Businesses know that they must engage employees in a relationship with the company or risk losing them to a competitor. College students-potential employees-also need a relationship with a company before they make a commitment to work there. Good communication between employer and student will build a relationship and foster goodwill even when a hire doesn't result. By using new technology and old-style professionalism, HR can ensure that all phases of student contact are positive.

Attract Students First

Companies engage in two types of communication, says Elena Bingham, manager, college relations and recruitment at DuPont Corporation in Wilmington, Delaware. "There's one-way communication, where you're trying to do branding to attract attention, and later an information exchange where you're targeting students to recruit."

Web sites, visits to targeted schools, and personal contact with students through career fairs are important ways to brand, says Bingham. "We like to send scientists and engineers to the schools or visit local chapters of engineering and science organizations for person-to-person contact, as well." Web sites are increasingly important branding vehicles, since "Web sites are the single most commonly used resource for students-and are controlled by the company," says Steve Pollock, an on-line recruiting expert and president of Calif.-based WetFeet, Inc., a recruitment solutions provider.

Though he believes Web sites will only become more important in the future, Pollock underscores the importance of the personal touch. "Students still value the personal components of recruiting," he says. "They want to talk with interviewers about what it's really like to work at a company, or interact with people at company presentations."

Campus visits can be great vehicles for attracting and interesting students, and Pollock urges companies to remember their interns for these events. "Students look to classmates to get a feel for who would be interesting to work for. Students who have enjoyed a good internship come back as ambassadors for your company."

Master Your Web Site

Results from the National Association of Colleges and Employers' 2002 Graduating Student and Alumni Survey indicate that students use a variety of resources in their job searches. Students use CD-ROMS the least often, and as might be expected from a tech-savvy generation, they use the Internet the most. This practice places a burden on employers to create and maintain attractive sites that students will visit and use.

According to iLogos Research, a division of Recruitsoft, 89 percent of Fortune 500 companies had a Careers section on their corporate Web site in 2001; iLogos predicts that by the end of 2002 that number will rise to 100 percent. Research from their benchmark study Best Practices for Fortune 500 Career Web Site Recruiting spells out a number of best practices, with the top five being:

1. Link to careers section from home page
2. About the company: benefits
3. About the company: culture
4. Separate college recruiting section
5. Job search by category

These best practices focus on functions that attract traffic to the corporate career Web site, and convince potential candidates of the company's status as an employer of choice. iLogos' research indicates that many companies fail to meet all or most of the twenty "best practices" identified in the study. With Internet use so critical to student communication, companies that will incorporate these elements into their Web site design can position themselves ahead of the pack.

"Businesses realize the importance of Web sites, but have a long way to go," says Pollock. "Companies tend to view corporate Web sites from their side of the table, rather than engage and attract candidates by looking from their side."

From the student point of view, Pollock says four areas of importance stand out: navigation, content, branding, and functionality. "Navigation plays to the student's number one desire, which is to be able to find information quickly and easily."

He explains that a good navigation scheme would include elements like a prominent link to a career page. Pollock adds, "A poor practice would be burying information under tabs or headers that are misleading about what's beneath."

Cambridge, Mass.-based Biogen, Inc. has embraced the benefits offered by Web career sites. "Biogen made a huge effort in the first quarter of 2000 to get our name out on the Web," says Greg Smith, from the company's corporate employment group.

Smith believes that Biogen's career video is the site feature with the most impact. In the video, employees discuss the work they do, while facts about benefits and other relevant material display to the side. "The video gives a quick snapshot into the lab," says Smith.

The site includes a quiz candidates can take to see if they have the qualifications needed, says Keith Hall, head of employment at the company. He adds that everything they look at "are dots on a continuum in ways to attract people to Biogen. We want to convey what it's really like to work here, and show candidates what sort of people succeed."

HR looks at the site at least monthly, and takes suggestions for change from many sources. "We've got a new page in the works," Smith says. "Visitors will be able to look at profiles of employees."

Biogen's career site is so successful that the company does little traditional corporate outreach to campuses, says Hall. "Biogen's name and brand is so powerful that we rely on our name to help students find us. Students come to us through the Web one way or another."

Even though Biogen depends on its Web site for recruitment, the company does visit certain universities that focus on specific programs or disciplines of interest. They recently established a fellowship program (with a special emphasis on toxicology) with MIT. Additionally, the company has a thriving internship program. "These students get an inside-out look at the company," says Hall. "Our retention rate for interns is very high."

Maintain A Human Touch

Today's shift toward technology doesn't alienate students if it's coupled with personal contact at appropriate points. "It's not so much that doing things one way doesn't work, but more a question of asking 'what is available today?' Before, you wrote letters-today you use e-mail," says Bingham. "Students are very comfortable with the Web—if not, I'm not sure I'd want them."

Reaching people through the career Web site has other advantages, say experts. Available technology allows the company to assess resumes, track applicants, and build lasting relationships through profile pages that allow job seekers to zero in on jobs of interest that have been posted since their last visit.

But for all its help in assisting HR with resume screening and tracking, the Web isn't enough, says Bingham. She certainly doesn't foresee eliminating interviews on campus. "I can look at 100 resumes from our Web site, and I may know I don't want to see the 50 students with GPAs below 3.0," she says. "I can narrow the field, but some students look great on paper and then don't handle themselves so well in person. You can't hire without a face-to-face interview."

Meet Student Expectations

Most recruiters say that students have a realistic view of the job market this year. "The search is taking much longer and they are receiving fewer offers," says Pollock. "But even a rejection can be positive if the student is treated well; he or she will pass on the good experience to friends."

Of course, recruiters will always want to consider the candidate's feelings and treat the student with respect and dignity, says Pollock, "but feedback is very important when delivering rejections. To say 'we didn't hire/interview you because�' means a lot."

To ensure your company's good impression, HR may want to train recruiters or other company personnel sent to manage job fairs and campus visits. "We train on the mechanics: how to set up a booth, how to provide feedback, how to make presentations," says Bingham. After visits and interviews, she says HR also triggers their tracking system to send appropriate letters.

These small niceties are important, says Pollock. "The promptness you show in getting back to the candidate shows him or her a lot about the company. Thank you notes, rejection letters, and resume acknowledgements don't necessarily have to be sent within 24 hours, but if you say you'll get back to someone within a week, do so."

Most experts agree that e-mail is fine for just about any of these contacts. "The tone and professionalism you offer are more important than the medium," says Pollock.

Polls and surveys show that students continue to want the same things from their first job: a challenging assignment, good colleagues/boss, and opportunity for advancement. "The surprise this year is the growth in distrust for corporate recruiters generally," says Pollock.

"This is driven by some of the extreme tactics some recruiters used when the economy slumped—they rescinded offers, pushed out interview dates, and didn't respond to candidates," Pollock explains. "That does let good recruiters shine, but the situation tarnishes all recruiters a bit."

Companies who communicate well with students and continue to keep a presence on campus can build the critical relationships needed for the next recruiting upswing. "Looking at demographics, there will be a day—in the not too distant future—when the labor market will tighten again," says Pollock.

By implementing good communication policies now, HR can make sure that their companies are the ones students seek out when that day arrives.

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