Advertising failing to attract top graduate talent

Graduate recruitment expert, Simon Reichwald argues that advertising is failing to attract the best graduate talent. Relationship building is the only way forward!

Fifteen years ago media such as The Times, The Guardian and Prospects Today were the main advertising tools available to graduate recruiters. This changed with the introduction of online recruitment sites which soon, with the growing size and spread of the graduate market, became the fastest way (and most cost effective) to communicate with as many graduate jobseekers as possible.

Although online recruitment advertising is still popular with many graduates, it is an increasingly less cost effective way of recruiting, and Simon Reichwald, Managing Director of Bright Futures and Graduate Success says it is no longer the best method for finding the very top applicants: ìMost of the best graduates know who they want to apply to before they start applying. They know this not because they have searched for all companies offering, for example consultancy or marketing roles, but because they are aware of the ëbestí companies out there. This awareness has been achieved as the ëbestí companies have created a powerful profile well in advance of the time students start actively job hunting.î

We are seeing much more focused activity online i.e. organisations using fewer job boards. Even the big generalist careers fairs arenít as popular as they used to be, companies are doing more activity with fewer universities such as focused career fairs, employer presentations, relationships with Academics and Faculties and internships, Simon Reichwald explains why this is important: ìThe key to real success with this on campus activity is to see it as more than just ënice to doí branding. Organisations must leverage the full value from these activities to get firmly and consistently onto the radar of the best undergraduate talent.î

Advertising needs to be examined to see whether it is delivering recruitment success in the same way it did ten years ago. Itís likely that businesses will discover that the effectiveness of advertising is dying and itís time to get back to old-fashioned relationship building with students to ensure they attract the top talent before they graduate.