How Universities Recruit: Strategies For Attracting Top Students

Student recruitment is a crucial aspect of the higher education landscape, with universities employing various strategies to attract prospective students and secure enrolments. The process involves marketing and communication actions aimed at engaging and converting individuals into enrolments. A successful student recruitment strategy is essential for universities to maintain profitability, prestige, and sustainability.

In recent years, the rise of digital technologies has transformed student recruitment, with institutions adopting a digital-first approach to reach a wider audience. This shift is particularly important for attracting Gen Z students, who spend a significant amount of time online and on their phones.

Universities utilise a range of tactics, including social media campaigns, personalised communications, alumni testimonials, and career services, to name a few. The goal is to create a positive first impression and foster a sense of community to attract the best-fit students.

Additionally, universities also focus on building relationships with high schools and offering internships to identify and nurture potential students early in their academic journeys.

With declining enrolment rates and increasing competition, universities must continuously adapt and innovate their recruitment strategies to stay ahead of the curve.

Building a talent pipeline

Define the Candidate Profile:

Clearly outline the skills, qualifications, and characteristics sought in ideal candidates. This profile serves as a roadmap, enabling recruiters to focus on attracting individuals who align with the organisation's vision and values.

Enhance Employer Branding:

Developing a strong employer brand is crucial for attracting top talent. It involves effectively communicating the company's values, culture, and opportunities to potential candidates. A positive employer brand enhances the company's reputation and helps it stand out from competitors.

Proactive Sourcing:

Cast a wide net by sourcing candidates from various channels, including professional networks, industry events, and online platforms like LinkedIn and job boards.

Nurture Passive Candidates:

Engage with passive candidates who may not be actively seeking new job opportunities. Develop relationships and establish connections through networking and personalised outreach.

Focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI):

Build a diverse talent pipeline by actively sourcing and nurturing candidates from different backgrounds and demographics. Embrace inclusivity in the recruitment process, using blind resume screening and crafting inclusive job descriptions.

Succession Planning:

Identify high-potential individuals within the talent pipeline who can step into key roles in the future. Groom future leaders through mentorship, stretch assignments, and targeted development programs.

Build an Internal Talent Pipeline:

• Identify critical roles and create succession plans.
• Conduct skill assessments to align employees with suitable growth opportunities.
• Promote a culture of internal mobility by encouraging internal job postings and promotions.
• Encourage cross-departmental opportunities to broaden skill sets and perspectives.
• Implement mentorship and coaching programs.
• Recognise and reward high-performing employees.
• Offer continuous learning opportunities through workshops, seminars, and certifications.
• Create individual development plans that outline career goals and areas for improvement.
• Provide performance feedback and coaching to address areas of improvement.

Build an External Talent Pipeline:

• Enhance employer branding by showcasing the company's culture, values, employee testimonials, and achievements.
• Source candidates through multiple channels, including job boards, social media, and industry events.
• Build talent networks and partnerships with industry associations, universities, and professional networks.
• Streamline the application process to ensure it is user-friendly and efficient.
• Implement robust screening and selection processes to assess candidates' skills, qualifications, and cultural fit.
• Make data-driven decisions by leveraging data analytics to track the effectiveness of sourcing channels and engagement strategies.
• Maintain consistent communication with candidates throughout the talent pipeline.

Creating an attractive employer brand

Host Information Sessions

Information sessions are a great way to raise awareness of your company among targeted college students. These sessions are often coordinated with the university career center and provide an opportunity to share details about open positions, organizational culture, and unique aspects of your company and industry. To attract students and increase attendance, think creatively and make your sessions interactive and tailored to Gen Z's job search expectations. Spread the word through social media, career center communications, and by inviting potential candidates from your talent pipeline.

Build On-Campus Relationships

While career fair recruiting is essential, it's also important to maintain relationships with students and faculty throughout the year. Offer time and resources to student groups or sponsor club events to meet potential employees. If the school has a process to connect employers with faculty for classroom presentations, offer to share your company's expertise. This will create a positive impression on students and demonstrate industry leadership.

Update Career Sites and Job Descriptions

Your career site is often the first place students visit to learn about your organization. Create a stand-out careers page focused on entry-level roles, showcasing your company culture, growth opportunities, and recent photos. Ensure your job descriptions are optimized for Gen Z job seekers by including information relevant to their expectations and interests.

Respond to Third-Party Reviews

As many candidates find jobs online, they are likely to read third-party reviews about your company. Monitor sites like Glassdoor and Comparably, and respond to reviews, both positive and negative, in a timely and professional manner. Thank the reviewer for their feedback, address any concerns, and highlight positive company-led initiatives.

Make Personal Connections

Adding a personal touch can help your company stand out. Use recruitment CRM software to send personalized emails to students on the dean's list or mail care packages to students before their finals. These gestures may be shared on social media, further building your employer brand.

Leverage Alumni Networks

Engaging with successful alumni who have a strong emotional connection to their alma mater can significantly enhance your employer brand. Encourage alumni to participate in networking events, mentorship programs, or offer internships to current students. Sharing their positive experiences and success stories will build a sense of community and trust, making your employer brand more attractive to top talent.

Create a Year-Round Digital Strategy

Stay top-of-mind with college students year-round by communicating unique company information through email campaigns, text messages, and social media engagement. A digital campus recruitment strategy allows you to stay connected with students and fill talent pipelines with the next generation of talent, even without a constant on-campus presence.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively build a strong and attractive employer brand on campus, increasing your chances of recruiting top talent.

Increasing retention

University recruitment is a great way to meet hiring goals and create a robust talent pipeline. However, it is also an effective strategy for increasing retention rates. By engaging in university recruitment, organisations build relationships with talent long before they start looking for entry-level jobs. This early engagement can make a huge difference in retention ability, as people hired from campus tend to stay at companies for longer if their employer invests in them and provides an inclusive workplace.

