The War for new-grad talent has never been fiercer. More and more companies are turning to universities as their main pipeline to build up their workforce of amazing engineers, designers, and quants. However, many companies who haven’t been active in campus recruiting for the past few years may be surprised to find that the game has dramatically changed.
Remember when you thought pizza and soda at an information session was enough? Now, it’s pizza and soda delivered to your dorm room during finals week with a personalized “good luck” note and invitation to interview. More than ever, companies are adapting to, and even embracing gen Y values in their recruiting processes to sign the best students from top-tier schools.
Jane Graybeal wrote a great piece titled “Valuing the So-Called Me Me Me Generation”, summarizing three key ideas around gen Y. While some companies may work against these “me me me” values, a handful have worked with them to get some of their best hires. Let’s take the three concepts that Graybeal summarized and apply them on a more practical level — specifically on how university recruiting programs are staying competitive on campus:
Gen Y is entitled … and that can be a good thing: As Graybeal mentioned, members of the gen Y workforce often aren’t afraid to reach out to people a few rungs above them for guidance — because they believe they deserve it.
Companies are taking advantage of this concept earlier, before, or during recruiting processes, by connecting strong candidates to high-level employees from their company. One of the biggest reasons why I was sold to taking my first job was because the global head of HR scheduled to have lunch with me to congratulate me on my offer. Though this isn’t possible for all organizations, having anyone very senior interview or speak to students in the recruiting process can be a huge closing strategy.
Going off of this “entitled” concept, many students will not apply to or take opportunities that seem generic and too easy to obtain. I clearly remember companies who understood this concept and used it to their advantage among my friends:
These practices may make some question why competitive companies go this far to build out their university recruiting pipeline. The answer is, simply, because they understand getting top new-grad talent is worth it.
Gen Y will champion diversity: Graybeal emphasizes the importance of accepting differences to members of gen Y. Today, students understand how valuable it is to work for a company that encourages employees to be their true, authentic selves.
Companies who have adapted their recruiting initiatives to gen Y values don’t even think twice when it comes to sponsoring events and organizations on campus that promote diversity and inclusion initiatives. They will connect students with their employee resource groups, create scholarship funds for underrepresented minorities, and attend national conferences that attract many talented students from all across the world.
Another personal example — many of my brilliant friends who identify as part of the LGBT community were worried that they couldn’t be their true selves when transitioning into the workforce. After attending Out for Undergraduate Technology Conference, they were drawn to companies who sponsored the event, knowing that these companies were inclusive and understood the importance of diversity.
Gen Y is not one size fits all: Graybeal states that gen Y workers should not all be treated the same. Adding to this point, this should include college students looking for their first job out of school. The best university recruiters recognize that many students look up to them for guidance and support through this important transitory times in their lives.
A friend of mine told me a story about a recruiter who helped him through deciding on taking an offer or going to grad school. He recalled the recruiter being supportive of either decision, and was open to him about the pros and cons of both. In addition, the recruiter offered to connect my friend with someone in the company who had completed the master’s program he was looking to pursue. He ultimately decided on grad school, but referred a few friends to the recruiter and ended up joining the company two years later after he graduated from his master’s program.
Some of the best recruiters on campus that I’ve encountered during my time as a student and in industry are the ones who genuinely care about the candidates they interact with. Great recruiters take on a guidance counselor role for students, asking each candidate about their values and trying to help them find the right next step — even if it isn’t immediately with their organization.