Three Strategies for Recruiting Candidates with Nontraditional Education Experience

Finding the right-fit candidate involves many different factors for companies. When searching for early-stage talent, educational background is an important criterion. Looking for candidates from a single type of school or major can keep companies from finding diverse talent. When companies can recruit candidates with a nontraditional education, they have access to a larger talent pool and can build more inclusive recruiting practices.

Often, we think of nontraditional students as first-generation students, 25 years old or older when they start college, and/or students with some college experience but no degree. Additionally, the nontraditional student experience can include students who don’t live on campus or university housing, who work full-time, and/or who are caregivers of their children or parents.

According to a 2015 study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), nontraditional students make up the majority of postsecondary students in the United States: 74% of college students could be considered nontraditional. The study itself is almost 10 years old, but it reflects the changes that we’ve seen over the last decade that demonstrate how college education is changing—and impacting the workforce along with it.

Reaching the nontraditional student for open roles requires employers to keep an open mind about what the ideal candidate could look like. Candidates with a nontraditional education can struggle to be seen when so few things are considered for success in open roles. Think of what your organization could do if it were easy to find right-fit candidates before they even enter the recruiting pipeline. Tools like Forage job simulations are just one of the easiest ways that companies can improve their recruiting efforts to reach candidates with a nontraditional education by giving them a glimpse into the day in the life of the role and shine a spotlight on the most motivated applicants.

Consider the holistic candidate

What does a well-rounded candidate look like? Consider the college application process: admissions decisions aren’t based solely on GPA and test scores. Competitive universities admit students on a variety of criteria beyond academic achievement, including their extracurricular activities, and volunteer work.

Transferable skills such as writing and tech proficiency can give a candidate with a nontraditional education an advantage for roles. Companies are looking for candidates who can communicate complex and important ideas in concise and impactful ways through different channels and media. Digital natives have grown up with technology, so they have learned much more than any generation before them simply by existing with tools and platforms we use in the workplace—such as social media apps and video editing tools, and being exposed to technology earlier in life expands digital fluency for learning new tools faster.

Also, look for other skills: Do they speak multiple languages? That candidate could pitch in when working with international clients as a translator or cultural consultant to help the team better understand whom they’re working with. Are they a self-taught coder? Perhaps that candidate could pick up additional programming languages quickly.

By looking at a candidate’s achievements, skills, and abilities outside of their academic accomplishments, recruiters can unearth hidden gems to fill roles.

Define your expectations, internally and externally

Including candidates from nontraditional backgrounds starts with writing a job description that’s more inclusive and clearly sets the expectations for the role. Buzz phrases such as “thrives in a fast-paced environment” don’t mean much without defining what is required of employees. It could mean that priorities change often and candidates should be comfortable with uncertainty. That’s one way candidates from any kind of educational background could succeed in the role, as there’s no college class that teaches how to navigate corporate change management (yet).

Learning to work through uncertainty is only one skill that comes from many different life experiences. Many more life skills can apply to the workplace, such as making quick decisions to keep people safe as a lifeguard or staying calm under pressure as a cashier during the holiday shopping season. Creating job descriptions with clear expectations and definitions of the role will help candidates see themselves in the role better.

It’s impossible to write a perfect job description that will list every aspect of the role in detail, so focus on what really matters: what you expect of the best-fit candidate stepping into the role. Clearly communicate what you’re looking for internally and externally. This will make attracting talent from all educational backgrounds much easier and faster.

Prepare the right-fit candidates with Forage job simulations

Talent teams no longer need to sift through thousands of applications—many generated by AI—to find the right-fit candidates. Forage job simulations help identify those who have the skills, demonstrate commitment, and show genuine interest by engaging with the company. Students take the initiative to complete one- to three-hour simulations on their own schedule and get a glimpse into what a day in the life at the company really looks like. Not only do they get a better sense of what the job entails, but they also walk away with a better understanding of the company culture.

Here’s how Forage is making a difference for companies searching for right-fit candidates and preparing them for open roles:

• Foragers are 3.3x more likely to get hired compared to traditional applicants
• 81% of students feel confident about the role after completing a job simulation
• 95% of Foragers have a higher understanding of the company after completing a job simulation

Companies can find prepared, motivated, and engaged candidates faster with Forage, because candidates with a nontraditional education can share their skills and interests up front when exploring roles. When the work can speak for itself, it’s easier for companies to find the best person for the role.

Get ahead in the early-stage talent recruiting race

Employers can go beyond the resume when evaluating candidates with a nontraditional education background. Finding the right fit for each open role at your organization is easier when you can consider a more complete picture of what the candidate brings to the table. Forage job simulations can help your company target the best-fit talent without adding time and process to your recruiting cycles. Visit our Forage Solutions webpage to see how job simulations can help connect your organization to a wider network of next-generation talent.