It’s easily forgotten that the recruitment process is a two sided affair. Though it’s primarily a way of attracting appropriate people into your business, it’s also your chance to make a good first impression. Many graduates will have had only a taste of the sort of workplace they’re applying for, and the type of application form or interview experience they receive will really set their expectations.
If thought is given to the recruitment process, the benefits can be twofold: not only are your applicants given a positive impression of your company at the outset, but you’re more likely to appeal to creative and thoughtful graduates. Here are a few tricks that market leaders are already using to appeal to the top talent in the country:
Allow your Recruits to Flourish
Most people are familiar with the form of an ‘open question’, but even they generate rigid and homogenous answers. Anything can be done with the right technology, so why not request your applicants to upload a portfolio to a Tumblr feed, post a trial blog article on WordPress or just show off their organisational abilities using a spreadsheet master.
Don’t be afraid of Flash
Flash elements in web pages can get incredibly complex and be a great hindrance to an interviewee, but when done well, an interview process that integrates Flash can work wonders. Consider using Flash to simulate the sort of tasks your recruits might be doing and to test cognitive ability. Always make sure anything you use is well designed and compatible for all users.
Try Twitter
It might sound mad, but creative graduates will pick up a call for applications on Twitter and they will respond quickly. Even in 140 characters you can ask applicants to send through a CV or portfolio and provide an email address. This both encourages applicants to act quickly and it shows that your business is dynamic and a little bit bold.
Keeping the application process creative demonstrates from the off to your recruits that you’re prepared to invest time and thought in finding the right people for your organisation. At the same time, it’s possible to tailor a task that allows you to see through the CVs and get a feel of the individual behind the application.
Tom started his career early; taking on an associate role at Deloitte just a few days after his eighteenth birthday, working in a technical role but with a focus on identifying and recruiting talented undergraduates. He is now entering his final year at Exeter University and he continues to work with the recruitment side of the firm and remains an active brand ambassador on campus.
Over the last few years, Tom has spent time building up a reputation as a freelance writer and has developed both a strong client base and good knowledge of social media along the way. Though there’s still plenty to learn, experience working in both the smallest and the largest of businesses has served him well and given him a feel for balancing strong corporate ideas with a personal tone.
As a student, Tom is able to offer a valuable insight into the way graduate recruitment works from the other side and how students and interns react to particular styles of marketing and recruitment. Eventually he hopes to take off his copywriting business before embarking on an MA in philosophy.
