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

2. David Gastwirth
Program Manager
Council for Aid to Education (CAE)
212.217.0806
dgastwirth@cae.org
@cla_beat
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads
MEET YOUR PRESENTERS!
Lisa Rossi
University & Recruiting
Specialist
Brazen Careerist
212.480.2792
Lisa@Brazencareerist.com
@BrazenCareerist

3. 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
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

4. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

5. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

6. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

7. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

8. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

9. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

10. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

11. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

12. “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.”
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

13. 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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

14. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

15. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

16. “Are You Ready
for the Post-
College SAT?”
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

17. “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.”
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

18. “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.”
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

19. “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.”
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

20. 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
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

21. Innovation Imperative: Enhancing Higher Education Outcomes. Northeastern University.
September 17, 2013
Which of the following skill sets do you think are
most important for recent college graduates to
possess?
Ensuring that students graduate possessing the skills they’ll
need to succeed in the workplace
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

22. Ensuring that students graduate possessing the skills they’ll
need to succeed in the workplace
Innovation Imperative: Enhancing Higher Education Outcomes. Northeastern University.
September 17, 2013
Which of the following skill sets do you think are
most important for recent college graduates to
possess?
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

23. Ensuring that students graduate possessing the skills they’ll
need to succeed in the workplace
Innovation Imperative: Enhancing Higher Education Outcomes. Northeastern University.
September 17, 2013
Being well-rounded with a
range of abilities is seen
as more important than
having specific industry
expertise.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

24. Job Outlook 2013 Spring Update. National Association of Colleges & Employers. April 1, 2013.
But what are these broad
skills that are so desired?
Ensuring that students graduate possessing the skills they’ll
need to succeed in the workplace
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

25. Ensuring that students graduate possessing the skills they’ll
need to succeed in the workplace
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.
Job Outlook 2013 Spring Update. National Association of Colleges & Employers. April 1, 2013.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

26. 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.
Job Outlook 2013 Spring Update. National Association of Colleges & Employers. April 1, 2013.
Ensuring that students graduate possessing the skills they’ll
need to succeed in the workplace
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

27. 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.
Job Outlook 2013 Spring Update. National Association of Colleges & Employers. April 1, 2013.
Ensuring that students graduate possessing the skills they’ll
need to succeed in the workplace
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

28. “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.
Ensuring that students graduate possessing the skills they’ll
need to succeed in the workplace
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

29. 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.”
Ensuring that students graduate possessing the skills they’ll
need to succeed in the workplace
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

30. • Analysis and Problem-Solving
• Critical Reading and Evaluation
• Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning
• Argumentation
• Writing Effectiveness
• Writing Mechanics
The CLA+ Measures...
...Using a Performance
Approach
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

31. 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?
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

32. 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?
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

33. 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
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

34. 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?
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

35. 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?
small
sample
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

36. 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?
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

37. 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?
quantitative
literacy
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

38. 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?
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

39. 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?
appropriate
comparison
group
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

40. 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?
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

41. 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?
understanding
correlation
and causation
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

42. 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?
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

43. 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?
recognizing
improper use
of data
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

44. 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?
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

45. 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?
ability
to filter
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

46. Does time spent
social networking
affect students’
grades?
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

47. 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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

48. 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.
To test this theory, they stood on a popular
corner of campus at a large public
university, and asked 50 students a few
questions.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

49. 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.
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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

50. 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.
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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

51. 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.
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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

52. 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.
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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

53. Does time spent
social networking
affect students’
grades?
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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

54. Does time spent
social networking
affect students’
grades?
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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

55. Does time spent
social networking
affect students’
grades?
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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

56. Does time spent
social networking
affect students’
grades?
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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

57. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

58. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

59. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

60. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college Only 0.3% of all
students attend
an Ivy League
institution.
National Center for
Education Statistics
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

61. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
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
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

62. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

63. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
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
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

64. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
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
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

65. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

66. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Authentic
measures of job
preparation?
Measure of
learning from 4+
years ago.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

67. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

68. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
Authentic vets of
potential
employees or
applicants.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

69. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
Authentic vets of
potential
employees or
applicants.
Candidate
cultivated.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

70. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
Authentic vets of
potential
employees or
applicants.
Candidate
cultivated.
Have been in
place. Same
issue persist.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

71. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
Interview/
Employment
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

72. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
What is missing?
Interview
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

73. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
What is missing?
Interview
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

74. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
What is missing?
Interview/
Employment
SAT-like scores
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

75. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
What is missing?
Interview
SAT-like scores
Norms
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

76. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
What is missing?
Interview/
Employment
SAT-like scores
Norms
Mastery Levels
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

77. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
What is missing?
Interview
SAT-like scores
Norms
Mastery Levels
Certification
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

78. Giving graduates tools to differentiate themselves in a
crowded job market.
Name of college
GPA
SAT Scores
Résumé
Cover Letter
LinkedIn Profile
What is missing?
Interview
SAT-like scores
Norms
Mastery Levels
Certification
Badging
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

79. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

80. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

81. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

82. Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

83. Here’s what we know:
§ The job market is tight for recent graduates.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

84. Here’s what we know:
§ The job market is tight for recent graduates.
§ Employers are looking for candidates that possess broad,
transferrable skills.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

85. 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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

86. 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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

87. 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.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

88. 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.
§ Finding those candidates is hard.
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

89. CLA+ Advantage:
§ To date: Nearly 500,000 students at 700
institutions have taken the Collegiate Learning
Assessment
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

90. 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
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads

91. 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
§ 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

99. Remote Proctoring
90 minutes
• 60 minute, performance
• 30 minutes, selected response
Mastery Levels & % Norms
Cost = $50
Hiring Top-Performing College Grads
NEW: CLA+ Direct

100. • Thought Leaders
• Millennial Focused
• University Partners
• Engagement Experts
• Powerful Platform
Who is ?

101. FACE TIME ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE

102. THE FACT IS, THERE ARE SCHOOLS
YOU’RE NOT REACHING…
AND TOP CANDIDATES YOU’RE
MISSING OUT ON.

103. Social media has had a significant impact on
University recruiting.
SOCIAL MEDIA ENABLES YOU TO
REACH GRADUATES DIRECTLY

104. THE CLA+ ENABLES YOU TO
DIFFERENTIATE TOP CANDIDATES
ACROSS UNIVERSITY LINES

105. VIRTUAL RECRUITING EVENTS ALLOW
YOU TO MEET, SCREEN AND HIRE
THOSE CANDIDATES

106. 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.

107. HOW
DOES
IT
WORK?
2. Employers
register, and
we build their
custom booth with
jobs, links, media
and more.

108. HOW
DOES
IT
WORK?
3. Top CLA+
performers
connect in live,
one-on-one, text-
based
conversations
with your team

109. HOW
DOES
IT
WORK?
4. Candidates move
through the hiring
process and you
make hires!

110. 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.
Lisa@BrazenCareerist.com
Questions?