Hybrid recruiting

Employers

Tips and trends for modern recruiting

Find the talent you’re looking for

Understanding where students, recent grads, and alum are going after they graduate is critical for developing the best strategies to recruit them.

While some locations may experience faster or slower growth year-over-year, the total number of applications submitted to jobs in a given city is still a strong indicator of where students are most interested in living and working after graduation.

Handshake looked at platform data from August 2023 to August 2024 for applications to full time roles. Through this analysis, we used total application volume to determine candidate interest in locations across the US.

With virtual recruiting expanding access to opportunity, particularly for students from underrepresented backgrounds, you can now meet qualified talent outside your backyard.

Consider these 3 key takeaways as you scroll:

1. Use data to inform your location strategy.

2. Adjust your core school strategy.

3. Attract more qualified candidates with a hybrid strategy.

Which cities receive the most applications from students and recent grads?

Big Apple, big interest 🍎

New York City alone accounted for 10% of all applications across the US. What’s more, over the last year, New York City received twice as many applications as Chicago, the next most popular city.

Regionally, New York City continues to be a top 3 city for applications for candidates in the South, West, and Northeast.


Top 15 cities with the most applications in the US

The top 3 locations receiving the most applications from students have remained steady since last year: New York City, Chicago, and Washington, DC. There has been some decline in applications to locations that are major tech hubs, like San Francisco, Austin, and Seattle. 

There are likely a number of factors influencing this trend, including the combined impact of ongoing tech layoffs and rising cost of living in these cities, in addition to new grads' desire for job stability. Layer on that now, tech jobs aren’t limited to tech hubs or the tech industry, and opportunity opens up across locations and industries too.

Are more applications submitted in state or out of state?

77% of applications are submitted out of state

In 2023-2024, 77% of applications, on average, were submitted to jobs outside candidates’ current states.

What does this mean for talent attraction? Recent grads are flexible and are willing to relocate for the right job. The majority of applications are submitted out of state which demonstrates how early talent today does not necessarily attend school in the same area where they plan to work. The most qualified talent for your roles might not be located where you expect.



How do in state application patterns vary by state?

In general, the share of applications submitted in-state is strongly correlated with in-state job availability, but there are some notable exceptions.


Students in some locations are significantly more likely to apply to in-state jobs. California has the highest share of in-state applications, at 37%, closely followed by New York and Texas at 35% and 31% respectively. At the other end of this spectrum, only 2% of applications from students in Maine, and just 4% of those from students in Wyoming, are submitted in-state.

Although the share of applications submitted in-state is highly correlated with the number of in-state jobs available, there are some exceptions. For example, Alaska has a close-to-average share of applications submitted in-state, despite lower-than-average job availability.

What do regional job application patterns look like across the US?

Understanding where candidates are interested in working is top of mind for many, as employers often partner with Handshake Insights for guidance on location strategy. But no matter where you're based, you have an opportunity to attract top early talent with a national strategy.

Which cities are candidates in the Northeast applying to?

Of all applications from students and recent grads at schools in the Northeast, 77% of applications were to jobs in that region. Despite the density of cities in the region, New York City is the top city drawing applications in the Northeast, accounting for 41% of all applications.

Top 15 cities college students and recent grads in the Northeast are applying to: #1 New York City #2 Boston #3 Washington, DC #4 Chicago #5 San Francisco #6 Dallas #7 Philadelphia #8 Atlanta #9 Los Angeles #10 Baltimore #11 Seattle #12 Houston #13 Austin #14 San Jose #15 Minneapolis

Which cities are candidates in the Midwest applying to?

Of all applications from students and recent grads at schools in the Midwest, 59% were to jobs in the region. But Chicago is the main draw: 22% of all applications from candidates in the Midwest are submitted to jobs in Chicago.

Top 15 cities college students and recent grads in the Midwest are applying to: #1 Chicago #2 New York City #3 Washington, DC #4 Dallas #5 Boston #6 Detroit #7 Minneapolis #8 San Francisco #9 Atlanta #10 Columbus #11 Los Angeles #12 Indianapolis #13 Cincinnati #14 Houston #15 Naperville

Which cities are candidates in the West applying to?

Of all applications from students and recent grads at schools in the West, 68% were to jobs in that region. Unlike other regions, a single city did not capture a sizable share of applications. Student location interests from those in the West were more varied with Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City each accounting for 15% of all applications.