Build Relationships with Universities

Developing strong relationships with universities will help increase your organisation's visibility and create a positive impression on students. Work closely with career centres to organise events, create internship and scholarship programs, and offer seminars that provide valuable information about your industry. This will demonstrate your commitment to nurturing early-career talent.

Focus on Diversity and Inclusion

Today's job candidates, especially those from Generation Z, are increasingly concerned about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. To appeal to college students, actively work on your diversity recruitment plan and showcase your commitment to increasing talent from underrepresented backgrounds. This will not only help with retention but also with attracting a wider range of talent.

Provide Meaningful Internships

If you offer internships, ensure that they are meaningful and engaging. Teach interns the skills they need to succeed in their careers and give them a glimpse of what it's like to work at your organisation. The better the internship experience, the more likely students are to accept a full-time position later on, increasing your retention rate.

Emphasise Employee Experience

Today's candidates expect a positive experience throughout the hiring funnel, and they are willing to drop out of the running if they don't receive it. This emphasis on candidate experience signals to potential hires that your organisation will treat them well after they are hired, increasing the likelihood of retention.

Utilise Technology

Technology plays a crucial role in modern recruitment strategies. Utilise digital tools such as CRM systems to streamline communication, enhance the recruitment process, and create personalised experiences for prospective students. Additionally, consider using chatbots on your website to provide quick answers to questions and speed up the recruitment process.

By implementing these strategies and focusing on building long-term relationships with students, you can increase retention rates and create a strong, dedicated workforce for the future.

Creating a strong company for the future

A strong employer brand is essential for attracting talent. Organising events and providing branded products can help create a positive impression and excitement around the possibility of working for your company.

To build a successful campus recruiting strategy, it is important to choose the right schools and develop meaningful relationships with them. This can be done by working closely with career centres and student organisations to organise events, internships, and scholarship programs. Consistency is key, and companies should aim to get their brand in front of students early and often, offering valuable information and showing they care about student success.

University recruitment can also help increase retention. By engaging in university recruitment, companies build relationships with talent long before they start looking for jobs, and these employees tend to stay at the company for longer if they are provided with an inclusive workplace and opportunities to grow and succeed.

• Build a talent community by reaching out to career centres and inviting students to join.
• Stay in touch throughout the year by sharing regular communications and investing in a digital campus recruitment strategy.
• Make the hiring process more efficient by using recruitment events software and email marketing campaigns.
• Measure the success of your recruiting strategies through analytics and feedback.
• Budget for campus recruitment by considering factors such as travel costs, lost productivity, and booth expenses.
• Automate candidate management and interview scheduling with robust CRM capabilities.
• Focus on face-to-face interactions, as Gen Z candidates rank these highly.
• Emphasise meaningful work and opportunities for professional development, which are important to Gen Z workers.

By following these steps and strategies, companies can create a strong foundation for future success by attracting and retaining talented employees.

Using virtual recruitment

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to virtual recruitment, and this trend is set to continue. In a competitive higher education landscape, universities need to adapt to attract the best students.

Benefits of Virtual Recruitment

• Wider Audience Reach: Virtual recruitment can attract more candidates, especially for smaller institutions with limited resources. It also allows for a more diverse talent pool, including students from historically overlooked communities.
• Cost-Effective: Virtual recruitment saves money on travel expenses and can significantly reduce hiring costs.
• Time-Saving: Automation tools streamline the recruitment process, making it more efficient and effective.
• Convenience: Virtual events are more convenient for both recruiters and candidates, especially those who are unable to travel.

Strategies for Virtual Recruitment

• Virtual Campus Tours: Use technology like cloud-based video tours and live event software to showcase your campus and provide an immersive experience for prospective students.
• Social Media Engagement: Meet students where they are by utilising platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. Share authentic content created by current students to give an insight into student life and build a positive brand image.
• Interactive Features: Make your website engaging with interactive features, testimonials, and student projects. Ensure it is mobile-responsive and simple to navigate.
• Virtual Events: Host virtual "meet and greets", open houses, and job fairs to create opportunities for candidates to interact with your team and learn about your institution.
• Video Interviews: Video interviews add a personal touch to the recruitment process and make candidates feel more comfortable.
• Structured Interviews: Implement a structured interview process with digitised guides and rating rubrics to minimise bias and establish a clear scoring baseline.
• Onboarding: Design a comprehensive virtual onboarding program with clear schedules, frequent communication, and the necessary technology and hardware for new hires.
• Creative Branding: Showcase your employer brand with custom 3D virtual environments, welcome videos, and virtual office tours.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Focus on D&I in your recruitment strategy to attract talent from underrepresented backgrounds.

Tips for a Successful Virtual Recruitment Process

• Comply with Data Collection Guidelines: Ensure your virtual recruitment process is non-discriminatory and abides by relevant laws, such as the Equality Act and GDPR.
• Keep Candidates Informed: Provide clear communication and feedback to candidates to reduce uncertainty and create a positive experience.
• Transform Career Events: Digitise career events and job fairs to give candidates an insight into your company culture and increase accessibility.
• Adapt Your Tech Stack: Choose a virtual recruitment platform that meets your needs, ensuring it integrates with your ATS and supports the required features, such as one-way video interviews.
• Use Chatbots: Implement chatbots to answer frequently asked questions, reduce the workload of your support team, and provide instant responses to applicants.

By embracing virtual recruitment, universities can reach a wider audience, save costs, and create an efficient and engaging recruitment process, ultimately attracting the best-fit students.

Frequently asked questions