Why You Should Be Thinking Like a College Recruiter

In today's job marketplace, it is job seekers who have the upper hand. As demand for skilled workers increases, job seekers are hesitant to make commitments without first determining their best possible option. And the best possible option is no longer simply the position with the highest salary.

Job seekers today--especially younger folks--want a complete understanding of what a company is like, from its culture to the progress of its alumni. In many ways, job seekers are a lot like high school seniors, trying to find the college that's the best fit for them. When you consider that the average employee spends 4.6 years at a company--only a little more time than they'd spend getting a bachelors degree--the comparison grows even stronger.

To attract top talent, then, recruiters should take heed of college admissions offices' strategies.

How College Admissions Offices Recruit

The best college admissions officers get into the heads of their target demographic--high school students--and market to them with laser focus. Juniata College in Pennsylvania now uses targeted email campaigns and a dynamic microsite to deliver a personalized experience to prospective students.

College admissions departments also aren't afraid to get in the trenches and communicate with their target demographic in their native habitat. For example, Tennessee Wesleyan University uses SnapChat (an app that 77% of college students use daily) to provide administrative updates and alert students to events on campus. Ohio Wesleyan University holds video chats to engage with interested students and their parents, expanding their reach from local candidates to any candidate with a computer.

While you don't have to use these exact techniques, you must make an effort to define the kinds of people you are interested in hiring, then be creative about how you communicate with and market to them--if you want to attract the best talent you can.

When putting together your outreach strategy, think of the experience people will have at your company as though it were a college. In other words, don't just talk about salary and benefits: give a comprehensive look into the employee experience. Focus on all the areas "prospective students" (job seekers) care about:

Coursework (Opportunities for Growth)

As the workplace has changed, employees now are placing more of a premium than ever on the ability to learn and grow in their career. In fact, employers that offer challenging, interesting work are the most popular targets for job seekers. To ensure your workplace is giving employees the learning opportunities they desire, consider starting a mentorship program and holding training sessions or seminars.

Classmates (Coworkers)

College students want to know what kind of people they'll be surrounding themselves with for the next four years. So, too, do job seekers. Profile employees on your careers page as a way to demonstrate the kind of people who succeed in your environment. And don't just focus on upper management. Include employees from a variety of levels and departments, to best capture the kinds of people who work there.

Teachers (Management)

Just as prospective students want to know who will be teaching them (Nobel laureates or tired grad students?), job seekers are also interested to learn the caliber and credentials of who's running your company. Make sure your CEO is public and available. Establish her as a thought leader in your space. Showcase your leadership team, and illustrate how they teach and mentor employees.

Campus (Office Culture)

Urban or rural? Big or small? Late nights or early mornings (or both)? Free food? Lots of extracurriculars? Whether your culture is fun and inviting, or more buttoned-down and productive, emphasize what day-to-day life at your office is like. Colleges encourage high school seniors to determine the type of campus they believe will be most comfortable. Why? Because it is one of the best predictors of academic success. Your prospective candidates need to do the same thing.

Alumni (Past Employees)

One of the most important considerations a job seeker will have is what happens to people after they leave your company. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) actually refers to its leaving employees as "graduates," and offers them strategic advice on navigating the job market in exchange for their help in recruiting new talent. By setting leaving employees up for success, BCG is showing prospects that their time at the company will be rewarding from beginning to end.