Dive Brief:

• In the high demand market of supply chain management, finding suitable candidates for future jobs means that companies in the Chicago area are recruiting interns earlier in their college careers than ever before.

• Harry Haney, associate director of the Supply and Value Chain Center at Loyola University Chicago, writes for Supply Chain Management Review that, “Gone are the days when all a company had to do was hang out a help wanted sign at a campus job fair. Today, they have to market themselves to students just as they have to market their offerings to prospective customers.”

• Many Chicagoland companies have projected their hiring needs for 3 and 4 years out, while establishing a strongly branded presence on campuses around the region to reel in top students. This approach builds relationships and loyalty from students so that the companies will be able to pick from the cream of the crop during graduation.

Dive Insight:

Haney advises that companies facing personnel shortages take a closer look at what companies in the Chicago area are doing to improve college recruitment results. From sending college recruiters and working professionals in chain management to participate in campus activities and career fairs, to direct alumni referral programs and job rotational training, the companies are building long-term positive connections with students. Haney also emphasizes that companies should view students as future customers, treating them with the same care that they would a prospect.

College recruitment is especially important for companies in the STEM and supply chain management fields. Having clear pathways to great careers early on in a college education can help make this happen – and businesses and students win.