Top 15 cities college students and recent grads in the West are applying to: #1 Los Angeles #2 San Francisco #3 New York #4 San Jose #5 Chicago #6 Washington, DC #7 Phoenix #8 Seattle #9 Irvine #10 San Diego #11 Dallas #12  Boston #13 Atlanta #14 Sacramento #15 Denver

Which cities are candidates in the South applying to?

Of all applications from students and recent grads at schools in the South, 28% went to jobs in that region. New York City again was the top city drawing applications from candidates in the South, accounting for 25% of all applications.

Top 15 cities college students and recent grads in the South are applying to: #1 New York City #2 Dallas #3 Atlanta #4 Washington, DC #5 Chicago #6 Austin #7 Houston #8 Boston #9 San Francisco #10 Tampa #11 Charlotte #12 Los Angeles #13 Miami #14 Denver #15 Raleigh

Three key takeaways & next steps

While you can draw inferences for your specific location, hiring needs, and strategy, the following recommendations can help you get started on updates you might want to make:

1. Use data to inform your location strategy.

The case for employers to source candidates nationwide is strong: candidates are keeping their options open beyond their current location. Leverage Handshake data to uncover qualified candidates for your roles and use more modern sourcing strategies to engage them.

2. Adjust your school strategy.

This data shows that candidates are more open now than in the past to applying to locations beyond where they attend or attended school. Why limit your recruiting strategy to partnerships with schools that are local? Engage top talent regardless of their school’s location.

3. Attract more qualified candidates with a hybrid strategy.

Leverage hybrid tactics to engage candidates outside of your traditional parameters. For example, host virtual events with schools outside your region, use messaging Campaigns to promote your brand and job opportunities to targeted cohorts of students, and maximize ROI by going in person to a select number of campuses that are strategic for your business needs.

Talent is everywhere

The data in these charts, maps, and graphs can help you make informed decisions about where, how, and whom you’re recruiting for entry level roles at your organization.

From finding the right school partnerships to attract the talent you need, to learning how you can use Handshake to expand access to opportunities for students who might not be where you typically look for them, you can use this data to inform your early talent programs.

Want more data-driven insights about early career talent? Head to the Handshake Network Trends hub for the latest reports on what students want, industry impact, and thought leadership to evolve your talent attraction strategy and hire the future.

Methodology

The total number of applications submitted to jobs in a city gives us a sense of candidate interest in working in that location. Throughout this analysis, we use total application volume to determine candidate interest. Charts in this analysis represent Handshake application data from 8/2023—8/2024.



Where are college students going after they graduate?

Virtual Recruiting

The past few years have put recruiters on a wild and unpredictable seesaw ride. Prior to the pandemic, recruitment strategies favored in-person career fairs, interviews, and events.

But when college campuses (and the entire world) shut down, the seesaw majorly shifted. Seemingly overnight, employers had to change entirely over to virtual recruiting events.

You now know it's beneficial to offer the convenience, accessibility, and reach of virtual recruiting; but you also know the strength of connections you can make on-campus.

Now that in-person recruitment opportunities have made a comeback, employers are left to figure out how to strike a balance with a solid hybrid campus recruiting strategy.

What exactly is hybrid recruiting?

Hybrid recruiting is a custom blend of both both virtual and in-person strategies to connect with, engage, attract, and convert talent.

It means that you strategically allocate your resources and recruitment efforts—the events you host or attend, interviews, and the other ways you communicate with candidates—so that you're offering candidates both virtual and in-person ways to engage.

By striking a balance between online and on-campus, employers, students, and school partners can reap the benefits of both methods—the high touch and high conversion of face-to-face interactions and the convenience and wider reach of virtual recruiting events.

Here’s the good news about this “best of both worlds” approach: It’s likely something that you’re already doing to some degree. But as with anything, there’s a difference between doing it and doing it well.

Meet early talent where they are: why hybrid recruiting matters

In-person career fairs are making a triumphant comeback. Handshake platform data found that 93% of employers went to career fairs in-person during the fall 2023 recruiting season. But that doesn’t mean that virtual career events are a relic of pandemic times. In fact, in fall 2023, 43% of hiring events were virtual.

Hybrid recruiting allows employers to meet the expectations of students and increase attendance for their events. But beyond those two big advantages, there are a few other compelling benefits of maintaining hybrid activities in your campus recruiting strategy:

Build a more diverse applicant pool: DEI is a pressing priority for most organizations. A hybrid approach makes your organization and your opportunities more accessible to all types of talent, especially since students of color show a strong preference for virtual recruiting. 

