How employers can engage with first and second year students

Employers can adapt their engagement strategies to appeal to first and second year students who may only just be starting to think about their career options

Prospects' Early Careers Survey found that many students don't actively take steps to engage with employers until their final year. For example, 51% of university finalists attended careers event such as a job fair in 2021 compared to 44% of first year students. 92% of survey respondents who spoke to industry professionals for careers advice also found them fairly or very helpful, suggesting that students get a lot of value out of employer interaction.1

This group may be more difficult to target as they aren't actively looking for graduate jobs, but engaging with them in alternative ways such as sponsoring events and offering placements/taster sessions will help you improve brand awareness, particularly if you're an SME. Students are drawn to brands they recognise, so building relationships with students through a mixture of in-curricular and extracurricular activities could help you secure the top talent when they come to graduate.2

Promote internships and work experience

Employers may have noticed that first and second year students avoid engaging with them if they are uncertain about their future career plans. Instead of focusing on graduate jobs, employers can promote their internships and work experience opportunities, and let these students know that they are a great way build their skills while they are still in the decision making process - they don't necessarily have to be about preparing for a specific job role.

Working with societies

First year students often join societies when they start university to connect with people who share the same academic and personal interests. Employers wanting to interact with these students could consider reaching out to relevant groups to see if they can sponsor any events or run networking sessions to increase their brand awareness. Not all societies will be useful to employers, but many professional societies exist that are full of passionate and proactive students with the skills and ambition that employers desire.

SME and careers services

HESA's Graduate Outcomes data showed that 35% of graduates (excluding those working in health and education who typically work for large organisations) were working for an SME 15 months after graduation. First and second year graduates who haven't been seriously considering their career yet may not have heard of many SMEs and the benefits of working with them. Working with local university careers services is a valuable way to connect with students and let them know what opportunities you are offering. Many are keen to work with SMEs, so it's worth contacting them to see what they can do and what free job advertising opportunities are available.3

Placements

Some university courses include work placements, especially vocational ones. This is a great opportunity to connect with students and teach them the skills needed to plug any skills gaps. Employers can also use placements to save on recruitment costs if they choose offer a student a position after graduation. There is a huge demand for placements in UK universities, and funding is often available through local universities or councils.4 

A study by AGCAS also found that students struggled to balance commitments such as university work and part-time jobs with careers events, with 48% suggesting they would engage with more careers and employability provision if they had the time. Embedding work into the curriculum could be a good way to reach students without the added pressure on them to find time.5

On-campus events

It appears as though demand for in-person events is increasing. The ISE's university steering group asked what students want from employers and it found that where possible, students want a return to physical events with more on-campus careers fairs and employer events. They expressed an interest in pop up stands and interactive events where they can have meaningful conversations with employers, rather than a lecture style event.6

Share your values

Students are becoming more value driven and take an interest in a company's environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG).7 Employers can share any opportunities they have taken to be more sustainable and publicise their values on social media profiles and at events, and work with any relevant societies. This is a good way to connect with likeminded students who will want to eventually work for employers whose values align with theirs.

Use inclusive language

AGCAS members involved in student engagement in careers and employability at a roundtable event mentioned the need for more appealing and accessible language for marketing careers and employability activities to students. Language around wellbeing is more attractive whereas words like 'careers', 'employability' and 'enterprise' don't feel relevant to students that don't have a particular career in mind.8

Employers wanting to market their events to first and second year students might therefore want to use phrases linked to confidence and wellbeing such as 'build your confidence with our taster opportunities'. Using accessible language could make students feel more inclined to engage with employers, especially if they lack confidence or don't have a specific career in mind.9

Notes

1. Early Careers Survey 2022, Prospects Luminate, 2022.
2. Universities explain what students want from employers this autumn, ISE, 2022.
3. SME Guide to Graduate Recruitment and Development, Gradconsult, 2018.
4. Ibid.
5. The opportunities and challenges of student engagement in careers and employability provision, AGCAS, October 2022.
6. Universities explain what students want from employers this autumn, ISE, 2022.
7. Ibid.
8. The opportunities and challenges of student engagement in careers and employability provision, AGCAS, October 2022.
9. Ibid.

Written by

Laura Greaves

Information analyst

Prospects