For many organizations, virtual recruiting is an entirely new way of engaging with students. Company Conversations may also feel new if your organization is accustomed to engaging in a one-to-many-style presentation instead of small group Q&A.

Based on student feedback regarding impactful recruiting, below are four ways to effectively engage with students during your Company Conversations this year. Implement these best practices and you may find you never want to go back to presentation-style recruiting!

  1. Post Materials in Advance

    Company Conversations are designed to be interactive and engaging. Keep the conversation flowing and limit the amount of time you are talking at students by sharing details about your company and hiring process in advance.

    Within your Company Conversation event posting in our recruiting platform you can include slides, sample project outlines, details about your interview process, and social media links. Help students do the research before walking in your virtual door and conversations will be meaningful rather than simply informative.

    Another great way to engage with students and get them excited about your Company Conversations is sending videos before the event. If your company already has onboarding videos that show the office or your local area, use those videos in your recruiting to help students “see” themselves working there. If a senior leader wants to send a message to prospective candidates, a brief recorded talk can be a highly effective way to get students energized about what your company has to offer.

  2. Choose Your Best Company Representatives

    One of the benefits of virtual recruiting events is that limits on who your company can “send to campus” for recruiting have been erased. Instead of planning around travel schedules, your employees can get onto a video conference from anywhere around the world.

    When sending invitations to your colleagues to participate, consider:
    • Who is known as being an engaging speaker and great at building personal relationships? Who is the person you are always excited to work with because they bring your energy level up? The people who exude authentic excitement about your organization make great representatives in recruiting.
    • Who is in the role you’re hiring for right now? Students love to hear from employees doing the work they would be doing if they joined your team. This “day in the life” perspective is invaluable either from recent interns or current full-time employees.
    • What is your company’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging? Diverse representation in recruiting helps candidates see how they would be able to bring their authentic selves to work and both fit and thrive in your company.

  3. Collect Questions in Advance

    Company Conversations are all about questions and answers, but you don’t need to limit questions to just during the event. Instead, solicit questions in advance by emailing students who have signed up or sending a quick poll.

    By asking for questions in advance you achieve three things:
    • Your company representative can gather information before the event so they feel confident and prepared for the conversation.
    • You can provide slides or a one-page PDF that provides answers to your most commonly asked questions in advance of the call.
    • Allow more time in the event for nuanced questions that allow company representatives to share their unique experiences and perspectives.

  4. Facilitate the Conversation

    Virtual Company Conversations can have up to 15 students in attendance, but if you do have a full schedule, consider breakout groups of 6 to 8 students each. Smaller groups facilitated by one or two company representatives allow for increased participation.

    Also, set your company representative up for success with plans for facilitating the conversation. Create a process for how questions will be asked and answered, for example using the hand raise feature. Students want to ask their questions and get to know your organization, but they are cognizant of allowing space for others as well. With a facilitator managing the flow, the Company Conversations will run smoothly and effectively.

In a virtual recruiting world, organizations may feel nervous that they need to reinvent their entire recruiting system in order to stand out. That is not the case. Successful recruiting is always about meaningful connections and it is absolutely possible to make that happen remotely.

If you have any additional questions about how to make your virtual Company Conversations successful this year, contact your Recruiting Relations Manager.