Expand your reach and boost brand awareness: Even if you wanted to, you simply can’t make it to every college campus. Complementing your on-campus recruiting with virtual efforts provides outlets for other interested students to connect with your organization—even if you don’t have a strong campus presence at their school. When students are increasingly applying to more diverse locations—79% of 2024 graduates are willing to move to a different city for the right job or opportunity—it’s a strategic way for you to broaden your reach and build brand awareness.


Reinvent your approach: Particularly for more traditional industries that are slower to change, the sudden shift in the working world provides an opportunity to experiment and modernize your strategy. That’s especially crucial as non-tech companies compete to snag some of the top tech talent on the market. Plus, getting more deliberate with your resources can result in cost and time savings.

Combine those notable benefits with candidates’ expectations to be able to engage both virtually and in person and you reach this conclusion: Hybrid recruiting is no longer a competitive advantage to secure qualified talent—it’s a non-negotiable necessity.

Putting your hybrid recruiting strategy into practice

Now that you have a solid understanding of hybrid recruiting: How do you not just do hybrid recruiting but actually do it right?

There isn’t one default framework for building your hybrid strategy. If you’re still scratching your head, we have a few steps to help you get started on building a hybrid campus recruiting strategy that strikes the perfect balance.

1. Expand your school strategy

Hybrid recruiting opens the door for all types of early talent to build familiarity with your organization—whether you have an on campus presence at their school or not.

Adjust your school strategy so that there are some schools where you have primarily in-person engagements, some where you pursue a hybrid approach, and some that are virtual-only.

Remember, your hybrid recruiting strategy can’t just swing the door open for talent—it needs to actually invite them to step through it.

Your school strategy will help you approach your career fairs and events strategy.

2. Determine your career fairs and events plan

The reality is that in-person fairs and events will likely demand more of your time and resources than their virtual counterparts. So it can be helpful to plan those out first as the cornerstone of your strategy, and then build in virtual opportunities around them.

A solid approach to hybrid campus recruiting will incorporate other types of employer-sponsored events too—both virtual and in person. Examples include:

Hands-on learning workshops

Hackathons, pitch days, or other competitions

Informative panels, seminars, and Q&A sessions

Low-pressure and informal social events

Office hours and other chances for one-on-one chats

As you plan out which teammates will represent your company at fairs and events, keep in mind that you don’t have to only send recruiters or members of the hiring team. Leveraging alumni, ERG members, company leaders, interns, or other early talent as advocates can help you establish even deeper connections with students who are eager to learn from people who have been in their shoes before.

3. Foster and maintain relationships virtually

Gen Z and early talent actually see a lot of value in virtual connections. A Handshake survey found that 61% of students say they prefer to attend a mix of virtual and in-person events, compared to 33% who prefer to attend only in-person events.* Whether you’re hosting events on campus, online, or both, you need a plan to foster those connections before and after—most of which will likely happen virtually.

For example, before career fairs or other recruitment events, you can:

Personally invite students to your booth

Send a messaging campaign to invite students to follow you on Handshake

Aggregate questions from candidates to answer live

And following the fair or event, you can nurture those relationships virtually:

Follow up with qualified candidates and move them to the next stage quickly

Provide additional information you mentioned during the event

Keep them updated on new roles and company happenings

Introduce them to advocates or like-minded peers so they can get a first-hand impression of life at your company

It’s hard to substitute the sense of familiarity and connection you get from face-to-face conversations and in-person recruiting. But you also can’t overstate the diversity, accessibility, and convenience of virtual efforts.

Benefiting from the best of both worlds

A deliberate hybrid recruiting strategy is what helps you balance the seesaw and reap the benefits of both virtual and in person recruiting. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find the approach—or combination of all of the approaches—that works best for your organization. The power of hybrid is its flexibility for early talent, and for you.

Remember, students are exploring career opportunities both online and in person. That means your organization needs to be present and actively engaged in both places too—or risk losing out to your competitors with recruitment strategies built on what students want.

Talk to Handshake for more suggestions on building your hybrid campus recruiting strategies.



* Handshake survey, August 2023 | N = 1,068

Hybrid recruiting

Where are college students going after they graduate?

Virtual Recruiting

How to build a hybrid campus recruiting strategy