It’s no secret that COVID-19 has drastically changed recruiting overnight. Social distancing measures have made remote work the new norm, businesses are facing difficult decisions about how to adapt and survive, and recruiting teams are scrambling to implement virtual recruiting tactics so that hiring processes won’t be interrupted. 

Maybe you’re already a virtual recruiting pro. Or perhaps it’s something your company has always considered, but kicked down the road for when the time is right. Wherever your company stands, the future of recruiting has always included a virtual component — COVID-19 just got us there a little faster than we may have expected. Ready or not, the time to build or improve your digital recruitment strategy is now. 

The good news? For years, Yello has been working with top companies to combine on-campus recruiting efforts with virtual tactics (recruiting on campus without actually being on campus). Here’s how we can help make your virtual recruiting strategy successful — from the tools you need to tactics from experienced virtual recruiters.

Why go virtual? 

While the COVID-19 outbreak may have sped up the need for virtual recruiting, many organizations have been recruiting digitally for years, and have proven its value as part of a larger early talent hiring strategy. With tight budgets and limited resources, campus recruiting teams are stretched thin. And while on-campus initiatives are still a crucial part of any recruiting strategy, visiting every target university in person is nearly impossible.

And with increased competition on campus, desires for a more diverse hiring pool, and a need to decrease time-to-hire, many recruiting teams have turned to virtual recruiting to supplement their on-campus efforts. For years, companies like Kearney and BDO have used digital tactics to reach candidates more quickly, maximize limited resources, and prove ROI:

Recruiting teams aren’t the only ones who are looking to go virtual. Candidates also want a high-tech recruitment process, and Gen Z candidates won’t even apply if they think your hiring methods are outdated. 

Generation Z
Demands Technology

What is virtual campus recruiting?

Considering today’s students have grown up as digital natives, preferring text messaging and email above other forms of communication, recruiting on campus is no longer an activity that exclusively takes place during annual career fairs or recruitment events.

Recruiting technology makes it possible to stay connected to students virtually and physically, preparing them for internships and opportunities throughout their college careers and beyond. With the right digital campus recruiting strategy, it’s possible to fill talent pipelines with the next generation of talent, manage interviews with speed and efficiency, and measure the impact of any campus recruiting initiative.

How can Yello’s Virtual Campus Recruiting Toolkit help? 

  • Strategies Backed by Real Campus Recruiters
    Based on the virtual campus recruiting strategies and techniques used by real Yello clients, the Virtual Campus Recruiting Toolkit has driven results at several leading brands. 
  • Meet More Candidates with Virtual and Physical Touchpoints
    Yello helps your team plan events, promote webinars and engage candidates in one platform, empowering your team to create unique strategies at each campus.
  • More Flexibility for Students & Staff 
    Be prepared for anything by empowering students and staff with options for virtual engagements and interviews, which keep the hiring process moving when unforeseen delays happen. 
  • A Focus on ROI 
    Campus recruiting teams leveraging these virtual tools have reduced costs, saved staff time and met more candidates virtually — resulting in proven ROI and smarter recruiting investments. 

What’s in Yello’s Virtual Campus Recruiting Toolkit

Yello’s Virtual Campus Recruiting Toolkit supports your modern campus recruiting strategy. Whether you meet students on-campus or virtually (or both!), Yello provides your team the flexibility to build a better candidate experience at every touchpoint and avoid delays due to uncertainty — all while improving ROI.


Virtual & On-Campus Recruiting Events

Attract candidates and fill your pipeline — whether you’re on-campus or off. Yello’s events management tool lets you share key information about your brand and hiring process with students, while automating candidate outreach:

  • Host virtual information sessions, webinars and more
  • Attract and engage with top candidates
  • Drive applications from students
  • Automate candidate follow-up

And remember: while virtual events may feel a bit different than an on-campus career fair, you’ll still need to prepare like you would for any other recruitment event. Don’t forget to invite the proper staff, train them on your employer brand and talking points, make sure they know what to wear, and test your virtual technology beforehand. 

Candidate outreach is also just as important (if not more important) as it is on-campus. Send automated communications to remind students about your virtual event, and be sure to follow up afterwards with any links to open positions, contact information and other hiring resources. During your presentation, allow students to engage with you by offering a Q&A chat or save time for networking at the end.


Candidate Sourcing

Source talent from anywhere — no recruitment events needed. Yello’s streamlined, automated candidate sourcing software helps you pinpoint top talent, then engage them with built-in pipelining, communication and activity tracking. 

  • Centralized job board search
  • Automatic scans and candidate import
  • DAXTRA boards and LinkedIn integrations
  • Centralized candidate profiles

Candidate Engagement

Ensure candidates don’t feel left behind or ignored during the recruitment process. Leverage Yello to engage candidates instantly, building awareness and driving action with personalized, mobile-friendly campaigns that keep your employer brand top of mind at every step.

  • Intuitive campaign builder
  • Template-based, personalized communications
  • Schedule email and text sends in advance
  • Link to videos, talent communities, job postings and more

Interview Scheduling

Set candidate meetings instantly with AI-powered interview scheduling tools and never risk a poor candidate experience due to back-and-forth emails or rescheduled meetings.

  • Candidate self-scheduling
  • Automated text confirmations
  • Invitation management and RSVPs
  • Post-event actions and follow-up

Video Interviews

Break through geographic barriers and avoid scheduling disasters with a virtual interview process powered by Yello’s video interviewing software.

  • Live or pre-recorded interviews
  • Streamlined candidate invite and automated reminders
  • Company branded screen and recording portal
  • No downloads or login required

Candidate Evaluations 

Remove hiring obstacles with virtual-friendly evaluation forms and automated reminders — helping your team quickly advance talent from interview to hire, provide consistent candidate feedback and get offers out before the competition.

  • Configurable criteria and questions
  • Assign evaluations to staff
  • Actionable evaluation dashboard
  • Linked to candidate profiles

The ROI of virtual recruiting

Top companies like Kearney and BDO are already finding ways to improve early talent recruiting ROI by combining on-campus strategies with virtual tactics.

“With our virtually sourced candidates, the quality talent is there and the students are informed. But the bigger result for us is our brand — we now have the ability to communicate more, and more effectively.” 

Stephanie Tyler, Director of Campus Recruiting, BDO