Running a business in Oxford whether you’re an accountant and tax advisor or any other business comes with many perks. There is a thriving business scene, a strong culture of entrepreneurship and a high business survival rate. Who could ask for more? Well, Oxford businesses can. On top of all that, there’s also access to the world’s top talent, graduating every year from some of the most prestigious schools in the country.
If you’re a growing business needing highly educated staff, a strategy for attracting Oxford’s top University talent should be on your agenda. Considering 91% of Oxford graduates secure jobs or further study within just six months after graduation, the time to attract them is while they’re still at school.
Here’s how.
1. Build relationships with University departments
Naturally, you can’t just go hand out flyers on campus, and you won’t find most students easily on LinkedIn. You need to start by building relationships with your local university’s department heads and recruiters. Through these connections, you can get to know about upcoming job fairs, industry talks and other events that give you a chance to meet potential candidates face-to-face.
2. Attend University events
Once you have your in, use it. Regularly attending University events allows you to build stronger relationships over time. Students may introduce you to their peers. They may ask for mentorship. You place yourself in a position to be a sought out contact. Rather than you chasing students, becoming a familiar face can help shift the dynamic to them chasing you.
3. Participate in University events
Beyond attending, try getting involved in events. Universities often host conferences and other industry events. Consider sponsoring these events, talking at these events or proposing your own event to get your company’s name out there and make a good impression on potential candidates.
4. Make use of internship schemes
Internships are a great way of getting top students involved with your company. Not only do internships help you to identify the best candidates, but they will also allow you to train them and ensure they have the right skills for when they graduate.
5. Offer Graduate training schemes
Graduate training schemes are becoming increasingly popular. They provide a great opportunity to give graduates a structured path to becoming fully qualified while also allowing you to develop your own in-house training system. Just be sure to also offer competitive salaries, job security, and career progression opportunities to sweeten the deal and highlight the long-term value of your program.
6. Use social media to connect with students
Social media is a great way of connecting with top University talent. It’s important to remember that most students use it as a casual platform, so you should consider this when crafting your messaging. Promote your company corporate social responsibility, culture and values and give them an insight into what working for your business looks like. You could also create content targeted towards students, such as guides to the career field and tips on preparing for job interviews.
7. Utilise online job postings
Once you’ve built up your profile with students, make sure you spread your job postings to your social accounts as well as the job boards. Ensure your job posts are optimised with the right keywords and phrases to attract the right kind of people. Although these graduates will be highly sought after, they will still be active in their own job search. You want to show that your opportunity is the best in the market.
A little time invested in your attraction strategy can go a long way to helping you secure the top talent coming through Oxford every day. For more insights about how to build a strong business in Oxford, check out The MGroup blog.