Is this the end?
Have we seen the end of traditional graduate recruitment practices? Is it time to adapt or risk losing top talent to more progressive rival organisations? Engaging with the very top talent has never been more crucial to organisational success, especially with candidates increasingly expecting forward thinking companies to have the tools and technologies in place to stand out above its competition.
Think candidate
56% of candidates voiced that they would rather see an employer blog than a recruiter blog. They have also stated that they feel applying for a job should be ‘fun’, not time heavy and surrounded in confusion.
Always keep your candidate in mind and cater your website towards the needs of those you’re targeting. Graduates increasingly want to hear from real people, which can be achieved by connecting them with your employees so they can see the authenticity of the brand first-hand.
Consider the candidate experience
Candidates are becoming increasingly aggravated with ‘job searches’, because many feel they have an array of skills across a range of sectors, restricting their desired reach. Consequences of a poor candidate experience can resonate far beyond recruitment. For example, John Lewis Partnership who recognise that each potential applicant is both an existing and future customer, has stated that they would expect to lose up to £4.8 million per annum without adopting a positive candidate experience.
Be fair in your search
It is thought that two graduates with similar degree qualifications, in different subjects, are equally employable. But looking to employ a graduate must not filter your search down to just those with seemingly relevant degrees, because you risk losing other top talent. Whilst there is no magic formula to finding the best fit for your business, removing unconscious bias from the recruitment process will certainly help. Some major employees have already started to tackle CV prejudice by agreeing to hide candidate names on their application processes – a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done.
Virtual recruiting
‘Generation Y’ live in a world that has been completely revolutionised by technology and businesses need to change their approaches in order to keep attracting that talent market. 16-24 year olds now spend more than 27 hours each week online, with 72% having at least one social media platform – a 50% increase since 2007.
Whilst talking at a recent industry seminar, Blackrock, who recruits graduates, stated that candidates seem to prefer a more virtual approach to recruiting – including webinars, online interaction during the recruitment process and video interviewing. Graduates are particularly keen on the asynchronous (pre-recorded) aspect, because it allows them to add some ‘personal colour’ to their CV.
Use technology better
Graduate recruiters must move away from outdated tools, such as Excel and Survey Monkey, in favour of new online technologies, social media and increased virtualisation. These new methods help attract and identify top graduate talent, allowing ‘key matches’ to be obtained during your screening process, leaving you the most desirable candidates. The recruitment industry will always innovate, but today one of the best tools you can use to your advantage is big data, allowing it to rank applicants, check diversity levels and analyse where the best graduates can be found.