Best Practices for Employer Recruitment

When it comes to campus recruitment channels, traditional high-engagement strategies are deemed most productive among employers satisfied with their campus results.

  1. Build, develop, manage and maintain campus relationships.
    • The successful college relations and recruiting program looks at the long haul, not just short-term results, and is built on strong relationships.
  2. Set realistic recruiting goals.
    • Base your goals on supply, demand and related factors. How large is the potential pool? Where are the candidates? Who are your competitors? What are they offering? Do this work upfront, and you’ll set more reachable goals.
  3. Choose your target schools carefully.
    • Most URR professionals say they build their target school list around available majors, quality of programs, experience recruiting at the school and school location. This requires research and careful tracking, so you can see which schools are working best for your organization.
  4. Send the right people to campus.
    • Would you approach a career fair booth if the booth staff looked bored? Would you be impressed by a representative who told you to check the company website to get answers to your questions? How comfortable would you feel in an interview if the recruiter asked you for a date? Unfortunately, this is how some company reps have conducted themselves on campus.
  5. Communicate with students about the process.
    • Let students know the steps in the selection and hiring process. Keep them apprised of what’s happening, what they can expect and when they can expect it. Follow up with students you have talked to at a career fair. Keep in touch with interns after they have returned to campus. Let student applicants know promptly about their status.
  6. Measure and analyze your results—and adjust accordingly.
    • Track how many hires you make, yes, but also track your interviews to offer, offer to acceptance and retention rates. These can help you identify where you’re having the most success and the most trouble, so you can adjust.
  7. Feed your full-time hiring with an internship program.
    • An internship program is one of the most effective recruiting techniques, helping you build a relationship with potential hires early in their college career (before they are “on the job market”) and gauge their fit for your organization. An internship program also can help you achieve better retention: Research shows new college hires who have served an internship are more likely to stay with the employer.
  8. Use social media to supplement your effort.
    • Social media is not a replacement for a well-developed campus effort, but it can be a helpful supplement—if used properly—not only in reaching and connecting with students at your target schools but also in surfacing talented student who don’t attend those schools.

 

This article is based on insights provided in The Employer’s Guide to University Recruiting and Hiring, published by NACE.