A recent study conducted in the Netherlands revealed that only 15% of companies have official alumni networks, while a whopping 67% have informal programs that were organized independently from the organization, as cited by the Harvard Business Review. Given this, it is clear that the most obvious mistake your corporate alumni program could be making is that it doesn’t exist… But outside of this major faux pas, what other common mistakes could your Corporate Alumni program be making? Here are the top mistakes to avoid when building out a Corporate Alumni Program:
Your alumni don’t know about it.
The second largest mistake after not having an alumni program is not properly educating your organization on the fact that you have one. After all, why invest time and energy into implementing and building out a corporate alumni program if you aren’t going to promote and use it continually? Avoid this mistake by educating your employees from their first day at the organization and even before! Let your potential employees know there is a network of past team members who can provide credible reviews and will also be there for them once they begin their journey at your organization.
It isn’t intuitive or easy to use.
Like most things in technology, we are more likely to use or engage with something that is easy to use. This is especially true if you are introducing new alumni network technology to your company. Make sure that the network or platform you have chosen has a low barrier to entry when it comes to use, so people are more inclined to log on and make use of all the benefits it provides.
You haven’t educated your employees on all its features.
The power of your alumni network is a function of two key factors: how many people are on it (the obvious network effect) but also how well-versed they are in understanding all its key features and functionalities that add value for them professionally. Because how can a past or present employee truly take advance of all the benefits if they aren’t aware of them? When you are using a comprehensive platform like Alumni Reach, it is important that everyone knows all of its benefits — from general networking to surveying for product feedback. Alumni Reach has some built-in gamification features so that you can playfully engage every member on the network to increase engagement amongst members and for any in-platform surveys conducted.
Building a formal alumni network that is started and actively managed by your internal HR team gives you the ability to keep your finger on the pulse of important conversations and also helps to bridge the gap and add value between past, present, and future employees. We hope these tips were helpful as you build your alumni network!
Unlock the Power of Your Corporate Alumni Network
Alumni Reach is the comprehensive, easy-to-use platform that corporations leverage to unlock the full potential of their corporate alumni network. Top firms choose and implement AlumniReach to recruit talent, increase brand awareness, and gain valuable market intelligence to build strong customer connections.
Are you ready to unlock the power of your Corporate Alumni Network?