AfterCollege Launches “Answers” Service to Connect Employers and Students

During their college recruiting campaigns, employers may dispatch a few recruiters to career fairs or other on-campus events to pique the interest of students. A meet-and-greet session kicks off, resumes exchange hands, and then the company booth is collapsed and tucked away until the next event. Career fairs are great ways to connect with job seekers, but they are often costly and require long hours of planning. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) 2009 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey, average costs associated with recruiting trips increased almost 3 percent on average, from $35,267 to $36,258.

AfterCollege, now celebrating a decade of connecting thousands of students with opportunities, has launched “Answers,” a unique social recruiting tool that taps into your existing human capital to bridge relationships between company and student. It’s is a fun, affordable way to mobilize more people within your company to begin a mutually beneficial dialogue with students. 

“Answers” starts by having your employees locate their alma mater on AfterCollege.com. They will be asked to join their relevant department or group career network and to update their profile with their current employer. With their identity established, your employees can begin answering questions posed by students within their career network.

From our vantage point, we’ve noticed that students have many job search questions but limited resources to get those answers. This tool provides a private, user-friendly forum for these queries.
“We created the ‘Answers’ tools as a great way for employers to stay visible on campus and strengthen ties with academic departments and groups,” Roberto Angulo, Founder and CEO of AfterCollege, said. “At the same time, interacting with alumni from their alma mater gives students an opportunity to prepare for the industry once opportunities start opening up.”

Employees can sign up to receive alerts when a question is asked. They also have the option of establishing themselves as a mentor who takes the lead in that particular career network. One question may have several answers, but a thumbs-up, thumbs-down feature floats the best answer to the top. The registration requirement ensures that all answers will be appropriate.

While this free tool can work in tandem with your current strategies, it’s also a unique recessionary recruiting tactic that enables you to keep relationships active, especially if your company has instituted a hiring freeze.  When recruiting begins anew, employers will have a pipeline of interested, involved candidates established. 

To begin piloting this service at your company, sign up with your alma mater at AfterCollege.com or contact .

Found in Employers