MENU

Session Details

 
Recruitment Innovations in the Virtual Space & the Impact on Underrepresented Talent
Description:
COVID-19 quickly and drastically impacted the college recruitment landscape. Traditional activities such as career fairs, on-campus interviews, networking events, and employer presentations quickly disappeared. These in-person recruitment activities were replaced by webinars, virtual meetings, and asynchronous workshops. Employers scrambled to create remote summer internship experiences for students and fall recruitment processes that would engage students in meaningful ways. Students struggled to navigate new systems and ways of connecting with faculty, employers, and one another. Universities and career centers had to adapt the ways in which they provided support and taught career readiness skills. While these changes were not easy, they have undoubtedly provided new opportunities for employers and universities to reimagine, innovate, and design new ways of learning and connecting. Many organizations were “forced to improve their online recruitment processes because of COVID-19” (McKenzie, 2021). Other companies expanded existing initiatives. Employers across industries remained committed to providing the same level of support and service, even while remote. Many recruiters expanded virtual office hours, engaged with student groups over Zoom, and partnered with career centers to support student skill development and career readiness. Thanks to the new products and tools launched by technology platforms, students, recruiters, and career staff were empowered to achieve their goals. Recruiting in the virtual space has received mixed reviews from students. According to survey data published by Handshake, “ 48.7 percent of responding students said they felt less intimidated about online interviews for jobs and internships than in-person interviews” (McKenzie, 2021).The survey also found that “52.2 percent expressed concern about their ability to effectively communicate from behind a computer screen. 44.5 percent of respondents appreciate the reduction in scheduling barriers that online interviews afford. But a slightly larger proportion of students, 52.8 percent, worried they wouldn’t be able to make as strong a connection with recruiters remotely as they would in person” (McKenzie, 2021). This panel explores the ways in which career centers and employers have pivoted to meet students’ needs during the pandemic. NYU, Citi, EY, and Maximus will share key changes and exciting innovations to their student engagement and recruitment practices. Each will discuss how they made genuine connections with candidates, what practices lead to the best ROI, and how these new strategies will impact their work moving forward. The panel will focus on ways they used data to drive decision-making, the impact of virtual recruitment practices on underrepresented students, and how they integrated feedback from students into the process in order to provide the most effective support and resources. Panelists will also highlight best practices and successful initiatives designed to help students build skills and empower authenticity in the virtual space, including programs like “Find Your Place,” “Crushing the Technicals,” “How to Make a Great Virtual Impression,” and more. Panelists will argue that the employers who have been most successful recruiting in the virtual space are those who took a user-centered approach and considered the needs of candidates every step of the way--especially the needs of underrepresented students. Research shows that “underrepresented groups are often disadvantaged in the process of recruitment” and, as a result, HR professionals across industries have adapted their processes and strategies to better identify and attract students from marginalized backgrounds (Osman & Thunborg, 2019). Panelists will discuss the ways in which their organizations have sought to improve the process and experience for diverse candidates, including students of color, first-generation college students, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, and veterans. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from case studies and engage in group discussions. Cited Articles: McKenzie, L. (2021, March 03). Students report mixed feelings about virtual job recruiting. Retrieved March 7, 2021, from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/03/03/students-report-mixed-feelings-about-virtual-job-recruiting Osman, A., & Thunborg, C. (2019). The challenge of Recruiting underrepresented groups – EXPLORING Organizational recruitment practices in Sweden. Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies, 9(1). doi:10.18291/njwls.v9i1.113085
Audience:
University Relations & Recruiting
Level:
Intermediate
Track:
Sourcing, Recruiting & Talent Acquisition
Type:
Panel Session
Main Speaker:
Tara Gemmel, Citi
Additional Speakers:
Ashley Lee, EY
Gracy Sarkissian, New York University
Rebecca Soto, Maximus