6 easy ways to improve your campus career website before September: Part 2

In Part 1 of this two-part series on how to improve your campus career website, we recommended that all employers should:

1. Post your recruitment schedule
2. Add an on-campus events calendar
3. Put a prominent “apply now” button or link on every page

While these three must-dos are an egg-cellent start, there are even more quick, easy ways to ensure your organization’s campus recruitment site is at its best for the recruitment rush this fall.

4. Tell students what they’re signing on for

The majority of students and recent grads have, at most, four consecutive months of work experience with the same organization. They likely have no idea what a career with your organization – or any organization – looks like. What’s the culture like? How is success measured? Where do they go from that entry level role? What are the most challenging aspects of this role or career path?

In order to keep them from developing unrealistic expectations, it’s important to tell them what to expect (especially in industries with high turnover or tough competition for talent) so they can feel confident that they knew everything about their role – even the most challenging scenarios – before they signed on the dotted line.

“Providing more information about the Graduate programs could be more helpful.”
—Finance and Economics student

“I was left wondering for far too long what this company was. Not nearly enough detail to properly inform potential applicants.”
—Comprehensive Arts and Sciences student

“Go into more detail about the benefits. Why should someone move across the country (potentially) for your company?”
—Engineering student

For example:
College Pro recognizes that their Franchise Manager opportunity is not for everyone and they’re not afraid to say it publicly. They state in the FAQ section of their website, “It is our objective that everyone earns profit and achieves their goals. Some do not. That is the consequence that we live with when the business is real.” College Pro CEO Tony Valle has also reiterated this sentiment in the company’s campus recruitment videos. However, College Pro has balanced this with tons of positive information about how they actively help their Franchisees be successful through extensive training, support, etc.

Best practices:

• Provide a balanced view: Don’t focus only on the uber-positive – students can see right through it and they might even feel misled later on, potentially resulting in higher turnover rates at your organization. They are asking questions – make sure you’re the best source for answers.
• Explain how you’ll help them overcome the challenging aspects of their job: Whether it’s training, mentorship, group work or something else, let students know what processes and programs you already have in place to ensure they’ll be successful.

5. Explain who you hire and for which roles

It’s often challenging for students and new grads to figure out which employers might be interested in hiring them, especially outside of employers’ key recruitment periods when specific job descriptions are unavailable. High quality candidates may disqualify themselves from career opportunities that they are eligible for or become alienated when they discover that, after weeks or even months of research, networking and preparation, you weren’t interested in them in the first place.

“They’re not just Students & Recent Grads. In fact, they’re Arts/Science students, Marketing/Finance/Strategy students, MBAs, and experienced professionals. They all look for different things.”
—International Relations student

For example:

The first thing you read on EMCO Corporation‘s campus career website is, “How does an unrelated degree land you a management job?” They go on to say, “At EMCO, it’s not about your degree but rather your enthusiasm and your eagerness to put your hand up and get involved.” Right away, potential candidates know that EMCO isn’t looking for a specific academic background.

Best practices:

Whether you’re open to hiring candidates from all academic backgrounds or you have specific requirements for your key roles, it’s vital that you explain who you’re willing to hire and for which roles:

• University degree or college diploma? Does it matter?
• Which program(s) or type(s) of program(s)?
• If you only hire from specific schools, which ones?

6. Share the stories of real student and new grad hires

If there’s one thing that the student and new grad TalentEgg Campus Recruitment Excellence Awards judges responded to more than anything, it’s seeing the experiences of real students and grads like them – particularly in videos. And it didn’t matter whether they were low-budget webcam videos or professionally-shot short films, as long as they seemed authentic and provided relevant information, the judges loved them!

“Very much enjoyed the use of videos and individual student stories and experiences.”
—Management of Innovation student

“To further improve the site I would recommend having videos on the website in which students talk about their experience.”
—Psychology student

For example:

 Kraft Canada features a Behind The Scenes With 3 Kraft Canada Interns video on the Student Positions page of their career website. The video features real interns from three different academic backgrounds describing their experiences and providing an inside look at Kraft’s company culture.

Online eBook retailer Kobo has also embedded interviews with an intern and an entry level employee in very different roles on the company’s Campus Jobs page. In a few short minutes, candidates can learn about the company and its culture, application and interview processes, work environment, room for advancement, training opportunities and more.

Best practices:

• Be authentic: Your employees are real people, not actors. Avoid the use of scripts and talking points. Just let their true passion for their experience at your organization come across on camera.
• Keep it short: Nobody’s going to watch a 10-minute video. Ideally, keep your videos to a length of two minutes or shorter. Five minutes at the absolute maximum.
• Text is OK too: If you don’t have the time, budget or clearance for videos, keep it simple with short, authentic text testimonials that include the student or recent graduate’s real name, school, program, graduation year and photo.

How are you improving your organization’s campus career website this summer? Share your best practices in the comments below.