The key to successful recruiting is building and maintaining a strong presence among Michigan students. In addition to posting positions, participating in career fairs, and offering campus interviews and information sessions, consider the following strategies to engage students and enhance your brand. Above all, be creative in your approach and highlight what sets your organization apart!
- Make the most of your Handshake profile by including a complete company description, detailed job postings, profile pictures, and social media handles. Be sure to highlight awards; company culture; commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; community service focus; perks; and anything else that makes your organization attractive to young professionals.
- Keep students engaged during your recruiting process through timely communication and adhering to your deadlines. This might include sending them articles about your organization in the news, hosting small gatherings or online chats, having young professionals at your organization reach out, and more.
- Leverage your organization's U-M alumni in all your efforts. When recruiting for diverse talent, consider utilizing your employee resource groups to showcase to students the support they will have within your organization. Encourage your U-M alumni to join UCAN, our online platform that connects students with U-M alums for informational interviews.
- Consider offering students hands-on experiences such as job shadowing, site visits, industry boot camps, case competitions, etc. Experiential learning opportunities provide students with a view into your organization and your work while offering employers the chance to more fully engage with Michigan students, demonstrate your organization’s culture and values, and differentiate your organization from others in your space.
- Hire interns to build a pipeline for future recruitment and engage these students as your ambassadors when they return to campus.
- Explore 1,600+ student organizations on campus and connect with relevant groups to share your industry expertise.
- Consider all majors, degree levels, and work authorizations when recruiting. And reconsider your use of GPA as a criteria (See: Article #1, Article #2, and Article #3). HireBlue provides contacts throughout our network of campus career offices at U-M. If you need assistance navigating the campus landscape, contact the University Career Center.
We’re always excited to help employers better connect and engage with our students. Reach out to your designated industry contact to discuss ways your brand can have an impact at Michigan.