What young professionals expect from employers amid Covid-19
We have surveyed student needs in relation to employers during the current Covid-19 crisis on our platform timebite. We wanted to know what young professionals really need right now and how companies can shift their employer branding strategy, so that they have even more chances in the so called war for talents.
About the participants
- 50% of the students participating were studying in Germany, 46% in Austria and 4% in other countries.
- 79% of them were between 18–24 years old, the other 21% were over the age of 24.
- Among the participants, there were 68% female and 32% male students.
- 75% are studying Law, 6% Economics, 6% Mechanical Engineering and 13% others.
Obvious, but important
76% of the timebite users think businesses should always place great value on a strong, targeted presence among students. As a company you should show clearly what people can expect from working with you. What are benefits, who are the people there and what is the culture like?
The more you can tell people beforehand about your company, the smaller is the barrier for students to approach you e.g. on job fairs. Very important is to stay true to yourself and your values, be authentic. Otherwise it could backfire!
Furthermore, most of the asked students prefer information about potential employers via social media, job fair and digital solutions like student-platforms. So keep in mind — specific target groups imply specific ways to reach them. If you want to be known among students, you have to try some new ways.
Don’t always stick to old patterns, there are many channels that could work out for you and your target group, keep your eyes open and be courageous to try new approaches.
Pay attention to this 3 topics and win
Now let’s get into the specific take-aways in relation to crisis like Covid-19.
95% of the participants find it important that companies are having a transparent communication and address problems clearly. Give insights, let people know if you are hiring right now or what your priorities are, how you are handling such a crisis!
Most of the students (89%) want to see employers adapt. Online fairs suddenly popped up everywhere, and right there you got to be present as an employer. Be agile, be an early adopter — because young professionals are too.
More than 81% of the timebite users want to be supported by companies. Support can be given in many ways, like free tools for studying, CV-checks and so on. Be a supporter and show students that you are there for them.
So let’s bring it all together in one sentence: Be clear and open, show activity in different and agile ways and show your support for young professionals, give them the feeling that you have their back. That are the core pillars to build your strategy on right now.
Just ask yourself: Which employer will be the first one popping up in students’ head — the one who was active and builds trust amid a worldwide pandemic, or the one who wasn’t?
Hopefully some of the points mentioned above were helpful for you. It’s very interesting what kind of points were mentioned of young professionals when it comes down to employer branding amid crisis like Covid-19.
If you want to find out more about timebite and the options of employer branding on our platform, just click here.
