College Recruiting

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As we head into the Fall semester, companies will need to be thinking about college recruiting for the Fall graduates. As you set up your program, SHRM has outlines a great process that may help.

College recruiting is a diverse and systematic process. The following pages will provide a detailed step-by-step description of each phase of the process and the necessary tools needed to complete it. Traditionally, college recruiting is marked by earnest competition between numerous companies, all vying to fill interview schedules and hire the best and the brightest that each university has to offer. A key point to bear in mind is that those companies who most strategically and consistently market themselves to students are in the best position to effectively compete with other firms for what is typically a fairly small number of choice graduates.

Depending upon the majors that an employer is seeking, there may be a relatively small student body within the particular group. Simultaneously, in many cases there are a number of competing companies from like industries actively involved in the recruiting process or in some other fashion on the campus. Additionally, employers must bear in mind that they may also find themselves competing with companies from completely different industries. Thus, the competition for graduates is likely to be fairly intense from both industry and non-industry competitors.

For companies that wish to hire students who are simply graduating with a business degree or liberal arts degree, there is obviously a very large pool of potential candidates. To maximize the likelihood of achieving the most success at each campus, it is often necessary to go beyond the typical protocol (usually hosted by the colleges career center). It may be necessary to engage in further and more intimate relationships with specific academic departments (i.e., real estate department, criminal justice department, etc.) that relate to an employer's industry and the various activities that many of them sponsor.

Focusing in on and developing strong relationships with specific departments and clubs that relate to an employer's industry allows companies the opportunity to directly target the selection process to those students who have the exact skill set that a company may be seeking. Some might ask why, then, would it be necessary to participate in major events, such as career fairs or on campus interviewing sponsored by the career centers, which are generally open to a large variety of students or students in all majors? Department chairs at many universities advise that is still necessary to participate in activities sponsored by the various career centers. There are two primary reasons: First, most academic departments work collaboratively with their career centers to provide their students with the best possible work opportunities after graduation. Second, utilizing the opportunities provided by both the career centers and the academic departments maximizes the firms exposure to candidates and offers the firm an opportunity to sell itself to potential candidates.

In the final analysis, short-term success with the college recruiting process is determined by a firm's ability to successfully fill open positions with strong and promising candidates. Achieving that goal is typically done through progressive and consistent on-campus marketing to students and faculty (the support and endorsement of faculty members is key), which ultimately is the major determinant in long-term success. For steps and a short discussion of each step please go to http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/staffingmanagement/articles/pages/cms_001699.aspx