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Tag: grad

How To Build A Campus Recruitment Measurement Tool From Scratch

As speaker Jennie An stated, data isn’t always the most egg-citing topic.

But she certainly managed to spice it up at this year’s TalentEgg Campus Recruitment Excellence Awards & Conference, with an engaging presentation that covered a range of topics – from the 2016 Census, to Justin Trudeau and pandas. However, it was her main story of successfully building a campus recruitment measurement tool from scratch that truly captured our audience’s attention.

So what does it take to create such a resource? Lucky for us, Jennie broke it down into four easy steps.

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4 Campus Recruitment Lessons We Learned From The 2015 TalentEgg Award Winners

What does it take to be a leader in campus recruitment?

Is it hard work? Dedication? Creativity? From our experience, it takes a healthy dose of all three along with a secret ingredient: inspiration.

The following TalentEgg Award recipients are egg-ceptional at campus recruitment and there is plenty to be learned from their success. Hopefully, their achievements give you the spark you’re looking for to produce your own winning recruitment campaign.

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The 3 Quickest Ways To Lose A Star Candidate

It’s a rare moment when everything comes together perfectly in the hiring process. You meet a new grad that exudes confidence, and they fit the job description to a tee – and then some! But that surreal moment also comes with the realization that if this candidate is at the top of your hire list, they’re likely at the top of another recruiter’s as well.

The truth of the matter is, in an interview, the recruiter is being evaluated just as much as the candidate is. New grads with impressive resumes can afford to be picky, so make sure you’re not committing any of these hiring faux-pas.

Leaving emails unanswered

In most cases, a recruiter is the one and only connection between a candidate and the company. For many students and grads, they’re seen as the only acceptable means of communication with the company. So when these lines of communication become unreachable, or unreasonably slow, it can send a message to the candidate that they are not a priority – or worse, that the company has weak communication.

Make an effort to answer each email within 24-48 hours, and make sure your candidates know that you’re open to answering questions. Students and grads will feel more at ease when they realize the company they are interviewing for is not only transparent, but willing to support them during the hiring process.

Taking the “superior” persona

One of the biggest turn-offs for millennial candidates are employers who talk down to them. Students and grads are highly aware that they lack extensive experience, and that they’re applying for an entry level job. However, they are looking to be treated like the competent professionals they are.

Treat your candidates like you would treat a company client, no matter their age or experience. Tell them about the job, but don’t present it to them as a basic entry-level job for new grads with limited experience. Show them the potential of the position, and offer them the opportunity to take on responsibilities in their role and extend their experiences. Chances are, your star candidate will be excited for the challenge.

Sharing incorrect/inconsistent information

Candidates expect you to be their primary source for information. But as we all know, recruiters are human – and often, you’ll find yourself stumped without a proper answer. The worst thing you can do is make something up, or give inaccurate information. Even if it was given with good intentions, this info could potentially trip up your candidate down the road, and come back on you. Plus, it may give off the impression that your company has poor communication.

If you truly don’t know the answer to one of their questions, approach it head on. Let them know that you’re not sure about the answer, and that you’ll find out the answer for them. This will give you some time to ask a colleague and find out the appropriate answer – plus, it never hurts to show your candidate that you’re human, and not just an interviewing machine. Take this opportunity to build rapport with your star candidate… but don’t forget to follow up with them!

Discussion: What is your go-to strategy to appeal to outstanding new grads?

4 Symptoms Of A Disillusioned Campus Recruiter (And How To Fix Your Perspective)

Do you remember your first day on the job as a campus or college recruiter?

It may have been a short time or perhaps years ago, but most people remember that feeling of excitement – being high on ambition, and pledging to do their very best to build their company or organization by connecting with great people.

Unfortunately, almost every professional goes through a phase where they become disillusioned with their job. It’s not that they stop producing great work, or the role itself lessens in worth. But people often forget to step back from the details of their day-to-day work and remind themselves of why they chose to pursue this career.

So the question is, are you going through a gray phase with your recruitment career? Here are some symptoms you might be facing.

1. You’re seeing names in your database, not people.

When you’re going through resume after resume, day after day, it can be easy to forget that there is a person behind each application. You focus on the text, but not the sentiment behind it.

Remember that every application takes time to craft – students and grads spend hours researching your organization, and thinking about how they fit best in your company. Behind every file in your database, there is an individual who genuinely wants to work with your team and demonstrate why they’re worth your time.

Take some time to look past their educational background and their previous titles. Think in terms of transferable skills – for instance, if they’re applying for an engineering job, but they only have door-to-door sales experience, consider the fact that many engineers benefit from presentation skills when working with clients.

2. Their seemingly obvious questions feel like a huge hassle for you.

If you are a campus recruiter, you know that you will often get the same questions all day long from many different students. From “what does your company do?” to “how much does this job pay?” you’ll have to answer and sometimes redirect both professional and unprofessional inquiries.

This can get frustrating, especially when you know that all this info is readily available on your website. Perhaps you feel you are interacting with people who are not committed to joining your company because they didn’t prepare or do their research first.

Always remember that there is not a one-size-fits-all explanation when it comes to why candidates ask what they ask. Some individuals might have attended the event on a whim, and perhaps some genuinely might not know that the question they asked was inappropriate. Use your discretion, and remember that most people are acting with their best intentions, and they deserve the benefit of the doubt when being considered for a role with your company.

3. Every interview feels like a re-run.

Being in the “driver’s seat” of an interview can be exciting – but after awhile, you can feel like you’re caught in an infinite loop.

You know what you’re going to ask, and you more or less know what the candidate is going to say. Sometimes, you may feel like they’re making up answers to impress you, using generic phrases like “go-getter” and “hard worker”.

If you’re getting the same answers all the time, it probably means you need to change it up. Don’t ask the same questions all the time – turn your interaction into a two way conversation. Get to know the candidate on a personal level beforehand, and base the questions on what you know about them. Think about the phrasing you’re using in your conversation, or use more scenario-based questions that will force them to draw from their own experiences.

4. You wait for them to impress you, and are let down when they don’t.

Have you ever seen one of those movie scenes where a court jester is tasked with impressing a stone-faced member of royalty? If your interviews are taking on this image, it’s time to make a change.

Students and grads often feel like it’s their job is to make an impression on the campus recruiter, which is absolutely true. However, if they are not receiving any feedback from the person they’re speaking to, their performance will likely be much lower in quality.

Don’t wait for them to come up with a stellar act – meet them part way by interacting with them during the interview. This can be something as simple as a nod, or even a phrase like “I agree.” You’ll find that when the candidate is at ease, they will naturally show what they have to offer.

Discussion: How much of an impact does a campus recruiter’s attitude have on a potential candidate?