Strengths-based recruiting and development solutions provider Cappfinity today announced a new program with Harvard’s Office of Career Services which includes strengths-based coaching and access to Strength Profiles for 1,000 Harvard students. This program aims to help students identify and communicate their strengths with future employers.
“It’s critical for students and recent graduates to be aware of what energizes them at the onset of their careers,” said Eugenia Liakaris, Head of Customer Success, Americas at Cappfinity. “The ability to present their strengths and skills is critical now and as they progress in their careers and encounter competitive hiring markets.”
With more than 13 million jobs open in the U.S., this fresh approach to understanding one’s strengths may enable Gen Z students to make an impression as they interview for positions and start their careers. According to Liakaris who spent over 15 years in campus recruiting at New York University, Baruch College, Hofstra University prior to joining Cappfinity, when students and early career professionals use their top strengths at work, they are more confident, more likely to achieve goals, more effective at growing and developing themselves, are less stressed, and are six times more engaged at work.
“Helping learners discover and realize their career goals and aspirations is at the forefront of what we do. With Strengths Profile by Cappfinity, they’ll have the language of strengths as well,” said Manny Contomanolis, PhD, Director of the Office of Career Services at Harvard. “Cappfinity’s strengths-based approach provides invaluable insight that helps students take charge of their career paths.”
While identifying strengths is a powerful tool for students, it’s also beneficial for employers seeking specific attributes in new hires. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the top attributes that employers are seeking today include problem solving skills (85% of respondents), analytical/quantitative skills (78.6%), and the ability to work in a team (76.3%).
“Unfortunately, too many recruiters and candidates focus solely on academics and resumes which can ultimately lead to job dissatisfaction and turnover,” added Liakaris. “But when strengths are assessed and understood early on, it’s a win-win for both the employer and the employee because it helps place the worker in a job they excel at, love, and feel energized by every day.”
Strengths Profile is currently available at Harvard. The students participating will receive a custom evaluation, which will help them better understand their strengths, navigate job searches, and connect the dots between their academic and future careers.
Cappfinity’s end-to-end talent solutions will be on display and demonstrated June 7-9, 2022 at the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Conference and Expo in Booth 300, Portland, Oregon. This includes the newly curated Strengths Profiles bundles for colleges and universities in the U.S.
