If you’re recruiting for a company most people have never heard of, there’s a 90% chance you’re itching to tell me the handy elevator pitch you crafted day one on the job.
“So what do you do?” is a question small org recruiters hear often; gaining momentum on a recognized employer brand like Zappos or Airbnb takes a long time and it’s easy to be outshine by the better known company.
This time of year is ripe with job fairs and college students who want to step foot in their first role. You’re competing with the big dogs. Here’s how to stand out.
Do your research on candidates before going to networking events.
There’s a way to go about doing this without asking for a full class roster. Most colleges have a LinkedIn profile “housing” its students, alumni, and employees – all whom could be great candidates. Target current students before job fairs and networking events, and send them a message before your visit to the campus to give them a heads up you’re attending. Find someone you think would be a good fit for a role? Let them know! Because many students aren’t accustomed to hearing from recruiters about a potential job opportunity while in school, you’ll likely be ahead of other companies planning their recruiting around graduation.
Drumming up traffic to your booth on the fly, especially if you’re sandwiched between bigger name brands, isn’t easy. Messaging students in advance will send a nice flow of traffic to your booth from people excited to hear about your role and to meet the faces behind the company who might give it to them.
Co-market networking events with companies with more clout than you.
Worried no one’s going to show up to your networking events? In addition to sharing them on Meetup, inviting your network to the official Facebook event, and tweeting the deets on Twitter, try partnering up with another company who’s got a little more traction and name recognition. Worried you’ll be overshadowed? Think of it as a chance to get eyes on your brand and to add variety to the opportunities being shared by the other company. Not all candidates are looking to work for the bigger brand and could very well be the right fit for what you’re offering.
Have a conversation with them on your social channels.
To college students (and lots of Millennaials, as they are/I am endearingly called), your company is a bot. One way to get candidates to pay attention is to prove there’s a person behind the screen who’s also paying attention. Someone who’s liked or commented on a status update, blog post, or replied to one of your company’s comments has extended the first handshake – that’s your chance to turn the dialogue into a conversation. Be memorable by being personable, especially in the virtual world.
“Show” the role.
Well-written job descriptions and candidate outreach can grab candidates’ attention, but if you really want to add some glimmer to your opportunities, tell a story with an infographic that doubles as an ad. Companies like Johnson & Johnson and ADP use Jobgram to sell their roles. Job details and stats are shared in graphs, images, and quick facts that are easily digestible, eye-catching, and engaging. Skip the novel – test out a visual instead!
What other techniques are you using to attract younger talent? Share them with me (I’m part of that team!) in the comments below or tweet the whole gang @Entelo.
