University marketing: 3 ways of recruiting students and recent graduates
- Saturday, April 22, 2023
- Laura Rottier
University marketing provides an effective means of building relationships with potential talent. It is a strategic move to connect with students that can lead to future job opportunities. Here are three of our best tips to get you started.
Today, the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area comprises close to 17.5 million students. Due to their high skills level, there is intense competition on the job market to attract these high potential individuals. At the same time, many of them feel a lack of clear direction. With university marketing, companies establish contact with students and recent graduates early on. They are there to support them through uncertain times and can drive enthusiasm among students about the work they have to offer. We show you how to go about this.
University marketing brings you closer to your target group
84 percent of students have no clear idea about their career path – this is the picture that emerges from the current JobTeaser Employment Barometer. Universities and career centres are in great demand here. Hence why career centres rank third in the league table of places where students and graduates go looking for job ads. However, companies also have a role to play: The presence of employers at universities is important to 43 percent of students. To place messages accurately as an employer, companies therefore need to go where their target group resides: on campus.
Cooperation with universities and careers services helps with university marketing
Cooperation with universities and careers services enables companies to get to know future graduates and present themselves as attractive employers through appropriate HR initiatives. Employers also benefit from a greater level of trust in the familiar university environment. Essentially, there are three ways of incorporating universities and careers services into university marketing.
1. Getting in touch through networking events
Career days, (virtual) university milk rounds or other networking events allow you to meet your target group in person. First and foremost, these options serve to arouse students' interest in you and raise awareness of your company as an employer. For example, in our ‘Meet the Expert’ series, we regularly provide employers with a platform for introducing themselves and making contact with students – with excellent feedback from students.
2. Offering practical insights as a tutor or in seminars
By giving guest lectures or chairing seminars and workshops, you can provide students with practical insights into professional life. This serves three purposes:
- You extend theoretical course content with the practical knowledge that newcomers to the world of work need to succeed with you.
- You provide examples from your company and are at the forefront of students' minds as an employer.
- You meet Gen Z's need for direction and position yourself as a caring employer.
3. Involving students and recent graduates at an early stage through work placements, undergraduate dissertation projects and student internships
Work placements, undergraduate dissertation projects and student internships are all great ways for both parties to really get to know one another, creating a bond at an early stage between young professionals and your company while also communicating knowledge to them about your sector and its career opportunities. You can then distribute relevant job ads through the universities.
Mazars, one of the leading international corporate consultancy businesses in the tax and auditing sector, uses the JobTeaser Multiposting and Shortlist tools. Using Multiposting, the company simultaneously publishes its job vacancies across hundreds of university intranets. With Shortlist, it screens more than 100,000 profiles of students and recent graduates, identifies suitable candidates and contacts them individually.
Both sides benefit from university marketing
University marketing is a useful tool for both employers and students to establish working relationships at an early stage and maintain these in the long-term. During uncertain times in particular, students and recent graduates want to be close to employers and receive detailed information, something you are in a position to provide as a partner to the universities. In return, you attract the attention of the professionals of tomorrow and can persuade them to consider your company in future.
Would you like to know how university marketing works in practice? Our University Marketing Guide contains useful tips and examples for you – including information about digital careers fairs.