Recruitment software with a human touch hireserve.com | 0844 324 5027 | @hireserve

What does the phrase ‘graduate recruitment’ conjure up for you? Is it the hustle and

bustle of careers fairs? Or what about jostling for space and attention on job-boards?

For SME employers, perhaps it’s the fear of how you’re going to stand out to graduates when you’re surrounded by larger, more visible organisations, complete with their big budgets, banners, and that obligatory free branded pen.

Collaborating with your local University could alleviate some of these concerns. We’re increasingly seeing the gap between the skills that employers need and those which graduates possess widen. Business and academic collaboration is a way to bridge this disconnection as businesses and course leaders can work together to start shaping graduates’ industry knowledge and essential soft skills.

But back to your graduate recruitment challenges. Why might your local University be your perfect match?

The talent pool…

University departments have a veritable ocean of talent at their fingertips. Opening up a conversation with your local academic establishment can help them to understand what kind of skills and knowledge you’re seeking for a particular role.

Department leaders and lecturers can promote your opportunities to their students, as can the University’s Knowledge Transfer Centre (KTC), if they have one. This in turn can strengthen your reputation as a reputable graduate employer, and offer you much needed visibility in the graduate market.

Recruitment software with a human touch hireserve.com | 0844 324 5027 | @hireserve

The Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme…

If you have a specific commercial project in mind and would like a graduate to help you deliver this, your local KTC could support you with a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme.

Supported by an experienced academic team, it’s a low-risk and cost-effective method of recruiting a graduate, whilst also equipping you with the resources and knowledge to get a project off the ground that could open up new markets for you or launch a new product development.

The networking opportunities…

Connecting with your local University can provide valuable networking opportunities.

From talking to other businesses who have benefited from academic-business collaboration to unearthing potential new partners or customers, many Universities are active in inviting their business partners to networking events.

Opening doors for graduates…

Academic-business collaboration can present a wealth of graduate recruitment opportunities for employers – but let us not forget the graduates themselves.

Connecting with your University could offer opportunities for graduates to encounter businesses they otherwise might not have heard of – and to learn about the roles that might be open to them.

As a business leader, there might be opportunities for you to present to students, or to contribute to a careers talk. You or members of your team could become aspirational figures to students, opening their eyes to what is needed to embark successfully into the world of work. Sharing experience of your own career path can be hugely valuable to young people.

Longer term, collaborating with your local university could present the opportunity for you to work with course leaders to shape course content which has specific knowledge or soft-skill training embedded within it, which in turn will enhance their employability skills.

When businesses and universities collaborate…

…it can transform opportunities for graduates and for SME employers alike.