Background

In early 2014, several employers  were surveyed regarding recruitment trends and student engagement at Dalhousie. The results were compiled by Lori Bauld and Ally Howard from Management Career Services and presented during the National CACEE conference in May 2014. What they identified were several recruitment trends and engagement strategies students can utilize to ensure they are connecting with employers to their full potential! Use these tips as you develop your next career opportunity:

Use Social Media to your Advantage 

Social media  usage has sky-rocketed in the past decade. Now, almost every student interacts with some form of social media, but did you know that employers are active online as well? Last year an impressive 78% of employers stated that they recruited through social media with LinkedIn being their social media of choice (94%) based on its professional reputation and ability to post job opportunities (Jobvite, 2013). Employers don’t just use social media to post jobs, they use  popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to screen an impressive amount of student candidates.

What are employers  looking for on social media? Essentially any red flags or positive reinforcement that may influence their hiring decision. The entire process (including what qualities employers are looking  for), can be summed up in this clever video from Artellonline.

Develop the Skills Employers Want

Before employers begin screening the social media presence of their candidates , they know what type of student employee they are looking for. In a recent Dalhousie survey, employers stated that communication skills, teamwork, and accountability were their three highest valued traits in potential candidates. The full list of traits and how employers ranked them can be found in the graphic below:

 

Connect with Employers on Campus

In addition to connecting through social media and other online platforms, employers regularly seek ways to personally interact with students on campus. In the case of  Dalhousie’s Faculty of Management , this includes development activities such as corporate tours, workshops, and  case competitions. Students who participate in these opportunities stand to gain professional skills and connect directly with the employers who are active in on-campus activities. Ultimately, employers will notice you if you are making an effort to be involved with their engagement activities.

Gain Student & Employer Insights

If you’re still not sold on these recruitment strategies and trends, view the following testimonials  from an actual Dalhousie student and student employers on the recruitment and student engagement process:

Andrew Quinlan: Student Insight

Samantha Whitehall: PWC, Talent Aquisition Specialist

Bruce Smith: Scotiabank, Senior Manager