2012 Campus Recruitment Excellence Awards best practices

On May 14, TalentEgg presented its first annual Campus Recruitment Excellence Awards. Dozens of Canadian employers submitted applications for these awards starting in December, more than 200 students and recent graduates from across Canada voted and provided feedback on those applications in March, and the Top 3 finalists were announced on April 12.

As many of the judges spent hours writing thoughtful, detailed comments on each employer application, there was a ton of information to collect, curate and share with employers and career services professionals at the conference along with the winners.

For your convenience, the presentation slides from the awards ceremony is embedded below, along with the best practices and winners for each category.

Best Campus Career Website

Finalists:

• ConocoPhillips Canada
• PwC Canada
• GE Canada

Best practices:

• Make information easy to find
• Tell students what to expect
• Feature real students and grads
• Tailor everything to students – even social media accounts and company information
• Don’t be boring, too corporate or out of date

What students and new grads liked about the winning website:

• In-depth information about student and grad programs, culture, training, CSR and more
• Profiles on local offices – work, community, fun
• Stories and videos about real people at work and in their personal lives
• Blogs representing all regions and areas of the organization
• Demographic-specific social media integration

Winner: PwC Canada‘s www.pwcbrilliantfutures.ca

Best Online Campus Campaign

Finalists:

• MacLaren McCann
• Accenture
• PwC Canada

Best practices:

• Be creative and innovative to stand out – students have seen it all!
• Make students active participants – creative submissions, social networking, games, polls
• Interact with candidates online
• Use a wide variety of platforms to get your message out – not just social networking

What students and new grads liked about the winning campaign:

• Incorporated all major social networks, plus QR codes, Google ads and maps, TalentEgg takeover and more
• Used social media to pre-screen candidates
• Candidates produced songs, videos, blogs, Facebook campaigns, tweets
• Generated 500+ qualified candidates, 400% increase in Facebook fans in four weeks

Winner: MacLaren McCann for MasterCard Canada’s 2011 “Social Interview” campaign

Best On-Campus Campaign

Finalists:

• Bank of Montreal
• ConocoPhillips Canada
• MacLaren McCann

Best practices:

• Use on-campus tools to grab students’ attention
• Then drive them online for the real info
• It takes a lot to stand out – be unique!
• Keep it simple
• Be relatable – even in posters, at career fairs
• Your corporate brand doesn’t always translate best on-campus – switch it up

What students and new grads liked about the winning campaign:

• Staggered-release career fair teaser posters without company info
• Eventually directed students online
• Bright, easy-to-spot booth with no table
• Recognizable brand carried through all aspects of campaign, including attire of campus recruiters and reps
• Simple but innovative and very different from other campaigns – never seen before

Winner: ConocoPhillips Canada

Campus Recruiter of the Year

Finalists:

• Nancy Moulday – Manager Recruitment at TD Business Banking
• Evan Birtch – Team Lead, Campus Programs at Research In Motion
• Lisa Kramer – Campus Recruiting Lead, Canada at Accenture

Best practices:

• Be a real person – not a corporate robot
• Let students/grads connect with you online and in person
• Be passionate about your organization, careers, and students and recent grads
• Show results – judges impressed by number of hires, increase in social networking followers, etc.

What students and new grads liked about the winning recruiter:

• Uses innovative communication tools in addition to traditional recruitment activities
• Active on company AND personal accounts daily (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blog)
• Passionate advocate for their organization
• Dedicated to helping students and recent grads with their careers

Winner: Lisa Kramer, Campus Recruiting Lead, Canada at Accenture

Campus Recruitment Program of the Year

Finalists:

• Kraft Canada Inc.
• KPMG LLP
• MacLaren McCann

Best practices:

• Use all available tools – don’t put all your eggs in one basket
• Let students interact with you in a meaningful way on-campus and online
• Whenever possible, give something back – experience, knowledge, prizes
• Be active year-round

What students and new grads liked about the winning campaign:

• Based around a case competition
• Offered meaningful experience + learn about employer + networking
• Promotion through presentations, social media, posters, emails, TalentEgg
• Over 900 applications in 2012; an increase of 150% from 2011!

Winner: KPMG‘s Ace the Case

More 2012 TalentEgg Campus Recruitment Excellence Awards and Conference highlights coming soon!