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Talent Acquisition icon

Build a Customized Campus Recruitment Program

Sourcing new graduates is unique – reach them where they are, don’t wait for them to come to you.

  • The campus recruitment environment is complex. Most new graduates are new to job seeking and have to balance their academic responsibilities with their job seeking interests.
  • Many organizations believe some work experience is required, even for entry-level roles, leading to the impression that new graduates lack the skills needed for these jobs.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst.


  • Get on-demand project support
  • Get advice, coaching, and insight at key project milestones
  • Go through a Guided Implementation to help you get through your project

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • With organizations’ pressing workforce needs, new graduates are a great source of talent. However, as they approach the labor market differently from experienced job seekers, organizations need a tailored approach to recruit them successfully.

Impact and Result

  • Use research and school relationships to build a planful and targeted campus recruitment program.
  • Build relationships with targeted schools to identify the best sourcing methods for growing your talent pipeline.
  • Modify your Talent Acquisition (TA) process to create a candidate experience that resonates with new graduates.

Build a Customized Campus Recruitment Program Research & Tools

1. Assess campus recruitment needs & identify program goals

Identify organizational roles to be filled by new graduates, set goals and metrics for campus recruitment, and build a business case.

2. Design the campus recruitment program

Develop job descriptions and audience profiles for priority roles, tailor employer brand messaging to target new graduates, and select sourcing methods.

3. Prepare to implement the campus recruitment program

Identify an action plan for implementing the campus recruitment program including an annual campus recruitment calendar, communications content, and marketing collateral.


Workshop: Build a Customized Campus Recruitment Program

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Assess Campus Recruitment Needs & Identify Program Goals

The Purpose

  • Identify roles that could be filled by new graduates.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Conducted focus groups to gather hiring manager feedback.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Conduct focus groups (intake) with hiring managers to gather information for job descriptions.

  • Hiring manager input on role requirements, target graduates, and schools.
  • Themed focus group feedback completed by McLean & Company.

Module 2: Design the Campus Recruitment Program

The Purpose

  • Develop job descriptions and audience profiles for priority roles.
  • Set program level goals for campus recruitment and identify associated metrics.
  • Tailor employer brand messaging to target new graduates.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Outlined job descriptions for target roles.
  • Created audience profiles for student groups.
  • Determined goals and metrics for the program to accomplish.
  • Drafted employer brand messaging to communicate through job marketing efforts.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Understand stakeholders’ needs and determine the reason for the program.

2.2

Clarify/create job descriptions.

  • Job descriptions.
2.3

Draft new graduate audience profiles.

  • New graduate audience profiles.
2.4

Develop school selection criteria (create a list of schools if possible).

  • School selection criteria.
2.5

Determine program goals and metrics.

  • Program goals and metrics.
2.6

Develop tailored employer brand messages.

  • Employer brand key messages.

Module 3: Prepare to Implement the Campus Recruitment Program

The Purpose

  • Select sourcing methods for the campus recruitment program.
  • Identify changes to current TA process for campus recruitment.
  • Identify an action plan for implementing the campus recruitment program.
  • Determine an annual evaluation and planning process.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Chosen sourcing methods to engage post-secondary students.
  • Acknowledged necessary changes to the TA process to accommodate new graduate hiring initiatives.
  • Developed an implementation plan and annual assessment for the campus recruitment program.

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Select and customize sourcing methods to engage target graduates.

  • Customized sourcing methods.
3.2

Identify modifications to the existing TA process.

  • TA process changes identified.
3.3

Customize campus recruitment readiness checklist.

3.4

Create an implementation plan (resources, TA process accountabilities, annual calendar, communications content, collateral).

  • Implementation plan.
3.5

Establish an annual program evaluation and planning process.

  • Annual evaluation and planning process.

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 9 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Assess campus recruitment needs and identify program goals
  • Call 1: Prioritize roles to be filled by new graduates.
  • Call 2: Review business case for campus recruitment.

Guided Implementation 2: Design the campus recruitment program
  • Call 1: Review audience profiles for new graduate roles.
  • Call 2: Align employer brand messaging to EVP.
  • Call 3: Select the right sourcing methods.
  • Call 4: Identify changes to TA process.

Guided Implementation 3: Prepare to implement the campus recruitment program
  • Call 1: Review campus recruitment calendar.
  • Call 2: Customize campus recruitment checklist.
  • Call 3: Identify resources to support managers and employees.

Contributors

  • Dianne Bader, Director of Cooperative Education and Career Services, University of Waterloo
  • Brien Convery, Director, Early Talent Acquisition, Attraction and Engagement, Royal Bank of Canada
  • Graham Donald, President, Brainstorm Strategy Group Inc.
  • Troy Ferguson, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Shoppers Drug Mart
  • Claire Gibson, Recruiter, Bruce Power
  • Jennifer Husband, University Program Manager, Colliers International
  • Bridget King, Campus Talent Acquisition Lead, IBM Canada
  • Amanda Lakey, Associate Director, Corporate Recruiting, Financial Services, Ivey Business School at Western University
  • Krista Navalta, Campus Recruiter, The Regional Municipality of York
  • Jennifer Neef, Director, The Career Centre, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Anna Peters, Organizational Development Consultant, Minnesota Organization Development Network
  • Carmen Tsang, Employer Relations and Partnerships, Eastern Canada, Lighthouse Labs
  • University Relations Recruiter, Large Manufacturing Organization