James Herbert - Brightsparks - September 24th

How to Attract and Select the Best

Graduate Talent

Recruiting graduates is all about attracting and spotting talent

• Lack of experience

• Lack of relevant networks

• A different approach is required

James Herbert (Managing Director - Brightsparks Recruitment)

• Directly employ thousands of students and recent graduates every year (over 9,000 to date)

• Unique insight into their skills and strengths

• Launch them onto and help them climb the first c. 5 years of the career ladder

• Fully outsourced campaigns

• Attract, support and invest in entrepreneurs who are students or graduates of the last 5-10 years

• World’s largest student business plan competition by entries

Attracting Talent… what are employers doing now?

• The average employer is actively marketing at 20 UK Universities– Careers fairs– Campus recruitment presentations– Online advertising

• Most graduate employers are increasing their emphasis on social media… many are getting it wrong!

• Screening applications is becoming increasingly difficult & time-consuming

• Many employers complain about a “Talent Shortage”

No… it is a disconnect between the employers and their desired candidates

How can we resolve this disconnect? • Jobs involve working with others face-to-face and building relationships in

the real world – your attraction & recruitment should reflect this

• Need to educate the target audience & stimulate conversation• Students and graduates do not live their lives through Twitter and

Facebook• People discover and discus their interests and careers in off-line, real

world conversations • Students then turn to Google to research• Only after this will they engage with you via social media, attend campus

career presentations and be responsive to advertising

• This is what we do: online and social media is merely a continuation of a conversation with our 9,000 employees and their wider network which began off-line… it works!

Case Study – Background:

Xchanging already had a successful Graduate Recruitment Campaign. However, it was:• Expensive cost per hire• Inefficient use of resources• Time consuming• Narrow talent pool• Risk of becoming out of touch

Simon Bishop

Global Head of Resourcing

Xchanging Plc.

• Attract top candidates from a wider pool• Excite candidates• Increase graduate population• Improve process• Make savings• Have a robust re-useable graduate recruitment model

Needs & Wants:

“Brightsparks Inside” Campaign

“Brightsparks In-Campus” attraction campaign & proactive candidate search

Initial application screening

Numerical and verbal reasoning tests

Video interviews

Shortlist of candidates

Assessment centre with

30 candidatesOffers

made & accepted

• Unparalleled network & experience within target demographic

• Year-round conversation - not restricted to the “milkround”

• Educate & inform of opportunities

• Peer referral and social proof

• Efficient screening & selection based on talent & fit

• Professionally run assessment centre

The Outcome

• Efficient & cost-effective campaign

• Excellent standard of candidates attending the final round

• Professionally run AC

• Graduate hiring needs successfully fulfilled

• Excellent feedback from the business

• Graduate intake has been increased and continues to be run in partnership with Brightsparks

To conclude…• Graduates lack relevant experience and networks

• The talent you are looking for is out there, but a different approach is required to find it

• Conversation and education holds the key to successful attraction

• Real world jobs are off-line and face-to-face

• Crucial to focus on the core soft and transferable skills… to recruit on personality, not experience