5 Secrets to Campus Recruiting: Revealed

Campus recruiting can be often overlooked, but is an important way to bring talent and new ideas to your organization. Make sure you’re getting the most of it and finding the talent you need by following these five tips. 1. Showcase your culture People join people. While it’s up to recruiters to organize, plan and direct traffic, they are not ultimately going to be on the candidate’s potential team. Having team members attend career fairs gives a deeper dive of what to expect culturally, and helps considerably in attracting talent. A hiring manager or team lead will be even more effective, as they should be able to sell their passion on their projects and purpose within the company. Students want to hear from people directly related to the role – either those in it or those hiring for it. 2. Target your search Different schools bring different talent to the table. Do your research to make sure you’re looking in the right places and saving yourself time. Looking to your own alumni associations for best practices is key. This can indicate which universities are churning out the right people, which will ultimately help you build a future talent pipeline. Also, use your employees and their networks! Have them bring students or alumni from their colleges to your events. 3. Light up the path Sixty-percent of Millennials consider growth opportunities to be the most attractive thing a company can offer. Gaining experience is important to new grads, but you’ll attract more candidates if they know exactly how they can reach their potential with your company. Make sure you’re able to explain what your company’s career path is, share success stories and cite Glassdoor reviews. Reviews are the voice of employees who are not in attendance and provide a unique perspective. 4. Substance over Style If you can’t sell your company in one sentence, SWAG (stuff we all get) isn’t going to help. Every interaction and impression counts – especially since students at career fairs have such short attention spans. Pro Tip: Dig in and figure out what students are really looking for in an opportunity. From there, you can guide them to meaningful work that interests them, relate your culture to their personality and ultimately show open roles they can apply for. Candidates will remember their actual experience with you more than some cheesy pair of sunglasses. 5. Have a battle plan Make the most of your time by not relying solely on career fairs. Make sure you have other channels for marketing, meeting, and screening students. As far as marketing, you should make sure your presence is known before your trip. Network with professors before your visit to arrange presentations in classes that hold your target audience. Be sure you’re noting students who are top contenders. Depending on budget, you can host private events or even on-campus interviews to further evaluate your talent pool. This personal touch also helps increase candidate engagement and your overall brand.