Modernizing Campus Recruiting - Insights From Top TA Leaders

To recruit young talent, it’s inevitable to lean heavily on early adoption of technology. Not only will new technologies make recruiting departments more efficient, but company representatives need to understand the technologies used by the generation(s) they are trying to recruit. 

What does this mean for how we hire from universities? What practices should universities eliminate? What practices should employers adopt? How can campus recruiters modernize their practices?

  

“Universities should have an online platform for companies looking to hire on campus and have students able to apply to jobs prior to the company’s arrival on campus. Then, when the company comes, they can meet a volume of students who are already interested in working there. It’s also more productive for companies to host custom events to speak directly to their audience and meet people as a first-round interview without all the noise and irrelevant students.”

  

Carolyn Betts @BettsCEO - CEO, Betts Recruiting

Key Takeaway

• Develop an online platform for companies to post job openings before campus visits.
• Allow students to apply in advance, facilitating targeted interactions during campus events.
• Host custom events to streamline recruitment efforts and connect with pre-screened candidates.
• Simplify the application process to encourage quick and easy submissions.

  

“I hate the term “millennial” or “Gen Z” because it represents a caricature (whiny, entitled, can’t-put-their-phone down, etc), which could describe any individual in a particular “generation.” Public and private employers have limited resources, rather than spend resources trying to figure out how to target young talent on the social media platform of the moment, they should focus on the experience of applying for a job. This isn’t something that just “old” people care about. No one, of any age, wants to spend 45 minutes applying for a job. Figure out a way for people to apply quickly, then work on marketing.”

  

Melissa (Hartigan) Fairman, SPHR (@HrRemix) - Senior Manager Human Resources at Mickey Thompson Performance Racing

Key Takeaway

• Focus on improving the application process for all candidates, regardless of generation.
• Invest resources in simplifying and streamlining application procedures.
• Prioritize efficiency by reducing the time required for candidates to apply.
• Create user-friendly interfaces and streamlined application forms to enhance candidate experience.

  

”Don’t limit your company to just career fairs. Instead of diving into the heat of competition for student attention at university-sponsored career events, look to monopolize the attention of your specific target audience by sponsoring events and co-hosting on-campus meetups that will interest students who share your company’s core values."

  

Lumen Sivitz (@Lumen) - Head of Talent Strategy at Quantcast (former CEO MightySpring & Head of Recruiting @ Shyp)”

Key Takeaway

• Expand recruitment efforts beyond traditional career fairs to reach a broader audience.
• Sponsor events and host meetups on campus to engage with targeted student groups.
• Stand out by organizing unique events that resonate with your company's values.
• Collaborate with university departments and student organizations to maximize visibility and impact.

  

”Expect to be checked out everywhere online, not just LinkedIn. Employee review sites like Glassdoor will reveal the true nature of what it’s like on the inside of an organization, along with open social networks such as Twitter. So be transparent and encourage your people to post about their employee experience on various platforms.”

  

Jorgen Sundberg (@jorgensundberg) - CEO at LinkHumans

Key Takeaway

• Encourage transparency by actively engaging with online reviews and feedback.
• Manage online reputation across various platforms, including Glassdoor and social media.
• Showcase company culture and values through authentic online content and employee testimonials.
• Engage with candidates on multiple online platforms to build a strong online presence.

  

”We have a lot of success recruiting from universities where our employees get to go back to their alma mater. For example, when we return to campus recruiting events at Brown with Delphix Brown alumni, we always drive a lot of interest and generally hire a strong cohort of top students. As we expand the number of campus recruiting events we attend, and enter new regions where we have little brand recognition or alumni presence, the success of the event is as much about growing out long-term talent pipeline as it is about making a hire today.”

  

Cassie Stover - University Relations Specialist at Delphix

Key Takeaway

• Tap into alumni networks to enhance campus recruiting efforts.
• Encourage alumni employees to participate in recruiting events at their alma maters.
• Build relationships with universities where employees have strong alumni connections.
• Use campus recruiting events to cultivate long-term talent pipelines and brand recognition.

There you have it - these talent acquisition leaders span across large recruitment firms, large tech companies, and high-priced consultants - and they are advising you to check candidates out in emerging online platforms, adopt a recruiting technology, reduce friction to apply, source from meetups, improve your online employer branding and source from alumni networks. Until next time, happy hiring.