Effective strategies to attract graduates

Digital, mobile-friendly strategies and employer branding are key talent attraction components to bring graduates into your organisation.

High-quality professionals are in demand, so great talent, including graduates, can afford to be selective in their career choices.

Like all candidates, graduates will assess your organisation’s digital presence and communication to better understand you and determine if you are a suitable potential employer. Some organisations are more attractive than others, so consistency of your employer brand across channels will help you in this regard. Employer branding is crucial in positioning yourself well in a competitive market.

According to careers site College Recruiter, organisations who communicate an inauthentic message will pay the price through being bypassed by the best people or hiring the wrong people. In attracting this demographic, graduates value career growth opportunities more than after-work drink perks.

If you always use the same recruitment methods, you will continue to get the same results and the same candidates. So you may be interested in engaging nontraditional students, that is, those studying online, at vocational and technical schools, and older students. This could be a useful untapped talent pool and a way to increase diversity. Consider trying different recruitment channels, such as niche job boards, university events, or conferences.

Inc. recommends focusing on digital technology, particularly mobile-friendly talent attraction strategies such as social media and online content to provide candidates with everything they need to know about your organisations and the types of roles it offers. So ensure your careers site is mobile-friendly and improve the search engine optimisation of your website content.

Focusing on digital also relates to green awareness. Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important to this demographic, so moving away from printed job attraction methods and focusing instead on digital will give you a competitive advantage. Promoting your organisation’s commitment to environmental sustainability has the added benefit of attracting like-minded professionals to your organisation.

Another digital strategy is video, which is set to dominate internet traffic. Visual mediums can be more effective than written word, so invest in video content or you’ll be in jeopardy of missing out on the best talent.

Lastly, Inc. recommends streamlining the hiring process. Your candidate’s overall application experience is key, so making the procedure efficient will create a strong early impression:

“Make it easy for them to apply for a position, upload a CV, or make an inquiry. Don’t make any of these options a lengthy or repetitive process.

 

Anyone interested in applying for a position with you will get a perception of how you do things by the way you ask them to apply, whether they are graduates or experienced professionals. Keep things simple, friendly, and super efficient to build confidence and encourage applications.”

It’s valuable to measure the success of your recruitment campaigns, so analyse your data to ensure you are on the right track to achieve your organisational goals.

Has your organisation used any of these strategies? If so, have they been successful? Let us know in the comments.

Source

How to make your business a destination for graduates

Bryan Adams

Inc.

Recruitment marketing strategies for college students and graduates

Anna Peters

College Recruiter