Building Relationships While Recruiting On Campus Is Everything Carla Joinson

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College recruiting has slowed dramatically from the days of dot.com frenzy. Except for federal government employers (who expect to hire 16.2 percent more new grads this year than last) all sectors have seen a drop in hiring projections—an average of 36.4 percent, according the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Even during a recession, however, employers say they face recruiting problems.

Respondents to NACE's Job Outlook 2002 reported problems ranging from lack of name recognition to recognition for the wrong things, like layoffs. Budgets are also problematic, with a number of employers feeling the pinch of salary freezes that make them less competitive. Recruiters must often struggle to justify a continued need for campus visits, though experience has shown that eliminating their college presence can be disastrous for companies when hiring picks up.

These factors place a burden on HR to develop recruiting strategies that work in today's marketplace. HR departments that can implement effective, targeted recruiting methods will be able to reach the right candidates and keep costs down.

Consider Your Strategy

Recruiters have many tools at their disposal. Kathy Sims, director of UCLA's Career Center, suggests that recruiters focus both on where they want to recruit and what they want to accomplish. "You have a number of options: job posting, resume referral, information sessions, job fairs, and so on," she says. "Look to your strengths and be selective—if you try to do them all, you may not do them all well."

Though any company may find a particular strategy effective, most companies agree that some recruiting methods work better than others. The Job Outlook 2002 survey shows that employers rated these five recruiting methods as most effective:

• The organization's internship program
• Employee referrals
• Career/job fairs
• On-campus recruiting
• Internet job postings (own company Web site)

Least effective are newspaper advertising (campus and/or local newspapers), virtual career/job fairs, Internet banners, and video banners.

Build Relationships

Though they do look at Web sites during their job search, NACE surveys indicate that students rank career centers as "most helpful" to them during that search.

Career centers are high value because they have so many resources, says Sims. "Career centers can orchestrate meetings with key faculty and student leaders of organizations that are in your job area, " she explains. "It's a mistake to just call faculty, because you'll only meet that one person." Career centers also allow employers to post jobs or search through resume data bases, which can help them determine whether or not a visit is worthwhile. Employers who enjoy good relationships with career centers may also receive extra publicity, get a mention in campus publications, or be invited to special functions.

A strong, continuing presence on campus also builds long-term relationships with students. Students not only come to recognize the name and mission of companies that show up year after year, they appreciate the commitment they see from that employer.

Companies on a budget may be tempted to restrict their campus visits or rely heavily on technical venues, but that can be self-defeating. "High tech is great for screening resumes," says Clay Miller, manager, professional staffing programs at Bayer Corporation's Pittsburgh headquarters. "But high touch is also very important.

"Students don't like the Johnny-come-lately who only shows up when there's a need to fill jobs," Miller adds. "Presence builds reputation."

Miller says that his company recruits heavily in the fall via job fairs. "We also hold workshops on resume writing, interviewing, and so on. During that time we interact a great deal with students, telling them about the company and projects we're doing. Students can also visit Bayer's Web site and see how they can add value to the organization and society."

Internship programs also give companies continued visibility. Interns can be powerful spokespeople for an organization if they've had a good experience, say recruiters. Additionally, students know that work experience with a company can make them more attractive when they graduate, so they are eager to pursue companies that offer them.

"Our primary recruiting tool is summer internships," says Dennis Walls, director of HR at Mead Johnson Nutritionals in Evansville, Indiana. "You get to see them work, and they get to see the community and culture. Both sides make more informed decisions."

His company initiates a series of contacts, like roundtables and campus presentations during campus visits. "We usually end up interviewing 50 to 60 students, then narrow it down to 10 to 12 second interviews and extend offers to maybe 5 to 8 students," says Walls.

To meet the speed of competitors, his company now interviews and makes offers within two days. "We take an interview team with us who can extend offers. These are often junior managers, but there's so much less risk with internships because you're not stuck with people who don't work out.

"Line people lead the presentations—they have to live with the results," says Walls. "They do the interviews and offers, and HR assists."

The value for the company is in seeing the interns over six to seven weeks, says Walls. "You see them work, and they get to see the community and culture." When it's time to offer full time employment, he says, "both sides make more informed decisions."

Mead Johnson uses the internships (about 35 across the company) to build a pipeline. However, Walls cautions that commitment is necessary. "Once you establish your pipeline, if you stop, you suffer," says Walls. "Last fall we made three offers without any open positions, on faith that we would have turnover. We'll do the same this year."

Career Fairs

Career fairs are a way to both establish an initial presence on campus and build ongoing relationships with students and career centers. If your recruiting staff is new, consider these tips:

"Pay attention to detail," says Walls, who advises companies to "focus on universities you feel have the best opportunities for you to recruit from. We could go to Harvard, but we're a midwestern company and feel our best opportunities are with midwestern universities."

"Don't go to a job fair just to be going," says Celeste Stevens, assistant director of employer relations at George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia. "Have viable, live positions to offer. If you don't, or if you're not sure about the future, give students options."

Options can be a timeline to check back with the employer, says Patricia Carretta, GMU's director of university career services. "Or, the recruiter can give a student his personal business card. Show interest—you don't want to lose knowing who the best students are."

Carretta suggests that recruiters call the campus career center hosting the fair and give them complete information about the jobs available. "We may have 160 employers visiting, and students have to choose who to visit."

She adds that employers should make sure that their Web page is attractive and accessible, and that the job opportunities on it contain good information. "Students can get all the way to the front of the line and then find out that the employer doesn't want to talk to them because of their qualifications," Carretta explains. "This won't happen if employers provide concrete information and job descriptions up front."

Next, bring the right people: line people from the business groups, employees who reflect company culture, and alumni and former interns who can talk to students about the kind of work they'll be doing. "If you emphasize diversity, make sure to bring a diverse team," says Stevens. Bring enough people, too, so that long lines don't discourage students and exhaust recruiters, adds Carretta.

Always, the human touch goes a long way. Recruiters should actively engage students, rather than sit behind a table waiting to be approached. They should take care to interact with students, rather than chat with other employers at the fair.

When employers forget students' feelings, disappointment can result. Miller says many employers understandably want to drive resumes to their Web sites, but should be careful about brushing off students who bring one to a fair. "Students will show recruiters their resumes, and sometimes the recruiter will simply say 'go to our Web site and post it' without even looking at it," says Miller.

This practice can be very disappointing, since "students are proud of the accomplishments that go into the resume," says Miller. "Even if you don't take it, go over it and look at key achievements. Show them your interest."

Finally, do all the little things that will help the fair go well: wear comfortable shoes, make sure recruiters are relieved periodically, set up early and stay late enough to catch students with afternoon classes.

Don't Slow Down

Employers who build strong relationships with colleges and students will often find themselves an employer of choice. "However, the competition is changing," says Sims. "Students are finding opportunities in whole new arenas like non-profits and government, and with other organizations that haven't typically gone to campuses."

Because the recruiting situation rarely stabilizes for long, recruiters must be vigilant about maintaining their position. "Students may be out of school from May to September, but recruiters shouldn't go into down time as well," says Miller. "This slow time is good to go see key people on campus—advisers and faculty have more time, so they can get comfy with a recruiter and learn what the company has to offer."

Miller adds, "In recruiting, there is no down time."

Carla Joinson is a Stafford, Va.-based writer specializing in human resources and management topics.