It is tempting to slash your college recruiting budget when you're receiving enough qualified applications, not hiring, or even laying off but the budget should be re-allocated from spending which is designed to solicit applications to spending which is designed to build a quality, long-term brand. During the last recession, many employers forgot that college hiring is strategic and, faced with a tactical budgetary problem, they cut their college hiring budgets. That decimated their brand with professors, college career service office professionals, and the students. Many of those organizations are still struggling to re-build their brands and relationships and are spending far more money today because they didn't continue to spend far less six years ago.

So if you're faced with the tactical problem of enough qualified applicants, lack of hiring, or layoffs then re-allocate your recruitment advertising budget. Don't spend it on products such as job postings or resume searching as those are primarily designed to generate applications. Instead, spend your budget by building your brand for tomorrow. Send targeted emails or cell phone text messages to the candidates who you will want to recruit a month from now, a year from now, or even several years from now. Build a Facebook Fan Page. Run banner ads. But don't