Spotlight for Career Services Professionals
Spotlight for Recruiting Professionals
Employers adjusting their college recruiting efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the 2020-21 academic year were more likely to make changes to their recruiting methods than they were to their recruiting schedules, according to NACE’s Job Outlook 2021 report.
When employers were asked if they would make changes to their Class of 2021 recruiting schedule, almost two-thirds of respondents stated that they would maintain their standard schedule. Furthermore, just 11.4% planned to move the bulk of their fall 2020 recruiting to winter/spring 2021. (See Figure 1.)
However, in terms of the manner in which employers are recruiting during the 2020-21 academic year, more than half of respondents report that they will recruit virtually for the entire academic year. (See Figure 2.)
Slightly more than 16% of respondents planned to recruit virtually in the fall and in person for spring 2021, with an additional 9.8% using a combination of virtual/in person for the fall, and in person for spring 2021.
The Job Outlook survey is a forecast of hiring intentions of employers as they relate to new college graduates. Each year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) surveys its employer members about their hiring plans and other employment-related issues to project the market for new college graduates for the current class and to assess a variety of conditions that may influence that market. Data for the Job Outlook 2021 survey were collected from July 27, 2020, through September 11, 2020. This year, NACE not only surveyed 931 of its employer members, but it also surveyed 2,368 nonmember employer organizations. A total of 227 surveys were returned; 158 were NACE members and the remaining 69 were nonmembers. The Job Outlook 2021 report is available in MyNACE.
Figure 1: Changes to Class of 2021 recruiting schedules
| Recruiting Schedule |
Percent of Respondents |
We are maintaining our
standard schedule |
65.3% |
We are uncertain and waiting
to see how things develop |
15.8% |
We are moving the bulk of recruiting
from fall 2020 to winter/spring 2021 |
11.4% |
We are waiting to see if target
schools return to on-campus activities |
4.5% |
| Other |
3.0% |
Source: Job Outlook 2021, National Association of Colleges and Employers
Figure 2: Plans for the 2020-21 recruiting season
| Recruiting Scenario |
Percent of Respondents |
Virtual recruiting for the
2020-21 academic year |
54.2% |
| Virtual for fall 2020, in-person for spring 2021 |
16.3% |
Hybrid (virtual/in-person) for fall 2020,
in-person for spring 2021 |
9.8% |
| Planning initiated, but still to be decided |
7.4% |
| Other |
5.9% |
| Planning has not been initiated |
5.4% |
| In-person for the 2020-21 academic year |
1.0% |
Source: Job Outlook 2021, National Association of Colleges and Employers