The graduate recruitment professional’s guide to making the right digital choices

The graduate recruitment professional’s guide to making the right digital choices

Posted: 08 December 2011

A summary from December's graduate breakfast event.

This week we welcomed over 70 graduate recruiters to the Andaz Hotel to discuss how to make the right digital choices. SAS's final breakfast of the year presented digital behaviour and market trends, with a specific look at how to make the most of digital content, evidenced by case study examples.

SAS identified the overwhelming evidence that graduate recruiters should have a social media strategy and talked through steps for developing a strategy for social media and mobile. Matt Alder, Futurologist at Metashift, spoke of key trends in the digital arena to help graduate recruiters shape and define their 2013 recruitment programmes and Orla Meade, Talent Attraction Specialist, Unilever UK & Ireland, presented a case study showcasing how they are using digital channels to bring their own campaign messages to life. 

With an increasing array of sophisticated digital platforms and phenomenal year on year growth of smartphones, SAS stressed the increasing importance of social media and mobile to graduate recruitment strategies. Complementing this, Matt Alder provided useful insights into how the landscape is changing for recruiters today, not least, the rise of the stay-at-home students. Both illustrated that digital marketing has evolved to the point that the relationship is key, with each person having multiple 'direct' and 'indirect' social links. Finding ways to interact within a variety of communities should be priority and achieving this in a way that creates constant activity, ever desirable. Debate, support and even gossip are all reasons to engage with the community as a whole. 

Of the straw poll conducted on the morning, a massive 88% believed that having a mobile solution needed to be part of their campaign and almost all agreed that Santa should bring them a bigger budget in order that they make this a reality!

During the morning, Orla Meade, Graduate Attraction Specialist, UK and Ireland, presented how Unilever have reinvented their current campaign talking through how, with the help of SAS, the message and content were re-engineered to address very specific business and audience needs. She showcased how digital content and channels were enhanced to bring the campaign message 'Learn business fast' to life (without breaking the bank). The key message was identified; this was a unique fast-track programme, high-powered learning and development, amazing business and brands, challenging work and a rich personal experience. Bright, business-like and progressive are words to describe the chosen campaign tone which makes use of brands front and centre.

Various forms of  collateral material have been produced under the same strapline 'Learn Business Fast' which encapsulate Unilever's Future Leaders Programme, and straplines have been adapted to suit a variety of different channels used to support the same core message. 

For example, the Facebook page adopts a 'By Grads, for Grads' message invites Facebook users to connect with graduates on the programme. The branding is consistent, links to the website, uses video and is consistent with on campus messaging.  

To hear more about this event/discuss its key themes in more detail, please contact Emma Sice.

• Tags:
• Breakfast Meeting, Digital, Graduate Recruitment