Does your credit union have what it takes to attract the bestentry-level employees?

For the fifth consecutive year, ConnectEDU and Achievers, acloud based employee engagement software provider, studied whatmatters most to the next generation of employees.

The recently released “Class of 2014: Your Next Generation ofTop Talent” report revealed that while making a difference andadvancement are important, guidance and mentorship from leaderswithin the organization are equally valued.

More than 15,000 upcoming college graduates were surveyed and72% of respondents said they were optimistic about their jobprospects upon graduation. According to the report, that renewedoptimism has resulted in a talent pool that has become moreconfident and selective in its employer choices.

Here are seven recruiting and retention dos and don'ts:

1. Promote your corporate culture to attract top talent who wantto be aligned with the company's objectives.
2. Develop an internal referral program to give new graduates adirect way to speak to your company while they're prospecting forjobs.
3. Understand how this year's shortfall of skilled workers affectsyour business, opportunities you have for new graduates and wherethere are leadership gaps that need to be addressed.
4. Align employees with your company's values and discuss themoften to bring communication, leadership and culture to theforefront.
5. Provide your managers with training so they are equipped toeffectively coach the Class of 2014 to meet both personal goals andcorporate objectives.
6. Create transparency by making information available to allemployees, particularly managers so that they can give themeaningful feedback Millennials crave.
7. Hold managers accountable for metrics that mark the success oftheir respective team members.