regular basis get lower grades in college than those who do not. To test this theory, they stood on a popular corner of campus at a large public university, and asked 50 students a few questions. They found that 75% of students do not think that time social networking interfered with their grades. They decided to compare the average amount of time that students spend social networking each week with their GPA. Based upon these results, the researchers concluded that their hypothesis is correct: students who use social networks on a regular basis do worse in college than those who do not.



The researchers would like to conduct another study to see if their hypothesis holds true. Which of the following research designs will best test their hypothesis?

(a)  Ask the same questions at the same university but to a different group of people.

(b)  Ask the same set of questions but at a different large university.

(c)  Ask a different set of questions at a large university.

(d)  Ask the same questions but at numerous universities of varying sizes.



The researchers would like to conduct another study to see if their hypothesis holds true. Which of the following research designs will best test their hypothesis?

(a)  Ask the same questions at the same university but to a different group of people.

(b)  Ask the same set of questions but at a different large university.

(c)  Ask a different set of questions at a large university.

(d)   Ask the same questions but at numerous universities of varying sizes.



Using results from a different and unrelated study, researchers concluded that the GPA for students who use Twitter on a regular basis is not statistically different from the GPA for students who did not use Twitter on a regular basis. What relevance does this observation have to the original hypothesis?

(a)  It suggests that college students have a specific preference for which social network platform to use.

(b)  It confirms that college grades are not affected by the amount of time students spend on social media sites.

(c)  It allows one to speculate whether social media is the true reason for the differences in GPA in this study.

(d)  It implies that students who use Twitter do better in college than students who use other social networks.


Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a crowded job market.



Name of college



Name of college Only 0.3% of all students attend an Ivy League institution.

National Center for Education Statistics



Name of college Only 14% of students at competitive colleges come from the lower half on the income bracket. A mere 5% come from the bottom quarter.

“Giving Low Income Students the dream and guidance to attend top schools.” PBS NewsHour. September 9, 2013



Name of college GPA



Name of college GPA

The most frequently awarded grade for undergraduates at Harvard University is an A, and the median grade is A-.

“Most frequently awarded grade at Harvard: A.” Inside Higher Ed. December 4, 2013



Name of college GPA

Some Harvard faculty members are concerned. Harvey Mansfield…told The Boston Globe that he thought grading patterns were “really indefensible.” “Most frequently awarded grade at Harvard: A.” Inside Higher Ed. December 4, 2013



Name of college GPA SAT Scores



Name of college GPA SAT Scores

Authentic measures of job preparation? Measure of learning from 4+ years ago.



Name of college GPA SAT Scores Résumé Cover Letter LinkedIn Profile




Authentic vets of potential employees or applicants.




Authentic vets of potential employees or applicants. Candidate cultivated.




Authentic vets of potential employees or applicants. Candidate cultivated. Have been in place. Same issue persist.



Name of college GPA SAT Scores Résumé Cover Letter LinkedIn Profile Interview/ Employment



Name of college GPA SAT Scores Résumé Cover Letter LinkedIn Profile What is missing? Interview



Name of college GPA SAT Scores Résumé Cover Letter LinkedIn Profile What is missing? Interview/ Employment

SAT-like scores




SAT-like scores Norms



Name of college GPA SAT Scores Résumé Cover Letter LinkedIn Profile What is missing? Interview/ Employment

SAT-like scores Norms Mastery Levels




SAT-like scores Norms Mastery Levels Certification




SAT-like scores Norms Mastery Levels Certification Badging


Here’s what we know: §  The job market is tight for recent graduates.



§  Employers are looking for candidates that possess broad,

transferrable skills.





§  Tools for exhibiting these skills do not exist or have serious faults.






§  The CLA+ provides a validated credential and badge (if earned) for students and graduates.







§  A significant number of top-performing students are enrolled in less selective institutions.







§  A significant number of top-performing students are enrolled in less selective institutions.

§  Finding those candidates is hard. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

CLA+ Advantage: §  To date: Nearly 500,000 students at 700

institutions have taken the Collegiate Learning Assessment




§  From this data, we can estimate that more high-achieving students are at institutions outside of the most selective category




§  From this data, we can estimate that more high-achieving students are at institutions outside of the most selective category

§  Spring 2014: 25,000-30,000 students at 200 colleges and universities will take the CLA+ and get reports with valid and reliable measures of critical thinking and communication Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

Remote Proctoring 90 minutes •  60 minute, performance •  30 minutes, selected response Mastery Levels & % Norms Cost = $50


NEW: CLA+ Direct

•  Thought Leaders

•  Millennial Focused

•  University Partners

•  Engagement Experts

•  Powerful Platform

Who is ?

FACE TIME ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE

THE FACT IS, THERE ARE SCHOOLS YOU’RE NOT REACHING…

AND TOP CANDIDATES YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON.

Social media has had a significant impact on University recruiting.

SOCIAL MEDIA ENABLES YOU TO REACH GRADUATES DIRECTLY

THE CLA+ ENABLES YOU TO DIFFERENTIATE TOP CANDIDATES

ACROSS UNIVERSITY LINES

VIRTUAL RECRUITING EVENTS ALLOW YOU TO MEET, SCREEN AND HIRE

THOSE CANDIDATES

HOW DOES IT WORK?

1. Events are set for a particular date and time, and only high-achieving, pre-screened, top CLA+ performers are invited.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

2. Employers register, and we build their custom booth with jobs, links, media and more.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

3. Top CLA+ performers connect in live, one-on-one, text-based conversations with your team

HOW DOES IT WORK?

4. Candidates move through the hiring process and you make hires!

COMBINE THE POWER OF THE CLA+ AND VIRTUAL RECRUITING ON MAY 8

We’ll be sending you the registration link directly

following this webinar.

Enter code CAEM14 to receive 15% discount off of early bird rate.

[email protected]

Questions?

hiring top-performing college grads

Recruiting & HR

inside higher

performing

crowded job

college hires

social network

giving graduates

frequently

students graduate