As they look for creative ways to improve their approach to , many HR offices opt to focus their efforts on the college ranks. Today, colleges and universities represent a ripe area to pluck talent cheaply and efficiently, and countless businesses are taking advantage.

It’s an ideal situation for them. When surveying places to explore available talent, every potential source has its flaws. Recruiting people who are already gainfully employed can be iffy – you’re asking for trouble when you poach someone else’s employee away. And as for people currently lacking a job, what if they’re unemployed for a reason? You want someone promising, not another company’s rejected talent.

College students, however, represent the best of both worlds. They’re young and eager to establish themselves on the job market, which means they’re willing to work hard for relatively little money. For any company looking to fill out its ranks without breaking the bank, on-campus recruiting is a great strategy.

And indeed, there are a lot of people already using it. Recruiter.com recently reported that recruiting among young workforce entrants is running quite high. The news source cited Sanjeev Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Collegefeed, who polled 15,000 millennial employees who recently landed in the workforce. He found that more than 70 percent of them found their companies through word of mouth in college.

“These results blew us away,” Agrawal stated. “Most companies – almost 100 percent of the large ones we spoke to – say that they have an on-campus recruiting plan and that is where they focus their sourcing and branding efforts. Many also have dedicated organizations to build relationships on campus.”

Recruiting at colleges is a great way to find talent in bulk. On a large campus, there are thousands of people who just might want to work for you. So how will you step up your game?

Engage through your best people
The first thing you want to do is show a personal touch to prospective employees, not just a website. Have your most likable, relatable employees recruit promising young people face to face. Once you’ve chosen your company’s best ambassadors, you’ll be on your way.

Meet students where they are
To recruit college students, you have to find them first. And here’s the thing: They might not be at college career fairs. They might be at other major on-campus events, or they might be out in the field getting volunteering or intern experience. In any event, track them down.

Streamline applications
To get lots of applications from young people, you have to make the process of applying easy. Can they do it quickly and efficiently? Will it work on their mobile devices as well as your website? What about through Facebook? The simpler the application, the more people you’ll attract.

Show real meaning to recruits
The obvious way to appeal to college students is with simple “swag” – free T-shirts, water bottles and so on. But if you really want to rope students in and establish careers, you need to show them more than that. Forget about quick fixes and find a way to demonstrate the true meaning of your company.

Originally posted on the Ceridian HCM Blog.