Five recruitment strategies to attract top graduate talent

What are the common expectations of graduate jobseekers, and what do they usually look for? Here are some tips on how to address their needs, and inspire top graduates to want to work for you.

The top university graduates of 2018 are now entering the workforce. How should you attract them and grow your organisation? We share here some ideas on how to help you review and revamp your talent acquisition strategy.

Brand Yourself Well

In today’s competition for top talent, your reputation as an employer plays a key role in the career choice of graduate jobseekers. This new generation of candidates tends to care about what to expect as an employee - whether the job can provide a meaningful experience, engage them with an open culture and allow them to make an impact on society. You can start with evaluating your employer brand awareness by asking the following questions:

Are you conveying your organisation’s personality effectively through multiple online and social media platforms, so that potential employees can gain an idea of what it might be like to work with you?

Does your brand have a positive public image and is it likely to be considered a great place to work? Online research has become a common way to learn more about a company before an interview, so your brand message is important.

Are you presenting a clear, consistent and positive brand message, and a strong value proposition to suggest why people should work for you?

The branding of a company can start with a plan for recruitment marketing and create meaningful contents for young jobseekers through multiple online and social media platforms:

• Post stories to showcase your company’s work environment, facilities and benefits.
• Invite your employees to share their stories about their time with your company.
• Create contents relevant to graduates and young jobseekers.
• Have a dedicated career site and make it mobile friendly.
• Create a career specific social channel to recruit talents.

The current landscape of employment branding as summarised in 2018 Fortune 500 Employment Brands Report, shed lights on how to elevate your employer brand:

• A positive interview experience has huge impact on brand perception.
• Candidates need to be provided with more details on job expectation.
• Employees may consider quitting their current job if they receive a job offer from a company with excellent corporate reputation.
• Jobseekers are lost during complex application process.

Think About your USP

It is not always about the size of a company, but something unique you can offer. According to the 2018 Deloitte Millennial Survey, the key to attracting young talents can start with workplace culture. The Executive’s Guide to Engaging Millennials by Great Place to Work also shows that millennials look for workplaces where they can make a meaningful impact. Smaller businesses may have advantages over large companies with their collaborative and friendly atmosphere in the workplace.

The table below compares some of the traits of smaller businesses and large ones:

Streamline Your Recruitment Process

A study by consulting firm Robert Half has found that, in recent years, lengthy hiring processes have been among the top grievances of Hong Kong’s jobseekers. Thus, reinventing your talent acquisition process will likely increase your competitiveness in attracting the best candidates. Renowned companies such as Goldman Sachs and KPMG have started to replace their multiple-stage assessments with more streamlined, efficient and responsive practices.

Develop Their Employability

With the emergence of a new breed of millennial workers who like to take significant mid-career breaks, employers have to rethink how to attract young talent who define job security differently, as suggested in Millennial Careers: 2020 Vision, a large-scale global study by Manpower Group. Apart from a full-time job capable of supporting their preferred lifestyle, many of these workers also seek jobs that increase their long-term employability. As such, employers may need to think about how to satisfy these workers’ demands for new challenges and development opportunities within the organisation.

Grow, an internal Google platform, is a successful example of adding new skills to employees and enhance their employability in a meaningful way. Combining a library of courses, job opportunities and one-on-one advice, the platform encouraged employees to personalise their training path and long-term development plan.

Broaden your Reach

Employers who actively build a long-term relationship with universities may be able to engage potential candidates even before graduation. Give guest lectures on career-related topics, strengthen your relationship with specific academic departments and offer internships – these are some ways to reach out to the right candidates. These initiatives also provide you with a great opportunity to brand your company.