A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reports that businesses anticipate only hiring 2.1 percent more new college graduates from the class of 2013 than they did from the class of 2012. This is down 13 percent from earlier projections.
While the jobs outlook doesn’t look great for this year’s college graduates, many businesses still look to this talent pool to fill their entry–level candidate needs. If you are looking to source recent college grads, here are some recruitment strategies to reach this targeted group.
Capitalize on where grads live – social media. This is one of the most effective recruitment tools among younger demographics, as well as job seekers in general. Establishing Twitter feeds, blogs, and Facebook pages on job openings should be a core part of any good recruitment program. Build a company page and start groups on LinkedIn, then invite relevant users to follow you or participate. Promote job openings on Facebook. Send Twitter feeds to highlight entry–level jobs. These are sure fire ways to amass a large pool of recent college graduates.
Mobile recruiting is another tactic that is gaining traction. You can amass mobile opt–in lists and alert candidates of new opportunities through SMS. Recruiters can also manage candidate interviews through texting. If companies aren’t considering mobile recruiting, they may be ignoring a potentially huge applicant pool, especially with grads. Also, find out if your job boards have a mobile version to ensure your jobs are getting maximum exposure.
Focus on entry–level job boards. Sites like Circa, for instance, cater to audiences with specialized career exchanges, such as entry–level candidates. Publishing relevant postings on these job boards is a cost–effective way to reach new applicants.
Coupled with recruiting job boards, use your corporate website to promote employment. Tap your current employees to become brand ambassadors. Post videos profiling employees or recent job openings to generate excitement. Showcasing your culture is a good way to entice new candidates into your recruitment funnel. Also consider creating company profiles on sites like Circa. These are an opportunity to recirculate the information from your corporate website and build your brand.
For younger applicants, salary is important, but it doesn’t top altruism. Another great way to attract the attention of college grads is through community involvement. Is your company involved in volunteering outside of the business? Do you donate a portion of your profits to a good cause? If so, these are all components of your recruitment process that should be highlighted.
If you are looking to attract entry–level job seekers, register with us today at circaworks.com, and begin your online recruiting now.
