Managing graduate recruitment in the new context (2021)

The war for talent has never been so fierce. Throw a pandemic into the mix and you have a whole different ball game. The last year has forced employers to reconsider not only who their graduate recruitment brands must appeal to, but also how to capture the attention of graduates and engage with them when the traditional recruitment avenues – internships, face-to-face interviews, open days – have closed. What does this mean when developing your graduate recruitment brand and communications? How do you find the right candidates and stand out from your competitors to attract the best?

As an employer, your target graduate audience are part of that intriguing generation known as Generation Z. Contrary to what some may think, they’re a very different breed from the Millennials who came before them, and so your graduate recruitment brand needs to respond. What are the things they’re looking for from an employer and how can you reflect this in your communications? It looks like the challenges of the pandemic are set to be here for a while, and certainly through the next recruitment cycle, so how do you ensure you capture the spirit and personality of your master brand but still appeal to a younger, digitally-native generation? Your master brand will be changing to stay focused and relevant in a changing world. Your graduate recruitment brand will need to change with it, so that it truly reflects who you are and what you can offer. So, how do you make sure that it meets the needs of your organisation in this new context and brings you the calibre and type of candidates you really want?

We’ll consider these questions and more. We’ll share what we think, and give you the opportunity to say what you think too, so you can make sure your graduate recruitment brand is fit for purpose in our evolving world.