Tech Capital Partners Blog

I love September. For one I love fall. Next to that, there is a certain hustle and bustle in Waterloo this time of year that you can’t ignore. Part of it has to do with all the new folks settling in and finding their way in town. More importantly, it has to do with the energy you feel around UW & WLU Campus. Given students are back to school and we are amidst co-op recruiting I thought the timing was right to talk about some thought’s on how companies can maximize campus recruitment efforts. For some companies it is easy to get brand recognition when posting co-op opportunities on campus. RIM, IBM, Apple and many others are able to attract students to their co-op and new grad opportunities with their name recognition and the excitement of potentially working with some well known and successful companies.

For companies looking to build a reputation as an employer of choice on campus, there are a few things to consider to help build your brand.

1. Co-op and career services help employers promote themselves on campus by assisting with coordinating some campus specific events. Information sessions allow companies to target students by discipline. They offer an intimate environment to talk to students directly about your company and the opportunities it offers. Career services may also assist in organizing and advertising campus associated career fairs in the spring and fall for students looking for opportunities.
2. Consider a campus ambassador. A current or past co-op student that will talk up your company to students on campus and why it offers a great work experience. You can get creative on how you incent your campus ambassadors… a little can go a long way.
3. The best way to advertise opportunities to students is to get in front of them (obviously). Student groups and class reps have a captive audience and are best positioned on campus to disseminate information to students.  Students lean on class reps to keep informed.
4. Traditional print advertising through campus news and bulletin boards. A call to the Federation of Students should help you navigate student advertising opportunities, or point you in the right direction for further info.
5. Hold an open house. Build your co-op or new grad value proposition, and then showcase why you offer a great place to work. Students are looking for more than a job, they are looking for an “experience”. Promote your corporate culture and boast about your co-op and new grad experience to catch student’s attention.
6. If it fits with your corporate culture consider hosting a campus ‘event’ at the local watering hole for students. Targeting specific disciplines or student groups can create a buzz on campus among the students you will one day try to recruit.
7. Research social media marketing opportunities that exist for the student groups you are trying to tap into. Students are blogging and on the web. Niche campus groups can be targeted on Facebook, consider podcasts, mobile app’s and video opportunities… sometimes very little money needs to be invested to get some viral advertising working for you.
8. Sponsorship of student group associations, sporting events, campus events and student run activities will get your name in front of students. Commitment to continued sponsorship can help build momentum on campus.

Staying tapped into student groups on campus makes sense for a few reasons:

• For companies looking to hire co-op students it helps to attract those high caliber students that have their pick of opportunities.
• Attracting returning co-op students who have a co-op term under their belt will allow them to hit the ground running with a good feel for the business and corporate culture.
• Staying tapped to the best and the brightest supports new grad recruitment efforts.

Building a brand on campus as with any other branding effort isn’t a one time event. It is something that needs to be nurtured and will build momentum over time. A mixed approach will show the best results.

· trackback ·