Attracting top graduate talent has never been more challenging. The pandemic has affected recruitment and best hiring practices that companies should employ are changing.
Recent studies have shown a significant downward trend of graduates from Australia and New Zealand in the past two years. The number of overseas students has specifically taken a huge hit, with 22% decrease and 4% of graduates from both Australia and New Zealand respectively.
These numbers are less than ideal given that more employers are hiring graduates than ever before. In 2021 alone, the number of companies that are actively hiring graduates has more than doubled since 2019.
In light of these findings, it is more important than ever to stand out from the crowd, so we share our tips on how you can snap up top graduate talent.
Promote transparency and empathy
Graduate talent today expects more from employers. The more transparent you can be about your screening and hiring processes, the more invested the candidates will be in your job openings. Treat them with respect and let them know if they did not get the job in a timely manner. How your company handles rejected candidates can build strong employer brand equity via word of mouth, and encourage many other graduates to apply for your job openings.
Making graduate talent feel special can also go a long way. Employer empathy is one of the many things applicants strongly consider during their job search.
Value-adding virtual experiences
Instead of hard-selling a fantastic feature of your product or service, provide them with a value-adding, virtual experience that will make your company memorable. Whether it’s a resume workshop, mock video interviews, or tips to navigate a hiring process, make sure they are relevant to what students want and need.
Create an innovative hiring process
Today, Gen Z is entering the workforce, and with the advanced improvements in AI and automation, the jobs of yesterday may not be here tomorrow. Innovation should now be at the at the heart of every recruitment process. Today’s graduates have come to expect video interviewing in the recruitment process, they’re tethered to their devices and they expect not only the ability to interview at a time their personal and current work schedule won’t be disrupted, but they are also now hoping to learn about your company via video.
By using video interviews in your hiring process, you are showing graduates that your company culture values flexibility, convenience, and efficiency.
A day in the life
It’s no longer enough that employers disclose company perks and benefits and expect that to gain graduates’ attention. Students want to know honest opinions from employees, anything from company culture to work-life integration. Disclosing authentic reviews—like featuring this type of day-in-the-life content —can really make or break a talent’s perception of an employer. Sharing such insights could help graduates determine whether they’ll fit well with your company, you can also utilise video in the process as we mentioned above to work on your employer branding.
Finding the right graduate recruitment process all boils down to how well you know your company and what you are looking for. The pandemic drove us all to make drastic changes in recruitment. Now, recruiters must leverage hiring platforms and cutting-edge technology to source, screen, and retain graduate candidates to align with the new normal.
By future-proofing graduate expectations, maintaining an impressive employer brand, and creating an innovative hiring process – you can effortlessly hire enthusiastic graduate talent to join your organisation.