Looking to hire a student? Here are 5 things employers should know.

Is your organization looking to hire a student (or recent graduate) for an internship or a co-op program, or to work on a real-world project? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Whether your goal is to help younger generations careers and gain practical experience, build your talent pipeline, or find fresh approaches to real-world challenges, providing work-based learning (WBL) opportunities for students is a winning strategy for all parties involved.      

So how can you attract, retain, and engage talented students? The first step is understanding that today’s students and recent graduates have very different needs and values from previous generations. And this blog will help you unlock those key differences, allowing you to be better prepared to hire.   

Having facilitated work-based learning opportunities for students, employers, and academic institutions for over a decade, Riipen has extensive experience with younger generations. Below, we'll share five things employers looking to hire a student or recent graduates should know about Gen Z and Millennials, and how Riipen has helped more than 31,000 employers address and meet their hiring goals.

1. Work-life balance. 

The majority of today’s postsecondary students are non-traditional students. The U.S. National Center for Education Statistics defines a non-traditional student as one who delayed enrollment into postsecondary education, attended part-time, was financially independent, worked full-time while enrolled, had dependents other than a spouse, was a single parent, and/or did not obtain a standard high school diploma. 

These students tend to be older and are often juggling jobs and family obligations. They are drawn to flexible work-based learning programs that allow for asynchronous work and virtual/hybrid environments so they can work around their existing commitments and save on commute times and costs. By leveraging Riipen’s purpose-built platform to support these needs, employers have successfully engaged students in over 272,000 WBL experiences.     

2. Opportunities for growth and learning. 

While classroom learning is essential, today’s young people understand the value of experience. They are eager to apply the knowledge they’ve learned in school in a professional environment and further develop their technical and durable skills.  

To help employers design thoughtful work-based learning opportunities that allow students to build their competencies and resumes, Riipen provides project templates, project quality checks, and other resources. By incorporating in-demand skills into their WBL experiences, employers can attract motivated, high-performing students to their organization.

3. Feedback. 

Gen Z and Millennials are actively looking to improve themselves and crave frequent feedback on their performance. While older generations of workers are willing to wait for a six or twelve-month review, younger generations are not as patient. 

Employers will need to create processes that support more frequent feedback to motivate and engage today's students. Riipen’s platform can help by scheduling reminders and touchpoints directly in student and employer calendars and providing feedback templates, all from a central location.  

4. Purpose-driven work. 

Today’s students want to practice the skills they’ve acquired on real-world projects and see firsthand their efforts' impact. This allows them to explore different roles and industries and determine what career is the best fit for them.

With thousands of employers in its ecosystem, Riipen’s platform gives younger generations studying business, technology, the arts, and more access to a wide variety of work-based learning opportunities so they can try on different careers and narrow down their choices.   

5. Shared values. 

Many Gen Z and Millennial students are invested in social issues and want to give back to their communities. They value real-world, project-based learning but want to work with organizations that share their interests and passions. 

Riipen offers a wide range of WBL projects available, including opportunities from nonprofits, AI, social media, and business development to name a few. These options allow students to choose projects aligned to their values. 

“It was a great experience to learn more about what working in venture capital is like. I gained a lot of skills and garnered a unique perspective on the industry. I believe it will prepare me well for my future career.” ‍

— Shelley Zhang, Student, Schulich School of Business 

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By keeping these five things in mind, employers will have increased success with student hiring, retention, and engagement. And if you need additional support developing, launching, or managing your work-based learning program, Riipen is available to assist. 

Schedule a consultation to learn more.  

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