When you get to campus this fall, will students REALLY know who you are?
Has this happened to you? You feel like you’ve done everything to promote a Campus Information Session for weeks in advance. When it’s event time you’re explaining to your high-level guest presenter that “sometimes only a few students can make it to an event.”
The problem may not be your event promotion. And NO, you should not back down from tapping great executive speakers from within your organization to help attract top students toward your company’s career opportunities.
Sometimes recruiters — the people who are paid to be able to tell anyone, at any time, everything they need to know about working for a company — may not recognize that many students, especially undergrads, have not yet “discovered” their company and its career potential.
As much as we may think our company or its branded products have saturated the consciousness of their respective target markets, that’s not always true for employment candidates. In fact, unless you have a compelling employer brand AND help candidates see people working within your walls, the idea of employment with your firm may NEVER enter the minds of some of your best prospective candidates.
If the name of your company is hidden behind a collection of killer brand names, the situation may be even worse. Candidates probably don’t realize that “International Soy Products, Inc.” is the same company behind the stylish shampoo they’ve used for years. Or, they may fail to recognize that your company’s diversification takes it deep into an industry that excites them.
What to do???
- Conduct surveys among students on campus—or among interns, co-ops, and graduates whom you’ve recently hired. Find out what they thought of your company BEFORE they really knew you. Ask them if they had ever thought of WORKING for your company.
- Access existing research from resources such as the WetFeet/Universum Employer Rankings, which can help you get a handle on which companies candidates think are hot tickets during the season of “Corporate Information Sessions.”
- Find a knowledgeable firm that can help you develop a strategic plan around employer name recognition on campus.
It’s not too late to take action!
Ray
PS: Follow us on Twitter @TheUSpace.
