Are university recruiters too traditional for Millennials? Score yourself!

So,we get it. Recruiters and hiring managers alike need to adjust how they recruit to appear more appealing to the Millennials. Because according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2015, Millennials will become the workforce’s new majority, and by 2030, this group will represent 75 percent of the workforce.

It is clear that Millennials have different values than previous generations when it comes to work and career. As Ted Bauer tweeted, “recruiters need to paradigm shift everything they know about the old model to be relevant to Millennials.”

Despite that awareness, many companies still make critical mistakes by sticking with some traditional recruiting methods when recruiting Gen Y.

To decide if the way you are performing recruiting is too traditional for this generation, perform a self-evaluation by going through the list below. Give yourself 1 point for each “Yes.”

1. You evaluate candidates for past experiences rather than potential and train-ability

College students and newly grads do not have a wealth of professional experiences. When talking with them, keep your eyes open for those that are passionate, fit culturally, and articulate about their field.

2. You stick to only traditionally highly-structured internship program

Think creatively and offer a variety of opportunities for college students to gain insights in your office environment and culture. Offer shadowing experiences, informational interviews, volunteer opportunities, or even a hackathon challenge with your internal employees. Contact professors and student organizations directly to set up speaking and presentation opportunities in the classroom or on campus.

Case in point:

Baker Tilly designed Spend a Day and Externship programs for sophomores and juniors to experience the culture of a thriving accounting and advisory firms. During these programs, students get to learn about different career paths available in an accounting and advisory firm, engage in team-building activities, and network with employees of all levels.

3. You maintain a rigid interview process

Are you putting candidates in a stuffy conference room with multiple interviews back-to-back? Consider alternatives by holding a video chat, or even invite your next millennial job candidate to interview at the company’s cafeteria for a more informal setting. Use the interview as a way to communicate your company culture and benefits to the interviewees. Take the candidate around the office and introduce him or her to some potential coworkers.

4. You are not active on social media

College students spend two to four hours daily on social media site.... Many Millennials love humor and would be active on site like Reddit, BuzzFeed, and CollegeHumor as well. Tune in with what Millennials like to read and where they like to hang out, and be active on those platforms.

Case in point:

Goldman Sachs, America’s most influential investment bank, is tapping into Snapchat for campus recruiting. They recently showed a 10-second ad on Snapchat’s Campus Story, which appeared for users at around 50 schools around the United States. Goldman Sachs is a great example of a leader who understands the concept of going where their target audience is consuming information.

5. You use a complicated, lengthy application form

For Millennials, the application process should be easy and frictionless. When filling out applications, many Millennials are put off by complicated web forms with 30 to 50 questions to answer. Make it easy for candidate to apply in a few clicks.

6. Your brand is viewed as “unsexy” by Millennials, and you are doing nothing about it

Sometimes, you just have to accept the fact that your brand is not naturally appealing to Millennials, because your company has been around for so long, and the majority of your workforce are still the Baby Boomers. In this case, taking a firm-wide employer re-branding efforts might be necessary.

Case in point:

GE has been around for more than 130 years, and their brand does not exactly excite a millennial. However, GE is launching a TV campaign on late-night comedy shows, designed to recruit young professionals and position itself as a digital industrial company.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force is competing against the hot tech elites like Go... by running their latest recruitment drive as a traveling experiential event packed with futuristic games and experiences to attract tech-minded youth at high schools, state fairs and air shows across the country.

7. You perform slow or no follow-up communication

Unless your company already established a really strong brand (top 10 places to work for, etc.), you can’t always expect for students to come to you. You need to perform rapid fire communications to keep Millennials interested in your company and avoid them to “slip through the cracks” due to your lengthy, delayed communication process. After connecting with a student at a career fair or recruiting events immediately initiate follow-up with them with links to your website for application. Rakuna’s #1 mobile app for candidate lead capturing can help you do just that.

[Drum roll…]

Let’s tally up your results.

Score more than 3? Your company is definitely too traditional for Millennials. In that case, boost your millennial recruiting strategies with this Ultimate Checklist to Successful Millennial Recruiting.

How many scores did you get? Share with us below.

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Note: This article was originally posted on Rakuna's blog. For the best visual quality,view the original post here.

Comment by Katrina Kibben on October 23, 2015 at 11:08am: This is a great post - thanks for sharing! Really valid check points for every employer brand. Love the example from GE - I had no idea they were doing that but it's really smart.

Comment by Rakuna on October 23, 2015 at 2:17pm: Thanks, Katrina. I am glad that you find value out of this blog post content. Employer branding is one of the hardest thing to tackle if a company has been around for too many years and perceived as a "dinosaur" by millennials. However, that is why being aware and taking appropriate actions with adopting the right technology, the right practice, and re-branding strategies is so important to become appealing to millennials.