Spotlight for Recruiting Professionals

With many challenges to their budgets—including travel costs for recruiters and candidates, donations to schools to boost brand awareness, and the implementation of new technology—how can URR programs leverage limited resources to maximize their reach and effectiveness?

“To compete for top student talent, companies have to be as creative and innovative as the students we are trying to reach,” says Katharine Farmer, supervisor university relations at Valero. “Thinking outside the box and disrupting the traditional process is key to innovating in this space.”

Farmer and Bryan Quick, manager of global talent acquisition at Abbott, recommend using “in-house” resources to suit program needs. For instance, a human resource information system (HRIS) team can customize any technology platform for URR use.

Other ways URR functions can “find dollars” is by using elements like technology and partnerships. Farmer and Quick suggest:

• Using digital interviewing, which not only increases opportunities for students to participate in interviews, but limits the amount of travel and logistics needed to conduct initial screening interviews.
• Leveraging existing relationships and developing new ones on campus to create extended opportunities to engage students early and give an inside view of the company culture.
• Leveraging alumni in your organization.
• Having a structured system, like an ambassador program, that can create low-cost opportunities to develop and extend your brand on campus.
• Using social media to increase brand awareness and build connections with student organizations.

“You can also determine if departments outside URR can help pay for recruiting initiatives,” Quick adds. “For example, connect with your organization’s engineering department to see if it will cover expenses like scholarships or student organization sponsorships.”

Farmer and Quick point out that some of the common mistakes URR makes when it comes to their budgets and resources include putting too much money toward items and practices with low returns, such as giveaways and promotional items, and making emotional, instead of data-driven, decisions.

“Track and collect as much data as you can,” Farmer recommends. “Then use that data to make your decisions.”

Quick adds: “Keep the long-term strategy in mind and the relationship piece in place as it relates to selecting target schools.”

By avoiding the common mistakes and using elements like technology and existing and available partnerships, organizations can advance their URR efforts even while facing limited budgets.

Katharine Farmer and Bryan Quick will present “Leveraging Limited Resources” during NACE16.