Spotlight Online for Employment and Recruiting Professionals, July 21, 2010 

Your most important—and influential—tool for building your image on campus is your staff. 

Research shows that who you send to represent your organization on campus and for on-campus interviews is most likely to affect students’ perceptions of your organization and its opportunities. 

In fact, in NACE’s 2009 Student Survey, nearly 42 percent of responding seniors identified the company representative as the biggest influence on their perception of the organization, and more than 50 percent said the company representative was very useful in helping them locate a job.  

Leverage your staff’s ability to positively influence top candidates by sending representatives who are well-versed in—and enthusiastic about—the organization and its opportunities and career paths, and who can interact well with students. Prepare them for frequently asked questions, and caution your reps about steering students to the organization’s web sites for answers: Students may view this as lack of interest on the organization’s part. A representative who lacks an understanding of and appreciation for recruiting is bored, indifferent, or ill-prepared, and reflects these qualities onto your organization.