15 tips for recruiting HR students other than through on-campus interviewing

Recruiting human resources (HR) students can be highly effective through methods beyond traditional on-campus interviews. One approach is partnering with universities and business schools offering HR programs to provide internships or co-op opportunities. These hands-on experiences allow students to develop practical skills in talent acquisition, employee relations, and HR management while familiarizing themselves with the company’s culture. By engaging students early, employers can create a talent pipeline of future HR professionals.

In addition, leveraging College Recruiter, LinkedIn, and other job boards can help employers reach HR students directly. Hosting virtual events like webinars, Q&A sessions, or workshops on HR trends can attract students who are looking to grow in the field. Virtual career fairs or mentorship programs are also valuable tools for connecting with HR students and building relationships that can lead to full-time positions. These strategies allow employers to engage with students on a broader scale, showcasing their commitment to developing HR talent without solely relying on traditional campus recruitment.

In the competitive landscape of recruiting top talent from colleges and universities, Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies need innovative strategies beyond traditional campus visits. We’ve gathered insights from CEOs, founders, and other industry experts to offer their top tips. From engaging through social media to being active on platforms like Handshake and LinkedIn, discover fifteen alternative recruitment tactics for human resources roles.

• Engage Through Social Media
• Partner with University Career Centers
• Offer Virtual Training Programs
• Collaborate with Career Influencers
• Utilize Targeted Online Ads
• Use Online Assessment Platforms
• Leverage Virtual Talent Communities
• Specialize with Early-Career Platforms
• Adopt Online Recruiting Tools
• Host Virtual Career Fairs
• Conduct HR-Focused Webinars
• Provide Internships for Diverse Talent
• Create Gamified Recruitment Experiences
• Implement Virtual Internship Programs
• Be Active on Handshake and LinkedIn

Engage Through Social Media

My top tip is to leverage social media platforms in a creative and engaging way. Social media, especially visually-driven platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn, is where many students and recent grads spend their time. By sharing content that showcases your company’s culture, values, and career opportunities through videos, infographics, and behind-the-scenes employee stories, you can capture their attention in an authentic and relatable manner.

Additionally, hosting live Q&A sessions or career fairs via platforms like Instagram Live or LinkedIn can provide a real-time, interactive alternative to on-campus recruiting. You can also create shareable content such as tips for breaking into HR, resume-building advice, or insights from current employees, which adds value and encourages engagement with your brand.

My advice is to embrace the power of social media’s visual nature to connect with students where they already are while fostering an authentic and approachable employer brand.

Melissa Pennington, CEO & Founder, HR On Demand

Partner with University Career Centers

Establishing strong partnerships with university career centers can be a game-changer for Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies looking to hire college students and recent graduates. University career centers are hubs of talent, offering direct access to students and alumni networks. These centers can distribute job postings and facilitate introductions, streamlining the recruitment process.

To make the most of this partnership, engage actively with career center staff. Offer to provide workshops, guest lectures, or informational interviews. This not only enhances your visibility but also builds credibility among students. When students see your organization contributing valuable knowledge and career guidance, they are more likely to consider you a top employment option.

Dr. Gregory Gasic, Co-Founder, VMeDx

Offer Virtual Training Programs

With traditional on-campus recruiting becoming less effective, many companies are now focusing on building virtual training programs that provide students with practical skills they can apply immediately. Organizations can build a talent pipeline without geographical limitations by offering internships or apprenticeships through online learning platforms, ensuring they reach top candidates globally.

I’ve seen firsthand how successful this approach can be. When we partnered with various e-learning companies, they gained exposure and fostered relationships with top university talent. It’s a win-win: Students get real-world experience while companies build a well-prepared workforce.

Christopher Pappas, Founder, eLearning Industry Inc

Collaborate with Career Influencers

My top tip for Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies is to create a “talent-scouting” network by partnering with career influencers and content creators on LinkedIn and TikTok who are popular among college students and recent grads.

These influencers have already built trust and credibility with their audiences, and they can organically introduce your brand as the go-to place for HR roles without the formality of a career fair or traditional recruitment.

By leveraging their reach and relationships, you can connect with top candidates who follow these influencers for career advice, making your recruitment efforts more authentic and targeted without ever stepping on campus.

Austin Benton, Marketing Consultant, Gotham Artists

Utilize Targeted Online Ads

Running targeted online ads can be a game-changer for reaching students and recent graduates. These digital natives spend a lot of time online, and platforms like Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn allow you to laser-focus your message. For instance, you can target ads based on specific universities, fields of study, or even interests related to human resources. This precision increases the chances that your job postings will reach the right eyes.

