EARLY CAREERS
“We saw an 83% increase in applications - showing a real appetite for non- university options. And the quality of school leavers we’ve recruited so far is generally excellent, with exam passes and feedback on par with the graduates.”
Bridging the gap
For a start they need to consider a more holistic communications approach than an ad in the paper or on a job site. Last year, Ernst & Young launched their ‘Choose your path into business’ campaign, complete with targeted online advertising, schools-specific website content and an online game that culminated in five exclusive boot camps at EY offices. Amelia Donaldson, Employer Brand Manager, told us: “The increase in tuition fees signalled to us that there may be more people considering different options to build their careers. While for many university will still be the right option, we want to recruit bright people no matter when they choose to enter the work force. So, we designed our school leaver programme to complement the already established graduate trainee scheme. And we focused our campaign on giving students clear choices. “We saw an 83% increase in applications - showing a
real appetite for non-university options. And the quality of school leavers we’ve recruited so far is generally excellent, with exam passes and feedback on par with the graduates.” As a first step, Ernst & Young articulated an employment
The online game gave the campaign legs, raising awareness in more schools and in more locations across the UK – something brochures and leaflets couldn’t do.
proposition that was unique and appropriate to school students. It was about introducing their range of programmes to a younger, wider audience, while at the same time making it clear that they offer varied options for people looking to carve their own path. The online game gave the campaign legs, raising awareness in more schools and in more locations across the UK – something brochures and leaflets couldn’t do. And the gaming nature allowed people to understand Ernst & Young’s different routes without the ‘hard sell’ of an advertisement.
Some companies take what could appear as a more traditional approach and put people on the ground in community engagement programmes. Conducting in- school business games and building employability skills is invaluable to an academic landscape, especially given the decline in resource.
Mark Fawcett, CEO of the National Schools Partnership,
an organisation which specialises in the relationship between brands and the education sector, acknowledges the role companies can play. “Schools have an obligation to provide careers advice but now with less funding and support to do so. So they generally welcome external input but are even more enthusiastic if that support can assist with learning and development, rather than just provide careers information. To be successful in this, a business needs to take a long-term view. Developing relationships with teachers and those other sources of information for young people whilst delivering activities that engage and develop young people, will bring the successes they are seeking.”
Building a strategy With a high demand for careers information and advice, combined with economic uncertainty, the need for organisations to tread carefully and responsibly is paramount. If done correctly the organisational, reputational and commercial benefits can be significant. But what strategies do employers need to deploy to make sure any schools engagement activity hits the mark?
Here are five key areas to consider: 1 Understand your audience: Robust research is a ‘must’ to really grasp what drives behaviour and attitudes among younger schools audiences or you risk making expensive mistakes. To build a clear picture of how compelling a specific industry, career path or skill is to schools audiences, organisations need to develop a deep pool of insight, and carefully manage which schools to engage and how to build the right relationships.
2 Influencers matter: It goes without saying that it’s virtually impossible to talk directly to 15 year olds on the subject of non-university career choices. Parents, teachers, mentors, peer groups and online communities (such as The Student Room) all contribute to decision- making, with work placements and access to professions at a younger age all creating a clearer view of ‘work’ rather than ‘degree course’.
3 Keep it simple: Information for 14 to16 year-olds needs to be ‘bite sized’ and tailored to their study level, to help individuals – plus parents and teachers – to investigate different options. Gaming, video and online tests have a role to play here, but it can be hard work finding the right formula. Think meaningful, value- added ‘experiences’ rather than ‘marketing’ and break down longer career paths into manageable steps and pathways.
4 Get Interactive: Video, gaming and online interactive tests have a valuable role here - to demystify professional career paths and find alternative ways of sharing what it’s like to work within a specific industry, as we successfully demonstrated with Ernst & Young’s Pathfinder game.
5 Think industry, then brand: Although having a strong Employer Brand is important to talent strategy, younger age groups are unlikely to be as commercially brand aware. As new apprenticeships and non-university options emerge, school leavers and students will consider the wider ‘industry’ before they start searching for specific organisations. This calls for a more joined- up approach to marketing career paths in professions – rather than building a ‘collision course’ of competing companies all effectively targeting the same audience.
www.saslondon.com
GRADUATE RECRUITER 15
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