GCCA | Graduate Careers Council of Australia

Graduate Careers Australia

ergo - Number 86 March 2002

Careers Centres Eager to Engage Employers

The following article is reprinted from the December 2001 issue of Spotlight (without US-specific content), with the permission of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, copyright holder. Visit the NACE website at www.jobweb.com

When the level of recruitment activity on campus decreases or ceases altogether as companies undergo periods of economic downturn, the response from universities is not always positive, with some US universities even threatening to deny companies access to students for periods of up to a year, and others requiring companies to sign written agreements that job offers will be upheld.

However, this attitude is not considered appropriate in the majority of universities, with some careers service personnel stating that denying students access to employers is unethical, and that expecting companies to continue to undertake recruitment activities when there are no jobs on offer is both unrealistic and misleading. Nonetheless, companies which cancel job interviews and other on-campus activities without appropriate notice or warning are looked upon unfavourably by most institutions.

Implications for Careers Services

A recent US study has yielded a number of recommendations for university careers services regarding the right approach to take with struggling employers. These include:

1. Encouraging recruiters to maintain their presence. This can be achieved through a number of methods, including sponsorship of university events or organisations, providing equipment and funds, or participating in employer panels and other activities.
2. Hiring employers who cannot afford visits should maintain contact with career centre job noticeboards.
3. Explain the damage a lack of presence can have to reputation. Reduced visibility through not attending job fairs can have an adverse effect upon the public perception of a company’s name and reputation.
4. Emphasize the importance of interviewing only when hiring. It is important to be upfront about campus visits which are purely for the purpose of information.
5. Aggressively seek employers’ help. Maintaining connections with employer organisations increases the university’s awareness of recruitment opportunities in other departments and elsewhere in the industry.
6. Encourage employers to use technology. It can be useful to send employers tips on using electronic systems for tracking, assessing and interviewing students.
7. Offer special promotions. Promotional tactics such as offering discounts to employers exhibiting in both virtual and physical job fairs can also be offered.

These measures all proactively encourage and assist employers rather than punishing them for taking economically necessary steps.