They only have to do so because it's nearly impossible for a new grad to stand out from the foam of AI applications. This is part of the trend that created the need—it's a toxic feedback loop.
Undergrads have tons of opportunities to gain experience and make connections, both on and off campus: internships, research, TA jobs, sports, Greek life, volunteering, clubs, etc.
When I review resumes from new grads, it's that kind of extracurricular stuff that stands out. It shows they had the initiative and commitment to pursue things that matter to them. If a resume is only coursework, then sure, that won't stand out.
This still doesn’t answer the second part - why hire a new grad over someone with two or three years of experience? There are plenty of those hungry for a job that would work for the same compensation.
My team has to be in-person, and new grads are far more likely to be open to relocating. I'd rather spend valuable time recruiting and interviewing people who are likier to accept an offer over those who'd balk at moving.
Students have way more advantages in hiring than they realize. Openness to moving is a big one. So is getting experience and connections via extracurriculars. If you're a university student and you take the small steps to build up these advantages over time, you won't need to resort to resume-spamming.
And if they “have to be in person” is that because you are doing programming with specialized equipment?
I can’t imagine hiring a bunch of new grads can actually end up being productive. Back in the day you would open an office in a place where you can get relatively cheap experienced devs like the suburbs of Atlanta (where I use to live).
How is this different than any other job? Experience is experience I don’t see how that justifies pissing off your potential employers with mountains of AI slop resumes.