Handshake is a comprehensive career services platform designed to connect students, alumni, employers, and career educators, with the mission to democratize access to job opportunities. Here’s an overview of what the product does and its key features:
What Handshake Does
Handshake serves as a bridge between educational institutions and the workforce, providing a platform where students and alumni can discover and apply for jobs and internships, while employers can source and hire qualified talent. The platform is tailored for Gen Z, offering an authentic, trusted, and helpful environment for starting or advancing a career.
Key Features and Functionality
Employer Plans
Handshake offers various plans for employers to suit different hiring needs and budgets:
- Basic Plan: This free plan allows employers to create a basic company presence, manually source and engage with talent, message up to 25 candidates per month, and access up to 100 talent matches.
- Plus Plan: This plan saves time by automating talent matches and outreach for up to ten roles. It includes job promotion to highly qualified candidates, messaging up to 200 candidates per month, unlimited talent matches for up to 10 jobs, and school recommendations for those jobs.
- Talent Engagement Suite (TES): This premium plan is designed for large-scale recruitment. It features unlimited messaging, talent matches, and school recommendations, along with 50 filters to precisely source qualified talent. The TES also includes dedicated customer success management, activity-to-hire analysis, and ATS integrations.
Candidate Engagement
- Employer Messaging: Many job and internship postings on Handshake include a direct messaging feature, allowing candidates to connect with company representatives before applying.
- Company Profiles and Reviews: Candidates can access detailed company profiles, including reviews from students, insights on the interview process, company overviews, and public staff members for networking.
- Virtual Employer Sessions: Handshake facilitates virtual sessions where candidates can connect with employers from across the country to learn about job opportunities and career paths.
Job Search and Filtering
- Robust Filtering Options: The platform offers extensive filtering options to help candidates narrow down their job searches based on criteria such as paid opportunities, remote or on-site positions, job roles, industry, and more.
Community and Networking
- Shareable Profile Link: Students and alumni can create a shareable link to their profile, making it accessible to anyone, including those without a Handshake account. This feature helps in networking and job searching.
- Follow Companies: Candidates can follow their favorite companies to stay updated on new opportunities and company news.
Communication and Support
- Messaging and Outreach: Employers can use messaging templates and personalized candidate messaging to engage with potential hires efficiently.
- Career Guidance and Events: Handshake provides access to career advice, virtual events, and other resources to support students and alumni in their job search and career development.
Integration and Analytics
- ATS Integrations: For employers using the Talent Engagement Suite, Handshake offers integrations with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to streamline the hiring process.
- Activity-to-Hire Analysis: This feature helps employers map their activities to hires, providing valuable insights into their recruitment strategies.
In summary, Handshake is a powerful platform that connects the educational sector with the workforce, offering a range of features and tools to facilitate effective job searching, talent sourcing, and career development. Its flexible plans and robust functionalities make it an essential tool for both employers and job seekers.