Insights

This upcoming recruitment season will be unlike any other. With many schools sticking with distance learning for the fall semester, employers will need to be more creative than ever in their campus recruiting, especially when it comes to events.

In a typical semester, students often used in-person employer presentations and career fairs not just as a way to find jobs or internships, but as a way to explore and understand industries and career paths; a RippleMatch survey found that 74% of students previously used in-person events as a career discovery tool. Another RippleMatch survey conducted in wake of COVID-19 found that 68% of students are applying to positions outside their preferred industry. That means as students apply for jobs and explore career paths, it’s important to showcase what your industry has to offer, even in a virtual setting.

With campus recruiting going virtual, students may be overwhelmed with emails, social media posts, and overall “Zoom fatigue.” On top of that, employers who are competing for top college talent will likely all be facing the same limitations in terms of technology, and many are still encountering a steep learning curve as they try to create engaging online presentations.

Internships are a great way to introduce promising students to your company while also providing valuable work experience, and this remains true for remote internships. In addition to day-to-day tasks, part of the internship experience is a range of engagement opportunities for the interns. Beyond the standard summer outings and after-work social hours which are now all being done virtually, the opportunity for interns to meet and hear from company leaders is one of the most important parts of any internship – and students know that. In fact, research from RippleMatch found that one of the top concerns of students taking part in remote internships is that there won’t be opportunities to forge strong connections with senior leaders. To mitigate these concerns and provide interns with a valuable and fulfilling summer experience, it’s important to go the extra mile to connect interns and senior leaders. Looking for ideas? Here are six:

As we enter the fourth month of coronavirus lockdown, Pride is looking a little different this year: parades, marches, parties, volunteer events – all cancelled. If your company typically has a full slate of activities planned throughout June to celebrate Pride Month, you might be scratching your head, wondering how to show collective support for your LGBTQ+ employees and broader community without in-person gatherings.

Most college students have spent the last few months of the semester finishing their classes online. Now, many of them will be launching their careers from behind a computer screen, too. According to the Navigating Entry-level Jobs & Internships During COVID-19 report released by RippleMatch last month, 46% of students said that their entry-level job or internship would be starting remotely. For most students, the switch to a remote work environment has not had a significant impact on their excitement about a new job.

COVID-19 has dramatically shifted college students’ summer plans, especially those who were planning to embark on internship programs. In early April, RippleMatch conducted a survey of 2,210 college students to learn the status of internship programs and entry-level positions that were slated to begin at the end of the academic year. Of the respondents who had secured an internship, 12% reported that their program had been canceled. However, most of these students had a nuanced take on the situation, especially how the change in plans affected their opinions of their would-be employers.

College students who, a few months ago, had secured a job or summer internship are now faced with a vastly changed world. The advent of COVID-19 means that students are beginning their careers with delayed start dates, remote work, or the disappointment of having their programs canceled. RippleMatch recently surveyed 2,210 college students to learn not only how their professional plans have changed, but also to understand the impact of how Gen Z now perceives their future or would-be employers based on the decisions companies made regarding commitments to jobs and summer internships.

Mid-May typically marks the start of a new influx of entry-level employees and interns into the workforce. But in the wake of COVID-19, students’ professional plans have been subject to delayed starts, a transition to remote work, or cancellation altogether. In early April, RippleMatch conducted a survey of 2,210 college students across 367 universities to determine the status of internship programs and full-time roles for today’s college graduates, as well as how these statuses vary by industry.