I run a small business.  We pay below-the-norm for college graduates
because that is all we can afford.  Trouble is, the best grads stay
for about four months, learn all they can, and then leave for more pay
elsewhere.

I would like to try high school graduates in their late teens or early
twenties.  I might even consider high school dropouts.  Our work is
administrative, but not difficult.  The work does require enthusiasm,
diligence, and a strong work ethic.

My theory is, we could pay these young high school graduates the same
as we are currently paying the collegians.  But the high schoolers
might stay longer given that we will be paying them a premium wage
(relative to the market).

Are there any other groups of "under-employed" workers I should be
considering?
Where can I find a database of non-college (high school, 18-22 years
old) resumes?

(Most of the big online services seem to specialize in bachelors or
masters-level candidates.)

A great answer would offer 3-4 web sites where I might search.
We do business in the San Francisco Bay Area.


All comments greatly appreciated!

Hello:

Thank You for allowing me an opportunity to answer your question.
Keeping in mind the search criteria explained by you, I have compiled
a list of useful organizations and websites that will help you finding
the right candidate. Furthermore, I have tried to include such
organizations that work with companies to hire high schools students
in San Francisco Area. Following is the list:

Enterprise for High School Students 
http://www.ehss.org/index.html
A San Francisco based organization working with companies to hire
motivated high school students, preferably in SF and California.

BayScan
http://www.bayscan.org/
A San Francisco based organization that work with companies to develop
a network based community so that high school students and employers
can achieve their goals (companies by hiring students, students by
getting work experience).

WorkKeys
http://www.act.org/workkeys/index.html
An Iowa based organization that maintains a huge database of high
school students looking for work.

CalScan
http://www.calscan.org/
A San Francisco based organization which is financially managed by
BayScan but is independent. Its misson is, “To foster a statewide
network that supports School-to-Career activities and partnerships in
California”.

Intern Summer
http://www.internsummer.com
A California based organization which intends to provide high school
students with summer internships with local companies in California.

You might want to review the following organization. It might or might
not fulfill your desired requirements.

http://www.northbayinterns.com/employers.html

There are some websites which are specifically targeted towards teens
and high school students where an employer can search a database for
future employers.

http://teens4hire.org/index.asp

http://www.jobdoggy.com

You should also try the keyword “jobs for teens” and “jobs for high
school students” in various search engines. I will recommend you to
use ://www.google.com, http://www.alltheweb.com and
http://www.altavista.com

You can also try 

http://www.collegejobboard.com/employer/main.cfm

Useful Search Terms:

“jobs for teens”
“jobs for high school students”
“hire teens”
“hire high school students”
“high school jobs”
“teen jobs”

Hope the answer will help you in your research. Please be advised that
I am here to help you and if you need further assistance, please
clarify. Thanks again.

Sincerely,
leader-ga

leader---that's an A+ answer.  I'll check out these sources right
away.  Thank you.

trillium---thanks for your comments.  Also, thanks for the data from
mylitsearch.  I appreciate it.

probonopublico---I agree completely.  In the past, we've recruited
foreign students from the UC-Berkeley certificate program. 
Interestingly enough, their biggest advantage is not that wages are
lower, but rather that they don't have the
"you-owe-me-and-when-is-coffee-break" attitude of many American young
people.  Thanks for your comments.  ron

I'm sure the sites listed above are great resources if you are sure
you want to recruit on the internet. Bear in mind that its not the
only way to search, however.

Since you have seem to know what you're looking for and no specific
training is required, your best bet for recruiting new employees is
probably through referrals. Put the word out to current employees and
other contacts you have that you're looking for high school graduates
with a strong work ethic (note that age discrimination in hiring is
against the law).

Advantages:

Hiring by referral saves money. 
Not just because it's free, but also because it is more efficient.
Posting job openings online can lead to a deluge of applications and
it costs your organization time (and therefore money) to sort through
them all and

Oops...hit enter before finishing...

I'm sure the sites listed above are great resources if you are sure
you want to recruit on the internet. Bear in mind that its not the
only way to search, however.
 
Since you have seem to know what you're looking for and no specific
training is required, your best bet for recruiting new employees is
probably through referrals. Put the word out to current employees and
other contacts you have that you're looking for high school graduates
with a strong work ethic (note that age discrimination in hiring is
against the law).
 
Advantages: 
 
Hiring by referral saves money.  
 - it's free, 
 - it is more efficient: Posting job openings online can lead to a
flood of   applications and it costs your organization time (i.e.
money) to sort through them all find the people you want.
 - people who are referred tend to be better qualified than people who
respond to ads. It costs virtually nothing to respond to an ad. But
recommending someone puts you're name on the line and you won't do it
for someone who can't do the job. You will have less applicants but
they will be more qualified.
 - people hired through referrals have lower turnover (which is
exactly what you're looking for)

For research backing up the assertions see:

http://www.mylitsearch.org/pub/103358162

Easy!

You hire graduates from overseas.

I have been VERY impressed with a call centre used by one UK bank.
It's in India and the women are exceptionally bright and would love to
get some overseas experience.

Would you consider hiring college graduates who are only able to work
during typical "school hours" because they have the primary
responsibility of caring for their child?

My supervisor has been very successful at finding highly skilled and
motivated employees who work 9 am to 3 pm, with lots of experience,
enthusiasm and excellent work ethics.  An added benefit is the most
highly desirable trait...that ability to get along with other people
and work in a team.

They are called "returning to workforce" parents.  After 5 to 6 years
of being unemployed as stay-home parents, they relish the chance to
return to work for (some) pay.  If they have to pay "before and after
school" childcare fees, it defeats the purpose of working, if it is at
an entry wage.  So just let them work the hours the kids are in
school, and get school holidays and breaks off without pay.

Look to the PTA and room-moms or dads - those are some dependable
parents.

inquiring,  thanks for the great idea.  We will contact area PTAs and
see what happens.  Thanks, again!