With so many campuses planning to reopen for fall, it’s time to look at how we recruit early career professionals—to build something that actually works. In reimagining hiring strategies, recruiters are asking: What remote practices should stay? What processes are in need of a refresh? What “tried-and-true” programs are ready to be retired?
In this webinar, Parker Dewey CEO and founder Jeffrey Moss covered how companies can access, engage, assess, and convert students in the evolving almost-post-COVID-19 world. Read on for a summary or get the full playback here.
Pre-COVID-19 Recruiting Strategies
Campus recruiting hasn’t evolved all that much in the past 40 years. To capture the attention of overwhelmed college students, companies have continued to rely on tactics like:
Recruiters constantly compete for the same talent. A diverse candidate pool is difficult to create. Companies spend money and time on new hires who turn out to be the wrong fit. And with the addition of technology, students are even more bombarded by these strategies—making it more challenging for companies to differentiate themselves from competitors.
The Pandemic’s Effect on Recruiting Strategies
Campus recruiting largely went virtual over the past year and a half, and companies adjusted their wording to reflect the evolving landscape. Think “web-based sponsored job ads,” “virtual career fairs,” or “online info sessions.” For students, another Zoom call was less than appealing. For companies, standing out in something like a virtual career fair or info session was nearly impossible. (And the opportunity to entice students with free food was gone!)
And while recruiters imagined over this past year that remote strategies would create a chance to access new students—geography aside—we’ve seen that companies continue to struggle with:
Why Experiential Recruiting Works
Unlike traditional methods, experiential recruiting creates value for hiring managers, university recruiters, and students—a win-win-win.
It attracts students who you might not otherwise reach.
A real, hands-on experience gives students an opportunity to understand your company—as well as do away with any preconceived notions they might have about a particular industry or job. As a former Micro-Intern shared, she hadn’t previously considered a role in the plastics space:
“I hadn’t even considered my target industry before my Micro-Internship. I applied for the project just to gain some experience, and I realized that I actually was way more interested than I could’ve imagined! Fast forward to now, and I’m applying to jobs in the same field as my Micro-Internship.”
In order to give students the recruiting experience they want,
It gives students an opportunity to be engaged with real work.
More than 86% of students rated “real work experience” as their preferred method of engagement with employers. Micro-Internships allow students to learn about companies and roles and also help build those valuable relationships with hiring managers. Students continue to highlight a strong preference for these experiences—and not networking events and other virtual opportunities that feel more artificial and potentially tokenizing for students from underrepresented backgrounds. As one student explained,
“It wasn’t until I got to actually work with specific companies that I knew what I could expect. For me, the companies I felt more connected to were those that I was more involved with early on.”
In order to engage students,
It allows recruiters to assess potential hires in real-time—not based on non-predictive signals like academic pedigree or GPA.
Where traditional recruiting often means filtering students by what’s written on a resume, experiential recruiting allows organizations to see a candidate in action. And as managers assess students, students can assess the company and role, too—ensuring mutual fit.
Students within the Parker Dewey network are eager to show what they’ve got:
“In my Micro-Internship, I actually had the chance to prove myself and my skills, and show the hiring manager what I could bring to the table. I don’t think that would have been possible in a regular interview process.”
In order to create opportunities for meaningfully assessing students,
It builds real relationships between students and companies.
No matter how many t-shirts you send or events you host, the student and hiring manager relationship is the most important factor in driving conversion—especially for candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
In talking about her Micro-Internship experience, one student highlighted how the opportunity to engage with managers who “looked like her” provided a level of comfort that she would fit in at the company. She also shared:
“I was surprised at how integrated I was on my team, even from a short, part-time project. I was able to build genuine relationships with my managers and supervisors, and those interactions were the ones that actually made me want to continue my involvement in the company after my Micro-Internship ended.”
In order to drive sustainable DEI efforts:
Run a Micro-Internships for ERGs program:
About Micro-Internships
They work at scale.
They’re more cost effective than traditional methods.
Where a traditional process might cost anywhere from $35,000 to upwards of $490,000, Micro-Internship programs create 40-80% cost savings. See the math here!
Ready to reimagine your recruiting practices?
In our (kinda) post-COVID-19 world, Micro-Internships help drive company awareness, attract more applicants, and convert candidates to full-time hires.
Connect with Jeffrey to get started.