The challenge
EdComs Consultancy was commissioned by the Army's Recruiting Group in 2008 to:
- review the Army's current graduate recruitment practices, and
- develop a Higher Education (HE) engagement strategy.
The Army recognised that student behaviour and university careers services had changed in recent years. The Army also realised they needed to revise their recruiting strategies in HE to reflect these changes, in order to remain competitive and current in the graduate recruitment space.
Our approach
We produced a briefing paper outlining the graduate recruitment market context. The paper highlighted:
- student job-seeking behaviour
- the competitive nature of the market
- the importance for the Army of creating a compelling and distinctive graduate-centred offer.
EdComs then conducted case study visits to universities, carried out interviews with staff at university careers services and set up groups with students in order to inform the development of the strategy.
Outcomes
Our extensive proposed recruitment strategy paper provided clear recommendations for practical engagement opportunities at both the strategic and regional level. It was followed by the successful launch of a set of three graduate marketing brochures into UK universities in September 2008.
EdComs continues to advise the Army on the implementation of the recommendations arising from the strategy.
Services
Clients
"This is one of the best pieces of research work I have seen in nearly two years at Headquarters Recruiting Group. It is fantastic to see that the paper has drawn upon all of the evidence from research, not just military research, but from the wider world of graduate recruitment. The recommendations section draws everything together to provide the basis for a really well-considered proposed plan of action."
Major Peter Stradins, SO2 Marketing Intelligence and Research