As large companies find that the features that once lured top candidates to big firms are no
longer considered attractive, they are returning to college campuses in search of the employees
they need to fill entry-level positions and to groom for greater responsibilities. But many employers
are finding that both today’s crop of graduates and the rules of the recruiting game are far different
than they were 10 years ago.
Just as employers’ needs have changed, so too have the desires and expectations of the
next generation of employees. Smart employers are adopting new recruiting strategies that not
only help them attract this new breed of employees, but also prepare the new recruits to be
productive in their first days on the job.
At Lotus Development Corporation, an interest in the college community as a whole is part
of an aggressive recruiting strategy. The company’s leaders believe relationships with colleges and
universities are the key to getting the best students in a tight labor market. To achieve that goal,
Lotus makes sure the company’s representatives are visible at symposiums and product seminars
on college campuses, and encourages executives to teach classes at universities where the
company recruits. “We actively cultivate relationships with professors and university departments
and show that we are truly interested in the students’ future,” says Eric Hutcherson, manager of
college relations. “To not do these things, to just be there when we need employees, would make
us appear disingenuous.”