At CampusConnect, we have been building student communities for leading universities and business schools since 2016. During that time, alumni have featured heavily as key stakeholders in the decision-making process for prospective students and parents. For business schools, this is especially relevant, with some schools putting specific programs in place to broker these high-value connections. (Our partner, The University of Limerick’s ‘UL Global Ambassador Programme,’ is one such example.) Connecting alumni with prospective candidates is not only beneficial but essential for a robust recruitment strategy. Here’s how strategic alumni engagement can transform your recruitment efforts and how our tailored approach maximizes this potential.

Our Unique Approach: Guided Alumni Connectivity

Engaging your alumni in a candidate community requires careful planning and consideration to ensure that interactions are authentic, valuable, and aligned with both candidate and alumni expectations. It's crucial for representing your brand positively, building trust with candidates, and respecting alumni time commitments. Additionally, since alumni are not owned by one team or department, it is important that the strategy fosters cross-team collaboration, ensuring that all interactions with alumni are coordinated and mutually beneficial, leveraging their expertise and connections across various initiatives.

Features of Our Alumni Engagement Strategy

Recognizing the importance of alumni time and engagement, our approach at CampusConnect ensures that engagement between alumni, candidates, and wider teams are meaningful and well-structured for maximum value. We have developed a simple process within our community platform that facilitates guided connectivity and brokers the best cross-community connections.

Showcase the diversity of your school's global community:

Highlight detailed alumni profiles to showcase the richness of experiences, industries, and expertise within our network. By featuring alumni from various backgrounds and career paths, we demonstrate the global reach and diversity of opportunities available through our school. These profiles serve as inspirational examples for prospective candidates, showing the breadth of experiences they can expect as part of our community.

Broker high-value connections between alumni and candidates:

Facilitate meaningful connections between alumni and prospective candidates based on shared interests, career goals, and industry backgrounds. We strive to create tailored connections that provide value for both parties, whether it's mentorship, career advice, or potential job opportunities. These connections strengthen our network and enhance the recruitment experience for candidates.

Facilitate regular scheduled community 'live chats':

Host scheduled live Q&A sessions to provide candidates with valuable insights directly from alumni. These sessions offer a platform for real-time interaction, where candidates can engage with alumni, ask questions, and gain firsthand perspectives on various industries, career paths, and trends. It's an opportunity for candidates to learn and connect in a dynamic environment.

Protect valuable alumni time with community smart scheduling tools:

Ensure alumni engagement by using smart scheduling tools that respect their busy schedules and commitments. By efficiently managing engagement requests, we ensure that alumni can participate without feeling overwhelmed. This approach allows us to maintain alumni enthusiasm and willingness to contribute to the recruitment process.

Foster cross-team collaboration, supporting alumni engagement across the school:

Encourage collaboration among alumni, faculty, staff, and students to maximize engagement opportunities. We believe in creating synergies across different teams and initiatives to strengthen our community. By fostering collaboration, we ensure that alumni engagement efforts are coordinated and mutually beneficial for all involved.

Cultivate a strong community culture building for future value:

Build a vibrant community culture that encourages active participation, support, and collaboration among alumni. We aim to create an environment where alumni feel connected, valued, and motivated to contribute continuously. This strong community culture not only enhances recruitment efforts but also fosters long-term relationships and ongoing value creation within our network.

Strategic alumni engagement is a game-changer in business school recruitment. By leveraging the authentic experiences and networks of alumni, and ensuring their time and efforts are respected, we create a powerful, sustainable recruitment model. Our unique approach not only attracts high-quality candidates but also strengthens the overall alumni community, fostering a cycle of continuous engagement and support.

Talk to us!

Ready to see how we can enhance your business school recruitment strategy? Request a demo today and discover how we guide alumni-candidate connectivity and foster a stronger community among admitted candidates, just like we've successfully implemented for other leading business schools.

Let's take your recruitment efforts to the next level. Schedule your demo now!