Forging Effective Campus Relationships

Keith Harrison, PhD, CPA, and Debra Kerby, PhD, CPA, CMA, and Sandra K. Fleak, PhD, CPA

Recruiting employees on college campuses can be a challenging and extremely competitive endeavor. Large international accounting firms have the benefit of name recognition in campus recruiting. The largest firms also have focused recruiting plans and budgets that many regional and local firms and corporate recruiters cannot match. Recruiters in small accounting firms must often balance recruiting activities with client responsibilities. To further complicate any recruitment strategy, today's college students and recent graduates may have expectations about their work environment, job responsibilities, and career opportunities that differ significantly from those of recruiters. With careful planning, firms can devise a strategy that will effectively recruit entry-level accountants.