On-Campus College Recruiting for Your Small Business
Recruiting isn't just for the Nick Saban's and John Calipari's of the world. Small business owners can't always sit back and wait for qualified applicants to come to them. And one of the best ways to locate talent for your business is to get out onto local college campuses and find it.
Sure, you could throw up a few colorful flyers and a booth at a career fair. But tomorrow's graduates are looking at a whole lot more out of their career than just a job. Here are a few tips for recruiting on college campuses.
Shares or Salary
As a small business, you have something to offer that most big corporations don't: a stake in the company. If you might not be able to pay the same salary as bigger corporations, you can compensate your employees with equity in the company, giving them an interest and voice in the decision-making and direction of the business.
Especially if you're competing with startups for talented staff, the next generation wants (and sometimes expects) a larger level of ownership in the company, and is sometimes willing to sacrifice wages to get it. Make sure students and applicants know your company is about more than a paycheck.
Campus Contacts
If you hope to pluck employees from the collegiate talent pool, you better have some pull with their professors. Not only can good contacts steer qualified students your way, but it helps when you can trust a professor's letter of recommendation or word of warning. Cultivate positive relationships with professors and the campus career development office and you'll be better positioned to hire the best graduates.
Tout Your Tech
You may be old school, but the college crowd is anything but. Using Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and even Snapchat as part of your business strategy and in your recruiting will be essential. (And, of course, being able to research your potential hires on social media platforms is a key to smart hiring practices.)
Don't forget -- the children are our future. Recruit them well and let them lead your company.
Follow FindLaw for Consumers on Google+.
Related Resources:
- The Hiring Process (FindLaw)
- The Interview Process: Selecting the "Right" Person (FindLaw)
- Small Business Employment Issues (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
- Background Checks Do's and Don't's (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)