Fall is in full swing, and recent college graduates from all over the country have returned from their “last hurrah” summer adventure backpacking through Europe or road-tripping across the States.  They’re ready to settle down and search for their first “real” job.  And as concerns us Human Resources professionals, these fresh faces are also looking for what might be a long-term home for their talent.  Wouldn’t it be great if that home turned out to be your company?

Here’s how to make sure these talented college grads find you:

Brand recognition.  Grabbing the best of these budding professionals means planting your company’s seed early.  That way, college grads will be thinking about you when the time comes to look for a job.  So make sure your brand gets out there as much as possible!  Begin with a booth at on-campus career fairs.  Send key professionals representing different departments, such as Finance and Marketing (and always Human Resources), to interact with students and to answer their questions.  Your staff can also volunteer to speak about relevant topics, so don’t be afraid to reach out to the appropriate programs at your local colleges.  Your company can also sponsor campus events to get your name seen.

Meaningful internship opportunities.  Internships are the win-win investment of the college recruitment world.  Motivated young talent will be eager to gain experience, while your company will be able to get a head start investing in potential employees.  Be sure to set up a meaningful internship opportunity, complete with relevant experience and mentoring, to show how your company values its employees at all levels.  Relegating your interns to the filing room won’t do your company image any favors!  Offering a worthwhile internship experience can easily move your company to the top of the list when your interns look for long-term work.

Engaging social media.  Social recruiting is a powerful tool to attract and reach out to college grads, largely at no cost to your company.  While Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all remain popular choices to recruit candidates via social media, companies have also started to explore Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr.  Not every social media site will be a natural fit with your company’s goals, but be careful not to discount a site just because it’s typically used to swap craft ideas or vacation photos.  Consider, more and more companies are turning to Pinterest to woo well-educated women.  Think about how your company could adapt these alternative social media platforms to fit your college recruitment strategy.

Desirable benefits.  Reality check: today’s college grads aren’t too interested in your company’s pension plan, or whatever else can be gained from staying with your company from now until their retirement eons from now.  This new generation of workers is all about instant gratification, flexibility, and feeling important—so tout the benefits that will appeal to their needs.  Focus on flex schedules, telecommuting options, work-life balance, and employee recognition.  (You do offer at least a few of these benefits, right?)  Give them what they need to feel fulfilled in the workplace, and college grads will be flooding your inbox with resumes!

We at YES! Your Human Resources Solution hope you’ve learned some great tips to recruit recent college grads.  But you should also know that recruiting college graduates is just one part of a comprehensive recruitment strategy.  That’s where we come in.  With our recruitment and retention guidance, YES! can help optimize your search for today’s hottest talent and evaluate ways to keep top performers on board.  Let YES! help steer your Human Resources strategies, so you can focus on driving business results.  Visit our website for more information, or contact us for a free consultation.