Here’s a practical tip: create ad content that speaks their language. Use visuals and messaging that resonate with young professionals. Highlight aspects of your company culture, growth opportunities, and any perks that might catch their attention. Keep it straightforward and engaging. Also, consider using retargeting techniques to keep your ads in front of people who’ve shown interest in your postings. With the right approach, online ads can effectively draw in top-tier entry-level talent.

Casey Meraz, Owner & Digital Marketing Expert, Casey Meraz

Use Online Assessment Platforms

Implementing online assessment platforms is a game-changer, especially when seeking top talent for HR roles without relying on traditional on-campus recruitment. These platforms, such as Codility, HackerRank, or Criteria Corp, allow employers to evaluate candidates’ technical skills, cognitive abilities, and personality traits right from the start. This method not only saves significant time but also ensures the selection of high-potential candidates from a vast pool.

A practical approach involves integrating these platforms into your initial application process. When candidates apply, provide them with a link to an assessment relevant to the role. For HR positions, this could include situational judgment tests, cognitive ability tests, and personality assessments. The results will give you a comprehensive view of the candidate’s suitability and skills before even conducting interviews. This early filtering ensures that only the most qualified candidates move forward, making your recruitment process efficient and effective.

Jessica Bane, Director of Business Operations, GoPromotional

Leverage Virtual Talent Communities

My top tip for Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies seeking to hire college students and recent graduates for HR roles is to leverage virtual talent communities and specialized online platforms. These platforms allow organizations to engage with students through targeted content, webinars, and project-based competitions that showcase the company’s culture and opportunities. 

This approach not only broadens the reach beyond geographic limitations but also attracts candidates who are actively seeking innovative and forward-thinking employers, aligning with the needs of the digital-native generation.

In addition, Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies should consider sponsoring student events, such as hackathons, case competitions, or leadership conferences. These events offer direct access to engaged, high-potential candidates while enhancing the organization’s brand presence within academic circles. 

Sponsoring such events allows companies to connect with students in meaningful ways, showcasing their commitment to innovation and career development, and attracting top talent who are already actively involved in relevant fields. This approach also bypasses the limitations of traditional on-campus recruiting.

Stijn van der Vat, CEO & Founder, Deepler

Specialize with Early-Career Platforms

My advice to Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies that want to hire students and recent graduates for their human resource-related positions without visiting campuses is to use online platforms like College Recruiter, which specializes in early-career opportunities. These ensure a diverse supply of eager candidates from every state at costs lower than on-campus recruiting. Targeted email campaigns can also be sent out to this demographic to capture their attention.

Gaby Alexander, Sales Director, SERPninja

Adopt Online Recruiting Tools

To hunt the best tech students and graduates, you need to know the habits of Gen Z, as this is the generation entering the workforce. They prefer doing everything online, including job searches. You will, most likely, find some profiles of matching young IT specialists sourcing various online platforms, from LinkedIn to Handshake and College Recruiter. 

If you want to shortlist your candidates, use those platforms to create a job opening, highlighting that you offer early-career opportunities. Then, review the incoming applications. If you consider applicants without commercial experience, pay attention to those who were engaged in pet projects, as they might be truly interested in their field of study. 

Sounds not too tricky, right? Yet, why are some companies not completely satisfied with the results of online hunting for tech talent? Online recruiting is not only about job posting. In 2024, I’d recommend you equip yourself with tools for easy hard-skill checks (aka Coderbyte, Codility, HackerRank, etc.) and an applicant tracking system for processing candidate info and scheduling interviews. 

Staffing firms that use HR software kill two birds with one stone: 1) They create a personalized candidate experience, as their systems “remember” all the interactions, and 2) they have streamlined data that simplifies comparing candidates and making decisions. You can follow their example or partner with them to get quality juniors and, along the way, strengthen your company reputation with good reviews about your hiring process.

Ann Kuss, CEO, Outstaff Your Team

Host Virtual Career Fairs

Considering my experience in recruitment for large organizations, the best alternative to on-campus hiring for HR can be done via digital platforms and virtual events. This allows companies to cast a wider net—reaching students of various universities at the same time—and reduces some of the costs involved with traditional recruitment methods.

Of particular success have been virtual career fairs and information sessions; such events allow for increased flexibility on the part of both the recruiters and the students. Complement this with specialized job boards and networks focused on college students and recent graduates. A couple of platforms offering suites of tools for connecting with young talent are College Recruiter and Handshake.

While recruiting for HR, there is an imperative need to outline skills-based hiring, focusing on problem-solving skills and teamwork rather than just academic credentials. Skills-based hiring attracts a diverse pool wherein candidates do not necessarily have traditional HR backgrounds but are skilled in the required parameters for excelling.

