How Campus Recruiters Are Approaching the Fall 2021 Recruitment Season

There’s no doubt about it. We’re in a better place this summer than last. We know how to use Zoom, are pros at hosting virtual events, and may even have a return-to-office plan all set. Compared to the chaos we faced in the summer of 2020, there’s a lot to be excited about as we plan for fall recruiting this year.

But that doesn’t mean we have everything all figured out. While some companies are planning to resume in-person activities this fall, others are waiting for the last minute to book travel, or may even be planning for another season of fully virtual activities. 

If there’s one thing that 2020 taught us, it’s the importance of being able to adapt. That was the key theme we heard across the board when we brought campus recruiting professionals together for a roundtable with our friends at URx on the topic, Fall Recruiting: Planning a High-Impact & Strategic Season.

As we broke out into different discussion groups, we covered a number of topics, from hybrid recruiting to virtual internships. But one theme was persistent: in order to succeed in the changing campus recruitment landscape, you must be ready for anything. 

Here are some of the other takeaways from our discussion:

In-Person Events Are Returning, But Slowly

After a year of fully virtual everything, some companies are starting to add in-person events back to their schedule. However, unlike in years past when calendars would fill up with travel to events across the country, in-person events are making up a small percentage of most recruiters’ plans this fall. At some companies where travel is still banned indefinitely, recruiters haven’t added any in-person events to their plans. Others are only planning on attending in-person events locally, or are delaying their decision to the last minute when they may have more flexibility to travel.

For those who are attending in-person events, the focus is on high-value conferences and career fairs at schools where they have strong partnerships. With so many opportunities to host high-impact virtual events, companies are prioritizing in-person activities that have resulted in a high ROI in the past. Some smaller companies are also planning on attending in-person career fairs and conferences to help increase brand awareness, which can be challenging to do virtually. 

Focus on Targeted Virtual Events

One type of virtual event that most recruiters are planning to skip this year is online career fairs. Almost every participant said they saw much greater value in targeted events they hosted themselves, as they allow candidates to ask more in-depth questions about the company and its roles. Whereas career fair attendees tend to ask questions that could easily be answered by perusing the company career page, events like coffee chats and virtual office hours allow candidates to really get to know the organization and determine if they are a good fit for the positions they are interested in.  

For larger-scale virtual events, some roundtable attendees recommended partnering with other organizations in their industry for panels and workshops, as a replacement for generic career fairs. While it may seem counterintuitive to work with organizations hiring for the same types of roles, these events allowed the teams to really speak to the benefits of their industry, and enabled them to target a larger number of talented candidates than they would have been able to attract on their own. These events, along with executive and Employee Resource Group-led panel discussions, resume workshops, and general information sessions were all very popular virtual activities that companies are planning on continuing with in 2021.

Internships—Virtual or In-Person?

Companies were split on their plans for future internship programs. While some were still deciding on their plans for this fall and beyond, others have already switched to a fully in-person format. Several participants shared that they are planning to keep their internships virtual through the spring, or will give their interns the choice of working virtually, in-person, or a combination of the two. 

Interestingly, recruiters at different companies had completely opposite experiences with intern preferences for virtual vs in-person programs, seemingly without reason. At some companies, interns chose not to visit the office at all, even when given the chance to come in only when they felt like it, and sometimes even after initially expressing interest in visiting the office. At others, interns tried to sneak into the office even when they were supposed to be virtual! These differences did not seem to be dictated by industry, location, or role. Moving forward, recruiters cited the need to have a firm understanding of intern preferences ahead of the programs, to avoid these types of surprises.

One significant benefit of virtual internships was the ability to invite more diverse candidates who would not have been able to attend in person. Companies that experienced this change also saw an increase in internship applications in general. Overall, they were thrilled to be able to work with students from colleges they had never previously recruited from, who came from much more diverse backgrounds than past intern classes. Although there are some logistical challenges with keeping internships fully remote or turning them hybrid, some roundtable participants are hoping to keep the virtual component even when their companies return to the office, in order to continue recruiting more diverse groups.

Virtual Recruiting Increases Diversity Hiring

It wasn’t just the virtual internships programs themselves that allowed campus teams to reach more diverse groups—virtual events and virtual recruitment in general made a big impact. By intentionally sourcing students and holding events online, companies were able to meet students from schools all across the country, many of which they had never previously recruited from. In fact, some recruiters said they don’t plan to return to their core schools at all in the future, as they’ve realized how much more top, diverse talent they’re able to reach virtually. Instead, they’ll focus their in-person recruitment efforts on targeted events and conferences where they can work towards fulfilling specific goals. They also plan to develop or deepen relationships with partner organizations to help them reach diverse talent across the country. 

Moving Forward

Overall, it’s clear that there are still a lot of questions as to what campus recruiting will look like in Fall 2021 and beyond. One thing that’s for sure, is that virtual events and virtual programming are here to stay. What a hybrid recruiting landscape will look like in the future is likely different than it looks today, with in-person events just beginning to be added back to the calendar. But with recruiters’ ability to adapt, they’ll be ready to meet whatever challenges and changes come their way.

Are you a recruiter facing the uncertainty of the upcoming hybrid recruiting season? Not sure where to start with your planning? Check out our tips to plan for this fall season.