Virtual recruiting resources to engage students & grads during COVID-19

With COVID-19 upending how we regularly live and work, recruiting teams that have traditionally relied on in-person engagement to facilitate meaningful connections have been some of the hardest hit. And talent acquisition teams everywhere are now needing to level up their virtual recruiting approaches with virtual recruiting resources to adapt in this new environment.

The disruption we experienced during the onset of statewide shelter in-place (SIP) orders has begun to ease as companies return to a new type of business as usual. When SIP first began in March, we surveyed our employer community to evaluate how COVID-19 was affecting their hiring plans.

We found that 54% of employers were still evaluating its impact, waiting to make a decision on their full-time and entry-level graduate hiring plans. Less than a month later in April, that number fell seven points to 47%. With the rapid evolution of recent events, it's understandable that the month of March was a time for many to take stock, fully grasp the new situation, and determine which actions to take next.

Since employers are no longer visiting campuses in this environment, technology is emerging as a bellwether to help everyone build and maintain meaningful connections. Responses from a recent Handshake survey to employers confirms this, with nearly 6 in 10 telling us that they plan on increasing digital engagement, including virtual events.

Employers are now clearly and rapidly shifting their in-person strategies to all-digital approaches during one of the busiest recruiting seasons of the year.

A good example of the shift to digital is the higher number of employers listing and promoting their now virtual events on Handshake. Our network of higher education partners can share these events with their students, and in return, enable employers to track RSVPs as students sign up.

When we asked employers in a recent survey what they needed help with most in the transition from in-person recruiting to all-virtual, 67% said they needed support in hosting virtual events, such as info sessions, panels, and office tours. And more than half said that they needed help with creating meaningful connections with candidates.

Employers already know how to drive top talent to their open jobs and events—by proactively reaching out to candidates that fit their qualified criteria, enabling them to simultaneously create authentic and meaningful connections. What they may not be so sure of is how to achieve success in this endeavor.

In these rapidly changing and uncertain times, Handshake is here to offer support. Our mission has always been to help students launch meaningful careers, and we are committed to partnering with our full network of 500K+ employers, 900K+ universities, and 6M+ active students in building our future workforce during these changing times.

In response to the survey we cited earlier, we collaborated with our Premium partners—innovative enterprises, startups, and Fortune 500 companies—along with internal experts across our three-sided network to put together a list of resources to help you successfully stand out as you make the shift to virtual recruiting.

By putting these strategies into practice, you’ll learn how to deploy an all-digital plan of action that expands your talent network to include qualified and underrepresented talent in new regions and new schools, while recruiting entirely from home.

We hope that these resources will empower you to meaningfully engage early talent, filling your pipeline with qualified students who are eager to launch their early careers in the months and years to come. We'll continue updating this list with fresh content as it's released.

Rethinking Early Talent Hiring in the Era of COVID-19

Virtual recruiting resources to engage early talent during COVID-19

[Report] Rethinking Early Talent Hiring in the Era of COVID-19: What College Students Need Now

Discover how students are prioritizing their career search, effective ways to reach them, and trends emerging with early talent in the era of COVID-19.

[Blog] 3 Reasons to Support Early Talent through Meaningful, Project-Based Work

With companies continuing to re-evaluate hiring plans in light of COVID-19, more and more students are getting left out of the equation. If you’ve canceled or deferred your internship, learn how you can still support early talent through project-based work.

[Blog] 4 Steps to Conducting a Virtual Onboarding for New Hires

From giving your new hires what they need to be successful to inviting them to get to know your colleagues during virtual onboarding, we curated a list of employer best practices to help keep your culture a top priority and your virtual onboarding experience engaging, straightforward, and stress-free.

[Blog] An End-to-End Solution for your All-Virtual Fall 2020 Recruiting Season

COVID-19 has accelerated the shift from in-person to digital recruiting faster than ever before. That's why Handshake's building a virtual replacement for career fairs, events, and interviews to match you with the perfect candidates this fall 2020 recruiting season.

[Blog] Clever Ideas from SAS & Handshake's Virtual Internship Engagement Plan

Are you preparing to host a virtual internship? Get inspired by SAS & Handshake's events calendar and get inspired by ideas to keep your interns engaged this summer and beyond.

[Blog] When Will Campuses Reopen? Your COVID-19-Proof Fall Recruiting Plan

The fall 2020 recruiting season is bound to be unlike any other for employers, universities, and students. With schools exploring options for reopening, learn how to respond to those plans and meet the needs of students by adopting these strategies.

Handshake's Holistic Guide to Recruiting from Home

[Guide] Handshake’s Holistic Guide to Recruiting from Home

As you ease into new ways of working, learn all of the ins and outs of maximizing your success while working from home. Our holistic guide covers everything from setting up a productive workspace to engaging early talent entirely online.

[Guide] How to Host a Memorable Virtual Internship

In a survey of 1,000 students on Handshake, nearly 9 in 10 told us that they would prefer a virtual internship over a canceled one. Read all the details about what students want out of the experience.

[Guide] Hosting Virtual Recruiting Events

There are quite a few considerations that go into hosting a memorable virtual recruiting event, like how to identify the right hosts, select an optimal technology platform, and invite qualified talent to attend. Learn these comprehensive strategies for getting the most out of your virtual recruiting events this busy recruiting season and beyond.

[Guide] Personalizing your Outreach to Gen Z

According to Handshake’s Campus to Career report, 95% of students prefer engaging with employers that send personalized, proactive messages. Read this guide to improving your campaign messaging results, and borrow a few of our tried-and-tested templates to borrow for optimal outreach.

[Guide] Leveraging Ambassadors with Handshake Premium

Your ambassadors are a great way to create authentic experiences for candidates—connecting them with like-minded peers outside of your recruiting team. Learn how to engage your ambassadors with qualified talent using Handshake Premium.

The State of Early Talent Recruiting

[Webinar] The State of Early Talent Recruiting: How Employers, Students, & Higher Ed are Responding to COVID-19

This recent webinar featured a panel of experts from Goldman Sachs, Rutgers University, and Santa Clara University, to discuss trends, student needs and sentiments. You’ll gain a better understanding of what each side of our three-sided network needs in this evolving landscape.

We hope that you find these resources useful to you during this time. Further your knowledge by watching our on demand webinars that cover these topics and more.