6 Unconventional College Recruitment Strategies To Revolutionise Your Recruitment

Let's start by discussing why college recruitment is a brilliant idea and why you need a couple of strategies under your belt to do it successfully.

Oh to be young... to be full of dreams, hopes, ambitions, and the dream to change the world. These are the priceless qualities all college students possess which is why companies should be lining up to hire them. They bring fresh perspectives, unique ideas, and boundless energy to the table. They are in search of a place where they feel valued and are eager for learning and growth. They are the perfect potential candidates for companies that want to build dynamic, cross-functional teams.

Now how does one achieve that? This is where this article will help you navigate through the rough and challenging terrain of college recruitment.

Rule the Online Landscape

Do you even exist if you don't have an online presence? Ok, that may be an exaggeration but you get what I mean.

You must put effort into carefully crafting your online brand. You don't just want college students to know you exist...you want them to believe that YOUR COMPANY IS THEIR DREAM COMPANY! And one such way to do that is to work on your brand image. And once you succeed, college recruitment will be a breeze for you. Eventually, you'll have to stop going to college campuses because students will be coming to you.

Here are some tips:

• Don't just be present and make efforts to stay relevant.
• Sadly, existing on the internet isn't enough. Make it easier for people to find you! That is where SEO comes into play. It's a way of making websites rank higher in the search results when people use search engines like Google to look for something.
• Make sure all of your content is optimized for mobiles.
• Videos aren't just an option anymore. The youth of today would rather watch a 10-minute video than read a 5-minute article.

Clickbait Potential Candidates through Email Marketing Campaigns  

When engaging in college recruitment, your goal isn't just to make the students remember you. NO!

Your goal is to develop a meaningful and valuable connection with prospective students. One way to do that is to establish a direct line of communication with them through their email inbox. And to keep the communication alive, you'll need an epic email marketing campaign.

• Make sure your emails are compelling. They need to have an authoritative yet fun tone. Don't be shy when using emojis and relevant gifs. Throw in a joke or two. Make the emails as personalized as you can.
• Every email should deliver some value to the students.

Read more about how to engage candidate and why is it important.

Razzle & Dazzle the College Campus

• Before stepping onto the college campus grounds, you should run social media campaigns to let the students know you are coming. The goal is to make the students check your company website out before you step foot on their campus.
• Create eye-catching booths with colorful banners and engaging displays.
• Conduct a hackathon or organize competitions that showcase what your company is looking for.
• You could also conduct workshops or informational sessions that provide valuable insights into what your company stands for, and what your vision and mission are.
• Take company merchandise with you and give it to the students so they have a physical reminder of meeting you. You can give shirts, pens, bottles, whatever your budget allows.
• To make your college recruitment go from successful to mega-successful, do something that makes you go viral. What that will do is it will automatically grab the attention of other university students as well. One way to achieve that is to invite several influencers to your college recruitment and make them vlog their experience.

Ready, Set, Interview! Conduct Campus Interviews

Filter candidates on the spot. Don't just collect their resumes and leave. Make the most of the time while you are there. Conduct on-the-spot interviews. This is what makes your college recruitment really effective.  

• Take permission from the college administration to give you a room to conduct on-the-spot interviews with candidates. It can help you filter students much faster.
• Another way to achieve the same goal is to create an assessment for the students. Make them fill out the test right there so that there are fewer chances of them cheating.

Recruit on Autopilot - Implement a Referral Program

Let's be honest. College recruitment is not just time-consuming, it is expensive. It is better to do it as little as you possibly can. One such way to ensure that is to implement a referral program when you have to go there. Introduce the program not just to the students but also to the teachers. Who can be a better referrer than the actual teacher? Give them incentives for referring quality students to your company. Build effective and meaningful relationships with them.

Invest in Emerging Talent

College recruitment isn't just about finding new talent, it is also about nurturing emerging talent.

• Offer scholarships and financial aid opportunities to deserving students based on merit.
• Provide exclusive internship opportunities.  
• Conduct seminars and workshops to help the students get acquainted with emerging technologies. Explain to them how these technologies are used in the real world.
• Help the students connect with industry experts. It helps bridge the gap between academics and the industry.

Conclusion

College recruitment doesn't just help companies find potential candidates, but it is also a great way to market themselves to the public. With the competition for top talent getting fiercer every year, companies need to make an imprint on the minds of the students. Therefore, investing in college recruitment strategies is crucial for companies to remain competitive and secure a steady pool of qualified candidates.

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