Not least of all, superior intern and development programs are a godsend. These provide not only experience to the students but also allow companies a sneak peek at how a potential full-time hire might perform in an actual workplace setting. By using these methods, an organization will be able to find top HR talent without relying entirely on traditional on-campus methods.

Shikha Sharma, Tech Recruiting and Business Growth Specialist, GoWide Solutions

Conduct HR-Focused Webinars

Hosting webinars or workshops on human resources issues is a creative method to attract fresh graduates and students interested in HR careers. These events can address topics like talent management, employee relations, and the future of work, giving participants useful insights while highlighting your organization’s expertise.

These workshops not only assist in portraying an organization as an HR thought leader, but they also allow one to interact with potential applicants more informally. This engagement can assist you in identifying individuals who are passionate about human resources and share your company’s values, making it easier to hire personnel who are both knowledgeable and ready to contribute to your organization.

Adam Wood, Co-Founder of RevenueGeeks, RevenueGeeks

Provide Internships for Diverse Talent

Human Resources isn’t always a “major” that students dedicate their studies to, so training is crucial if you want to attract and retain a diverse entry-level employee base. Internships are excellent gateways to not only provide real-life experience and support to your HR team but also a gateway to potential hiring. A key to opening the doors for students is not requiring specific prior experience (as it is entry-level!). With the right training and professional development, you’ll naturally attract top candidates who want to learn and grow within the industry.

Haley McNeel Drake, Resume Writer & Career Coach, The Career Revisory

Create Gamified Recruitment Experiences

Ditch the traditional on-campus recruiting fairs and think like a startup: go where students already are—virtually. My top tip? Create immersive, gamified online recruitment experiences. Design an interactive challenge or simulation that mirrors real-world human resources scenarios, like resolving a workplace conflict or designing an innovative employee engagement strategy.

Use platforms like Discord, Twitch, or even VR spaces where students and graduates already spend their time. Pair the challenge with incentives like mentorship opportunities, exclusive networking sessions, or fast-track access to interviews. Make it collaborative and open-ended to showcase candidates’ problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork skills.

This approach doesn’t just help enterprises move away from the noise of standard recruiting; it can also engage a tech-savvy generation in a way that resonates with them. It’s a dynamic alternative that aligns with how Gen Z thinks, connects, and works—and it will likely attract diverse, high-potential talent who might not attend traditional recruiting events.

Yogesh Kumar, Digital Marketing Head, eResource Scheduler

Implement Virtual Internship Programs

It is time for top companies to leverage “virtual internship programs.”

Why? Traditional on-campus recruiting always limits our potential hires to certain schools or regions. Virtual internships remove these barriers and give us access to a wider and more diverse pool of job seekers without geographical restrictions.

Last year, our new sustainability start-up tried a virtual internship. At first, we were unsure. But it turned out to be wonderful. We interacted with smart students from colleges globally, which we might have missed otherwise.

How may you do this? It’s very simple and easy. Start by creating virtual internships with clear structures and objectives. Set achievable goals for regular progress. This will encourage more interaction and let interns present their work. You can promote teamwork and use collaborative tools such as Google Drive, Slack, or Zoom to share information effectively.

The benefits of this virtual internship program are not limited to hiring but also let you see how candidates perform in real work situations. Moreover, when interns gain valuable experience, it reduces the risk of hiring someone who might not fit well in a future full-time role.

REMEMBER, this generation is digital. So, they can work flexibly and handle technology very well. By offering virtual internships, you’re showing that your company is adaptable and futuristic, not just searching for good talent.

Muqaddas Virk, Recruitment Specialist at Xero | Business Manager at Sustainability Jobs, Sustainability Jobs

Be Active on Handshake and LinkedIn

If a Fortune 1000 company or a government agency wants to hire college and university students, or recent graduates, and would like to do so alternatively to on-campus recruiting, I would start by being active on College Recruiter and others like Handshake. Most college students and recent graduates are very familiar with the platform and usually look for internships on that platform. You can also direct them to your LinkedIn pages. Encourage them to apply via LinkedIn, which will also empower them to create their own LinkedIn profile if they have not done so already. 

Because SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) specializes in human resources specifically, I would also consider partnering with them as well to help spread the word about opportunities within your organization. Everyone interested in the world of human resources touches SHRM in one way or another; so it would be a truly beneficial partnership to hold. Most graduates and undergraduates are online anyway, so you would most likely reach them faster using these methods.

Tonia D Benas, HR Manager, True North Companies