Ready or not, we are just a few short weeks away from college recruitment season being in full swing! Tightening job seeker markets necessitate that employers be creative in their approach. Here are three ideas for engaging with talent that are low-cost, yet provide big rewards!
1. Connect with Student Organizations. Identify the student organizations on local campuses that best fit your company’s industry sector. Looking to add to your sales team? Bring pizza to the colleges next NAMA (National Agri-Marketing Association) Student Chapter meeting and host a Q&A with club members. Maybe you’d rather spend time engaging with students who aren’t affiliated by professional interest. If that is the case, reach out to the Student Council, College Ambassadors or MANRRS chapter. If you’re not sure what clubs are hosted by the college or how to connect with them, reach out to the college’s career services office for some guidance and introductions. On that note…
2. Invite Career Services Staff and Faculty for a Tour. These individuals can be your most enthusiastic ambassadors. Students rely heavily on the advice from their campus mentors, so ensure you’re front of mind with these influencers. Inviting campus staff and faculty to tour your company’s location and engaging with them in an interactive way will let them experience first hand the environment workers experience.
3. Participate in the Careers in Agriculture Virtual Career Fair. Virtual career fairs allow you to connect with new and experienced talent who are actively looking for new opportunities. Another perk of a virtual fair is that you don’t have to spend time or money being away from your desk! AgCareers.com is hosting the Careers in Agriculture virtual fair on Thursday, September 5, from 11 am – 3 pm EST. But employer registration closes Aug. 28, so don’t wait: get signed up today!
Maternity or paternity leave–one of the few things in life we can typically plan for! There’s ample warning, but it can easily sneak up on you. It would be great if everyone could work ahead and have everything under control, but that’s not reality and often impossible. When you, or your employees, expect to take this parental leave, don’t wait until the last few weeks to wrap things up. Planning ahead before leave ensures you cover responsibilities and jump-starts a successful return to work later. This planning impacts all players on the team but falls into the hands of the employee taking parental leave, and their manager.
The employee and manager should meet a few months ahead of the planned leave. Develop a list of all current tasks and brainstorm who is completing what during parental leave. The easiest way to visualize this is through a chart or spreadsheet that can be shared as a Parental Leave Plan with other employees. Break down tasks into ongoing responsibilities and special projects. List at least four columns, including:
