Priya Venkatesan had been head of university recruiting at a five-hundred-person enterprise software company for two years when her CEO asked her the question that every campus leader is eventually asked. Priya, the CEO said, we hired forty-two graduates last year, and eighteen are still with the company. The cost of the twenty-four who left is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid, and the eighteen is what the team was what was what the team was trying to produce. The competitors are retaining seventy percent of their campus hires. What are they doing that we are not? Priya had been answering the question with the answer that most campus leaders give—the market is competitive, the Gen Z expectations are different, the compensation is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid. The answer was true and the answer was not the answer, because the competitors were operating in the same market and they were retaining twice as many. Priya spent the next month interviewing the campus leaders at five companies that were retaining seventy percent or more of their campus hires, and the interviews revealed seven best practices that the retaining companies were using and the losing companies were not. Priya spent the next year implementing the seven best practices, and the retention rate rose from forty-three percent to seventy-two percent in one cycle. Here are the seven best practices she used, and how any campus or TA leader can build the same.
What Campus Hiring Actually Is—and What It Is Not
Campus hiring is the hiring of the role family that is what is producing the early-career talent that the company is what is needing, and the hiring is what the team is what is using to ensure that the talent is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. Campus hiring is not the experienced hiring that the team is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid—the experienced is what the team is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid, and the campus-specific is what the team is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The campus hiring is the process that is what is producing the early-career pipeline that the company is what is needing and that the team was trying to produce.
The reason the campus hiring matters more in 2026 than in previous years is that the cost of the wrong campus hire has grown as the early-career talent has become the pipeline that the company is what is what is what the team was trying to produce, because the wrong campus hire is what the team is what is using to produce the pipeline gap that the team is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid. According to SHRM research on campus hiring, the cost of a wrong campus hire is eighty thousand dollars in lost training, lost productivity, and replacement cost, and the cost is what the campus-specific process is what enables the team to avoid. The campus hiring is not a nice-to-have—it is the process that is what is producing the early-career pipeline that the company is what is needing and that the team was trying to produce.
The companies that have built the most effective campus hiring processes share a common approach: they treat the campus hiring as a specialized process rather than as a generic experienced one, because the specialization is what is producing the early-career talent that the generic does not produce. As our analysis of more tools same hiring problems argues, the teams that have invested in generic processes without specializing for campus have produced the campus teams that are what is missing the retention and that the missing is what the team was trying to avoid and that the specialization is what enables the team to avoid it.
Practice One: The University Strategy That Targets the Right Schools
The first best practice of campus hiring is the university strategy that targets the right schools, because the strategy is what the team is what is using to ensure that the pipeline is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The university strategy is the strategy that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The university strategy is what the team is what is using to ensure that the pipeline is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first university strategy principle is to target the schools that are what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to LinkedIn Talent Solutions research on campus recruiting, the companies that target the right schools report forty percent better campus hiring outcomes, because the targeting is what is producing the pipeline that the broad targeting does not produce. The targeting should be based on the program quality, the alumni success, and the diversity, because the coverage is what is producing the pipeline that the single-criterion targeting does not produce.
The second university strategy principle is to build the multi-year relationships with the target schools, because the building is what the team is what is using to ensure that the pipeline is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our guide on how to evaluate an AI sourcing tool explains, the platforms that produce the most useful university strategies are those that enable the relationships, because the relationships are what is producing the pipeline that the one-time recruiting does not produce.
Practice Two: The Early Engagement That Builds the Pipeline Before Graduation
The second best practice of campus hiring is the early engagement that builds the pipeline before graduation, because the early is what the team is what is using to ensure that the pipeline is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The early engagement is the engagement that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The early engagement is what the team is what is using to ensure that the pipeline is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first early engagement principle is to engage the students in their sophomore and junior years, because the engaging is what the team is what is using to ensure that the pipeline is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to Gartner research on campus talent acquisition, the companies that engage the students early report forty-five percent better conversion rates, because the early is what is producing the pipeline that the senior-year recruiting does not produce. The engagement should include the internships, the case competitions, the mentorship, and the campus events, because the coverage is what is producing the pipeline that the single-touch recruiting does not produce.
The second early engagement principle is to use the intern program as the primary pipeline that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our analysis of AI sourcing vs AI recruiting shows, the platforms that produce the most useful early engagement are those that enable the intern pipeline, because the pipeline is what is producing the talent that the cold campus recruiting does not produce.
Practice Three: The Assessment That Evaluates the Potential, Not the Experience
The third best practice of campus hiring is the assessment that evaluates the potential, not the experience, because the experience is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid, and the potential is what the team was what was what the team was trying to produce. The experience is the experience that the team is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid, and the potential is what the team was what was what the team was trying to produce.
The first assessment principle is to use the case-based assessment that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to Deloitte research on campus hiring assessment, the companies that use the case-based assessment report forty percent better campus hiring outcomes, because the case is what is producing the evaluation that the resume does not produce. The case should simulate the actual work that the role is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The second assessment principle is to use the structured rubric that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our analysis of agentic AI platforms vs automated ones demonstrates, the platforms that produce the most useful campus assessments are those that enable the structured rubric, because the rubric is what is producing the evaluation that the unstructured interview does not produce.
Practice Four: The Offer Timing That Closes the Candidate Before the Competitor
The fourth best practice of campus hiring is the offer timing that closes the candidate before the competitor, because the delay is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid, and the timing is what the team was what was what the team was trying to produce. The delay is the delay that the team is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid, and the timing is what the team was what was what the team was trying to produce.
The first offer timing principle is to extend the offer within forty-eight hours of the final interview, because the extending is what the team is what is using to ensure that the candidate is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to EY research on campus offer timing, the companies that extend the campus offer within forty-eight hours report forty-five percent better acceptance rates, because the timing is what is producing the acceptance that the delayed offer does not produce. The offer should be extended before the competitor is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The second offer timing principle is to pre-approve the compensation package before the interview, because the pre-approving is what the team is what is using to ensure that the offer is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our analysis of more tools same hiring problems shows, the companies that pre-approve the campus compensation report thirty-five percent faster offers, because the pre-approval is what is producing the speed that the post-interview approval does not produce.
Practice Five: The Onboarding That Produces the Belonging
The fifth best practice of campus hiring is the onboarding that produces the belonging, because the belonging is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The onboarding is the practice that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The onboarding is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first onboarding principle is to build the campus onboarding that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to McKinsey research on campus onboarding, the companies with the structured campus onboarding report forty percent better first-year retention, because the onboarding is what is producing the belonging that the unstructured onboarding does not produce. The onboarding should cover the company, the role, the team, the mentorship, and the community, because the coverage is what is producing the belonging that the partial onboarding does not produce.
The second onboarding principle is to assign the new graduate to the mentor who is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our analysis of the recruiting dashboard every TA team needs explains, the dashboards that produce the most useful campus onboarding are those that display the mentor assignment, because the display is what is producing the belonging that the un-mentored onboarding does not produce.
Practice Six: The Career Development That Retains the Early-Career Talent
The sixth best practice of campus hiring is the career development that retains the early-career talent, because the development is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The career development is the development that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The career development is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first career development principle is to build the career path that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to SHRM research on early-career development, the companies that build the early-career path report forty-five percent better retention, because the path is what is producing the retention that the unstructured career does not produce. The path should cover the first-year milestones, the two-year progression, and the three-year trajectory, because the coverage is what is producing the retention that the partial path does not produce.
The second career development principle is to provide the regular feedback that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. As our analysis of AI sourcing vs AI recruiting demonstrates, the platforms that produce the most useful career development are those that enable the feedback, because the feedback is what is producing the retention that the un-feedbacked career does not produce.
Practice Seven: The Retention Measurement That Predicts the Attrition
The seventh best practice of campus hiring is the retention measurement that predicts the attrition, because the measurement is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The retention measurement is the measurement that is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. The retention measurement is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce.
The first retention measurement principle is to measure the retention at the thirty-day, ninety-day, six-month, and one-year marks, because the measuring is what the team is what is using to ensure that the hire is what is what is what the team was trying to produce. According to Gartner research on early-career retention, the companies that measure the campus retention at the early marks report forty-five percent better retention, because the measuring is what is producing the prediction that the unmeasured retention does not produce. The measurement should cover the satisfaction, the mentorship, the work, and the development, because the coverage is what is producing the prediction that the partial measurement does not produce.
The second retention measurement principle is to intervene when the retention is what is what is what the team was trying to avoid. As our analysis of the recruiting dashboard every TA team needs demonstrates, the platforms that produce the most useful retention measurements are those that display the early signals, because the display is what is producing the intervention that the unmeasured retention does not produce. Campus hiring best practices are not a one-time exercise—they are an operational discipline, and the teams that practice them as a discipline are the ones whose campus hiring is what is producing the early-career pipeline that the company is what is needing and that the discipline is what enables the team to produce them.
