5 campus recruitment tips for corporate

Campus hiring is one of the most effective ways of hiring fresh talent. Find out how to make the most out of your campus recruitment drive. 

Besides making their presence felt, employers need to be active in reaching out to the potential candidates. If this involves branding activities, it has to be as innovative and truthful as possible to give candidates the right picture about the organisation.

Samit Jain, director, Pluss Polymers shares 5 things an effective campus recruitment process should incorporate: 

Employer information sessions 

Companies generally tend to send their HR team to recruit, but HR is just an enabler. The real team in which the employees will work should reach out for recruitment. The candidates should be provided a chance to have a candid discussion with the team they are actually going to work for and with. It is the imperative of the company to train their employees for conducting such sessions during the recruitment process. 

Just a one hour power point presentation doesn't give a feel of what it is like to work for the company. It is the employee which makes the company and the companies should facilitate such interactions of existing employees and students. 

Make students to like your organisation 

If the students have not heard about the company in 4 or 5 years of college, they are less likely to believe what the company has to say in an hour's information session. The company needs to build its recognition on campus by participating in events such as, critiquing student resumes, academic or cultural events that are held. 

Ask yourself, how many times has someone from your company delivered lectures at the institute? If it is less than two times in a year, then you are not sending out the right message. Students appreciate feedback from employers and it's a great opportunity to build your brand by contributing towards student education - this can only be done if you are seen through the years on campus. 

Offer internships 

Indian organisations, SMEs in particular, shy away from taking any responsibility of contributing towards education. They believe they don't have funds. It does not cost much, except for a time commitment. 

There is nothing better than word-of-mouth promotion of an organisation. Internships provide students with invaluable "real-world" experience. These interns will end up serving as on-campus ambassadors to promote the organisation when they return to college. 

Conduct group presentations 

Everyone talks about the gap between industry and academia. This gap can be bridged by incorporating lectures from company professionals and experts along with the institute curriculum. 

The company will have to work closely with the faculty and the college administration while planning such lectures. It will provide expertise to students in specific subject area making them more suitable/prepared for the real world as well as it provides a good opportunity to the company to showcase their organisation. 

Connect with faculty 

It is essential that the organisation connects with the faculty on a regular basis. Offer small exercises which they can give their students as part of the course. Sponsor some faculty for some research or study programme to be conducted during the undergraduate or graduate programmes. Provide case studies from the organisation for technical and management courses.