New Additions to the Crew: How We Built a Unique Campus Recruitment Process

As a young company, we at Hevo had only been recruiting laterally for a while. However, we soon realized campuses' vast potential as a powerhouse for talent. Hevo has been conducting campus placement drives at various colleges across the country for just over a year. There are a few main reasons we decided to pick up this initiative and saw college students as the best candidates to take up the torch of our journey-

1. Fresh Knowledge — Freshers are often much closer to the technical or theoretical knowledge required in a role. They are fresh and polished, having explored various technical concepts as a part of their curriculum, and would not have muddied the waters with years of tasks and processes at multiple companies.
2. Eager to Learn — Freshers would not be stuck in an old, tried and tested way of doing things or become enmeshed in their routines. They are often willing to learn as much as possible and absorb company values. This means that they are much more receptive to the training we would give them and come up with new ideas and new approaches to their work.
3. Beginning of Career — Employing freshers is cost-nominal to us as employers, as freshers are just starting their careers which would mean that there is a lower compensation expectation. Of course, their upward trajectory within the organization could also be immense, and so could their compensation! The potential for growth as freshers is always tremendous and wholly depends on the individual's work.

Throughout the months of conducting this campus recruitment process, there are a few essential points that I, as a recruiter, have learned along the way. In this blog, I wish to share these nuggets of knowledge in the hope that growing companies can approach the blossoming talent on the campuses to bring the best candidates, and hence the best results for all those involved!

Tip 1: Map Traits to Tasks

Before starting the recruitment process, it is essential to develop a detailed job description for the role you are looking to recruit for and then map this to the specific traits or characteristics you are looking for. These could be specific skills, like knowledge of a programming language or good presentation ability, or general ones that you look for across your organization, like communication skills. For us at Hevo, for example, we look for all employees to have basic technical knowledge so that they have the ability to understand our product.

Once you are confident that you have a distinctive list of skills you want to test, the next step would be to construct your tasks around these very traits. There is no need to stick to a particular format- in fact, make your tasks as unique and varied as you can. This brings us to the next tip.

Tip 2: Personalize the Process

While many large companies may have fixed processes involving particular stages, it is not necessary to emulate them! Each company must personalize the campus recruitment process to fit them best, and that is more important for growing ones like Hevo. Not only is it essential to focus on the tasks that bring out the best of the specific traits you are looking for, but having such a process would also communicate to the candidates what type of organization you are and what kind of individuals you welcome.

For example, many companies have an online aptitude or technical test that acts as a filter in the first round. However, we realized that rather than an impersonal set of MCQs, a written task where candidates have to gather information and then answer questions often helps us understand which candidates can understand concepts, draw insightful conclusions, and display good communication skills while letting the candidates have a voice as well!

It is essential to keep the candidates engaged with the process through all these unique tasks. A crucial point to keep in mind is explained in our next tip.

Tip 3: Keep it Quick

Campus recruitment season is often a fast-paced and stressful time for all involved. Futures are hazy and uncertain in one week, while an offer from a dream company has been received the following week. It is essential to start and wrap up the recruitment process as quickly as possible; candidates often find themselves in a rat race of an environment. Even though your company's offer may suit them better, they would feel stressed and compelled to accept the first offer they receive. This means that the panels and the correction team must be aware of the time-sensitive nature of their feedback.

Besides this, it is also essential to keep the college POCs in the loop about the nature and length of your process. Sometimes, when unfamiliar with the process, recruiters may look to the individual colleges to provide a structure for them. This can turn chaotic very quickly, as it is not feasible to have 20 different formats for 20 different colleges you are visiting. Make sure you have a good plan in place beforehand. You can also learn as you go during this process, which brings us to the next tip.

Tip 4: Iterate and Improve

In the beginning, there will always be challenges and mistakes along your path. Make sure to revisit your previous recruitment processes to ensure that you learn from and build upon these. Make sure you visit the colleges where you have received the best candidates and focus on these rather than spending time where the needs of students may be different from what you can offer. Additionally, spend some time understanding the positives and gaps in your tasks from the last time. This knowledge can help you streamline your process further and find the real gold.

However, gold needs to be polished and moulded for us to see its real beauty- make sure you follow the next tip to create the best!

Tip 5: The Trick of Training

Freshers will always need more in-depth training than experienced folk, and it is our duty to ensure that they receive it. At Hevo, we have a well-structured onboarding process. On the first day, new joiners are introduced to their new 'buddies' who will act as mentors within the organization. This relationship will grow to become a powerful one with mutual responsibility and growth. Slowly, the joinees are introduced to their team in a very casual and welcoming setting. The next few weeks are involved in learning in-depth about Hevo, our product, our work culture, and what the role would entail.

Since freshers often do not have any real previous work experience, it can sometimes be the case that they do not understand the actual work involved when they read a job description. In some cases, they may feel a disconnect between their expectations and reality. It is vital to help them find a balance in such a scenario. We always encourage our employees to pursue the area where they feel that they can excel. Even personally, I was involved in both the organic growth and recruitment side of things before I discussed with my mentor and decided to focus on recruitment, where my passion lies. As a first job experience, it is up to Hevo to ensure that they have a very positive and fulfilling experience. The more we put in, the more the employees would also give back.

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Campuses are an absolute powerhouse of talent, full of students who are skilled, motivated, and eager to learn. It is not just MNCs and large, established companies that can gain from this talent, but growing companies too. Some of the freshers we recruited even a year ago have succeeded so well to have taken on leadership roles at Hevo; it is merely a question of good training, trust, and the effort put into an excellent recruitment process that will truly attract the best candidates for your company.