It has been two years since on-campus recruitment has been the dominant pipeline for attracting early talent to your organization. During that time, we have seen teams invest in their HR tech stacks and virtual recruiting take front and center. Going into the fall of 2022, however, on-campus recruitment events are coming back, and we are here to make sure your team is ready! While returning to what was once the tried and true strategy for early-career recruiting might seem simple, there are bound to be questions after such a long time away.
WayUp has spent the last two years gathering and sharing best practices for hybrid recruiting and determining what the future of on-campus recruiting will look like. As you consider the future of your organization’s presence on campus, we can help. Working with your CSM, you can develop a process for in-person events that is scalable, including implementing a strategy for sourcing candidates to in-person events before you even arrive. WayUp can help you devise a combined virtual and on-campus events calendar that keeps candidates engaged. Additionally, we’ll help you to leverage our campus planning and diversity sourcing tools to ensure you’re going to the right schools and speaking to your target audience.
Sixty-percent turnover on recruiting teams since 2019 means that most of the recruiters heading on-campus this year are doing so for the first time. In-person events can be less predictable than when conducted virtually.
Before meeting the candidates:
Create a brief for your fall recruiting season answering FAQs like:
These are all questions that WayUp can help answer.
Part of preparing for on-campus events is having the tools and training to collect student data efficiently. If your company is hosting on-campus events this year, you will fall behind by collecting paper resumes or using excel sheets to keep track of candidates. Establish an electronic resume drop within your WayUp instance that quickly adds candidate information to your database. This will also help to build a pipeline for roles that are not yet accepting applications so you can easily reengage students that you met in-person.
While on-campus recruiting is back for many organizations, the benefits of virtual events are clear. Most employers will continue to host virtual events to supplement on-campus events and drive DEI for early-career recruiting. As you’re planning your fall calendar, make sure to schedule virtual events 4 weeks in advance of your desired date so there is time to create meaningful content and invite candidates.
The added flexibility of virtual events means it’s possible to begin them a few weeks into your on-campus recruitment process. As you collect data on the kinds of candidates you’re meeting in person, virtual events and WayUp engagement tools allow the opportunity to connect with underrepresented groups so that you can meet your DEI sourcing goals. Invite both candidates you meet on campus and candidates you engage with virtually to your virtual events to create a cohesive experience. Virtual events are also a great way to keep current applicants engaged throughout the application process.
Using WayUp sourcing and messaging tools, easily connect with your target audience before you show up on campus. Schedule invitations to students at specific schools you plan to visit and follow-up after the events, letting candidates know what the next steps are. Virtual events can help you engage with the types of candidates you are not seeing in your in-person events. Make sure to post your events on your WayUp careers page allowing us to keep track of your engagement data to improve your outreach into the future. The key to standing out this fall recruitment season is preparation. From making sure you have the right tools and training to move candidates through the process quickly, to knowing who your target candidates are and where to find them. In a competitive hiring market, getting in front of candidates earlier and prepared with the tools for an efficient process is key to your success.
