Campus recruiters understand the importance of a good impression.

As the face of your organization, you are typically the first interaction most students or grads have with your company. It can be challenging to ensure that every potential candidate leaves with a positive impression of your organization, as every individual you meet will have different expectations and ideas about what they want their career with your company to look like.

Luckily, there is a simple solution for these situations. Authentically engaging with all candidates – not just the ones you hire – will help you build a strong and genuine employer brand that students and grads not only love, but trust.

Why it’s important:
Making a positive impression is not only critical for recruiting top talent, it’s also a vital factor for building your company’s reputation among Gen-Y applicants.

  • Employer branding: A positive candidate experience shows young applicants that you value their time and effort, leading to a better opinion of your company.
  • Word-of-mouth: Even if a candidate was not the right fit for your company, they can still be valuable in spreading the word about your amazing hiring process.

Here are 3 great ways to leave potential candidates with a strong impression of your company.

Get to know them

At a campus recruitment event, a student will talk to dozens of company representatives – but how many actually leave a lasting impression? Some recruiters go into “sales mode” at these types of events when talking about their company and along the way, unintentionally lose the authenticity that students are looking for.

Simply asking an attendee “How are you today?” or “What are you passionate about?” can be incredibly effective. In a sea of recruiters asking the standard questions about skills and education, a general question like this shows students and grads that you care about them as an individual, not just a resume. Asking these types of questions will likely result in less-rehearsed responses so you can get a better idea of a candidate’s personality.

Help them prepare

The interview process can be intimidating for students and new grads. While it’s the candidate’s job to prepare for an interview with your company, you can support their efforts by providing informative content like company editorials and videos. Online resources like these will help a candidate learn about your company and get excited about your culture and work environment.

Partnering with TalentEgg can help you amplify your recruitment message. From day-in-the-life profiles of new grad hires to behind-the-scenes videos of company life, we ensure that your candidates have an in-depth understanding of your organization’s culture before the interview.

Actively supporting students and grads through the interview process will show them that you’re invested in their success, leaving them with a positive opinion of your company regardless of the outcome.

Clear communication

So you’ve found your perfect candidate and you’re ready to offer them a position – but what about the other applicants? Nobody likes rejection, but studies show that many applicants feel that improved communication between recruiters and applicants would make for a more positive experience.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to be open with candidates about the hiring process and communicate often so candidates understand what to expect. Additionally, since today’s hiring processes tend to have a lot of automated features, humanizing the engagement as much as possible can really help younger candidates feel supported and valued.

If you have the time, call an unsuccessful candidate to let them know they didn’t get the job and provide some constructive feedback. Otherwise, an email addressing the candidate by name is better than no response. Even though this wasn’t their desired result, they will appreciate that you took the time to inform them and the feedback can help them learn and improve, leading to a more positive experience overall.

Even if a candidate isn’t the right fit for your company, you can still ensure that they support your brand by incorporating these tactics into your recruitment strategy. Take the time to invest in the success of your Gen Y candidates and your company’s reputation will reap the benefits.

Discussion: What methods do you use to improve the candidate experience?

Related Articles