Are you currently completely at a loss because no or unsuitable applications are coming in for your training positions? Do you also not know which activities are sensible right now? Your hands are tied because there are no encounters with potential skilled workers. No internships, no trade fairs, no events, no school activities or conversations. Should one instead dive into the online frenzy just to do something?
Insta, Youtube, or online meetings and webinars in the classroom?
Online activities are suitable for attracting attention in general. But online appearances are fleeting, quickly forgotten. Unless you are practically online on all channels 24/7. And even then, you still need to get someone to take action and send an application or at least make a call. Honestly? I would not recommend this approach at the moment. The disappointment will follow the hope, carrying burnt resources. But then what? We still need apprentices.
So let's use applicant portals.
Let's be honest, it's nothing less than finding the path that truly leads to the goal. Companies that are well-known and sought after receive applications through this route. They usually just need to wait. By chance and with luck, lesser-known companies may also find a gem, but that is more than uncertain. Or companies that have built good student connections in previous years could also benefit. Nevertheless, the anonymity of these portals is generally unpopular among 14-16 year olds.
Use the shutdown for analysis and strategy.
But there is a solution. If your company has not been a place of longing for young people and does not have an in-company training to offer, there is no need to resign. The shutdown offers a unique opportunity to develop a new overall strategy for recruiting apprentices in peace. A "Customer Journey for Skilled Workers". A concept that can be used to start recruiting apprentices for September, hopefully from April onwards. Then, of course, with full force and enthusiasm. A program that is so flexible that it can be adapted to the current situation at any time, even in the summer, in the next school year, and beyond. Now is the time for analysis and strategy for the future. Sounds trivial?
Apprentice recruitment by calendar and with a system
Successful and sustainable apprentice recruitment always involves a system. Not one or two measures bring success. Not this or that variant is the solution. In addition, the school is a unique cosmos consisting of school and class times, holidays, and exam dates. You need to know when the attention for career orientation is at its highest and when it dissipates. And this is especially true in times like these. Start with individual contact with schools. Especially now. From the moment it becomes possible again. And since you have a flexible plan in your pocket, you know exactly how to proceed. Sounds exhausting?
So what to do to get apprentices during the shutdown?
If you still think today that apprentice recruitment should somehow just happen on its own, you will hopelessly wait forever. It's like thinking that you have done enough for customer acquisition. So, how can you find apprentices during the shutdown? Even if you are still looking for the 'Kai out of the box,' a well-thought-out overall strategy is the best solution. Were you hoping for something simple? But it is. Once the plan is in place, it is very clear what needs to be done.
