Download the full version of our 'Essential mid-season guidance for graduate recruiters' here.

With continuous advancements in technology and an even greater need to engage with the ‘Covid Generation’, being prepared with an effective hiring strategy for 2023/24 is more important than ever. Planning for the future will help you innovate and keep you ahead of the competition. 

Stay ahead with brand awareness

Taking part in events that provide learning opportunities for graduates will improve your employer brand - 95% of graduates believe employers should support them with upskilling. Educate potential candidates on their career pathway, the onboarding process and other aspects of the role. Several of our employer partners have taken part in our annual Internship Experience UK (IEUK), getting in front of over 140,000 students and graduates and sharing insights of their organisation, with over 10,000 secured roles from the event so far. 

The Times Top 100 annual guide to the UK’s leading graduate employers is another great way to elevate your employer brand, with students looking to the guide for recommended schemes both digitally and in the physical guide. 

Benchmark against your competition 

Keeping your finger on the pulse of the competition is important as you plan for next season. Performing an effective competitor analysis and reviewing the marketplace will widen your perspective, help you identify and capitalise on market opportunities and respond quickly to market changes. 

Assessing who your competitors are, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they are positioning themselves to potential candidates is key intelligence to help shape your attraction efforts. Your competitors’ online presence will be a good indication of how they are attracting top-quality graduates. Keep a record of their key employer touchpoints including: 

• How they communicate their brand values and mission
• Content and messaging style
• Social media presence 
• Commitments to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) 
• Brand positioning
• Review site ratings such as Glassdoor

How Bright Network can help: 

Brand awareness 

Increase your brand awareness with universities included in the Times Top 100 using our digital packages. Creating an email campaign to final year students studying at the universities taking part in the Times Top 100 interviews will keep your organisation at the forefront for students. Our campaigns are fast and easy solutions ready for you to implement, so you won’t need additional budget and the activity can support your campus tours if you’re running them. 

Make use of our pre-engagement, targeted messaging to further increase your brand awareness. Engaging members in authentic conversations on culture, opportunities and inclusive activities during off-peak seasons, is a softer approach to brand awareness, but still keeping your brand at the forefront for graduates before peak season. 

Benchmarking

Make use of the sector benchmarking capability in our Talent Tracker which allows you to compare key demographic performance with other leading firms, on both live and historical campaigns. Understanding the conversion rates, outliers and overall market trends of others in your sector will let you know where you are performing well and where there are opportunities for improvement.

Internship Experience UK

With IEUK, you’ll be able to run your own stream and conduct interactive sessions for members most engaged with your industry and roles. Across three-days, the virtual internship programme brings together students and graduates who are both confident in joining a specific industry as well as those who are undecided. IEUK provides the perfect opportunity to give clarity on the roles you have, share the opportunities and culture at your organisation, and engage in an interactive setting.

Use your remaining budget

As our digital campaigns are ready to implement within five working days, you can use your remaining budget to support brand awareness quickly and effectively, as well as our live data and insights to demonstrate ROI to your stakeholders.