Everything You Need to Know to Implement a Corporate Alumni Network

Businesses are always looking for new ways to expand the talent pipeline and maximize their existing talent pool. One of the best ways to do both of these is through a corporate alumni network. Corporate alumni networks can help businesses build a community with their past employees. 

For example, think about where you attended college. After graduation, universities do their best to stay in touch with alumni for fundraising efforts, to promote school athletics, and to foster a sense of community that stretches well beyond the borders of the physical campus. 

Alumni networks can serve similar functions in a professional environment, allowing workers to stay engaged with the company and interact with other former employees. After all, they all have something in common whether they worked at your organization for five months or five years. 

Corporate alumni can be an untapped source of top talent for TA teams to consider. With the right program, your recruitment marketing teams can easily engage, nurture, and convert past employees that might be interested in returning to your organization — increasing your talent pool with high quality candidates that you know are aligned with company culture and values. 

In this article, we’ll cover why it’s important to have a corporate alumni program, how to get started, and what tools you can use to ensure a smooth implementation with meaningful results. 

In This Article

What is a Corporate Alumni Network?

A corporate alumni network is comprised of former employees who actively maintain a connection with an organization and former colleagues after their employment ends. 

Alumni networks are important because they foster employee engagement and retention, and cultivate a community of both current and former employees. But the impact of a successful program extends beyond your employee base. A vibrant alumni community and welcoming company culture signals to candidates that this is an organization that is well-liked, and cares for its people. 

Many organizations choose to use a dedicated technology platform or tool to encourage this engagement. Other alumni groups might even be created by former employees who are passionate about the organization. In these cases, individuals tend to leverage a Facebook page or LinkedIn Group as a way to stay in touch. 

By implementing a corporate alumni network tool, however, organizations gain immense benefits, including the ability to engage former employees, provide relevant, personalized open roles, organize local in-person events, tap into former employees' professional networks with referrals, and even welcome them back into the fold. 

Now, let’s dive deeper into the benefits that can come from implementing an alumni network at the organizational level. 

The Importance of Fostering Alumni Connections  

Not only do returning employees already have experience with your business, there’s also a smaller learning curve when it comes to hitting the ground running on their first day. Most will already be familiar with the systems and processes you use, so they won’t require as much training or onboarding as someone coming into the organization for the first time. 

This allows them to be more productive right away, ensuring they can contribute quickly without having to spend dedicated time learning all of your procedures from scratch. Additionally, rehired workers often become mentors for newer team members — providing valuable insight into workflows that may otherwise remain unknown until after months of trial and error by less seasoned personnel.

Having a foundation of understanding before starting on their first day puts alumni employees in a great position to succeed. It can also spark a new sense of loyalty that goes a long way when you’re looking to improve engagement and retention within your workforce.

Types of Corporate Alumni Programs

How companies connect with former employees varies widely based on organizational needs and resources. Alumni networks generally come in a few essential forms:

• Formal Alumni Networks: These are officially created and run by the company. They include organized programs, specific technology platforms, and active management by HR teams. Former employees can access special job listings, professional growth resources, and official company gatherings through these networks.

• Informal Alumni Networks: These develop naturally when former employees stay in touch on their own through social media groups, regular get-togethers, or other self-organized activities. Though less structured, these connections still provide valuable benefits to both alumni and the organization.

Alumni Networks Across Different Company Sizes

• Enterprise-Scale Networks: Large organizations often implement sophisticated alumni community platforms with dedicated staff, substantial resources, and comprehensive programming. Companies like Microsoft, Google, and McKinsey have developed alumni talent networks that serve tens of thousands of former employees worldwide.

• Mid-Size Company Networks: For medium-sized businesses, alumni networks typically focus on maintaining connections with high-potential former employees, providing targeted engagement opportunities, and creating efficient rehiring pathways.

• Small Business Networks: Even small companies can benefit from corporate alumni programs by implementing lightweight solutions such as social media groups, occasional events, and personalized outreach to key alumni. These networks emphasize relationship quality over program scale.

Industry-Specific Considerations

Different industries can tailor their alumni networks to address specific sector needs:

• Professional Services: Consulting firms, law practices, and accounting firms often leverage alumni for business development, client referrals, and specialized project staffing.

• Technology: Tech companies frequently use alumni networks for innovation partnerships, beta testing programs, and specialized talent acquisition.

• Healthcare: Medical organizations might focus on continuing education, professional development, and addressing industry-specific staffing challenges.

• Manufacturing: Alumni programs in manufacturing can emphasize specialized skills retention, safety improvement initiatives, and supply chain relationship building.

Benefits of Building an Alumni Talent Network

Alumni networks are paving the way for talent acquisition and talent management practitioners to hire, develop, re-engage, and re-hire quality workers who are already familiar with the company. 

Through an AI-powered alumni network, like Phenom Alumni Network, you can open up a wealth of potential opportunities — providing TA teams, talent marketers, talent managers, and HR designers with access to one of the most valuable categories of job seekers: previous employees. 

In other words, your hiring teams can expand the talent pool and promote open roles to a group of individuals that already understand your company culture, values, mission, and vision. 

For Organizations:

While rehiring former employees provides immediate talent solutions, the strategic value of alumni connections extends much further. Let's examine how companies can leverage alumni relationships to create strategic advantages across multiple business areas:

• Brand Advocacy: Alumni become authentic brand ambassadors, with 67% of organizations reporting increased positive word-of-mouth from engaged former employees.

• Market Intelligence: Alumni networks provide valuable industry insights and competitive intelligence. Organizations with active alumni programs are 38% more likely to receive early information about market trends from their alumni.

• Business Development: Former employees frequently become clients, partners, or referral sources. According to recent research, companies with formal alumni programs see a 27% higher rate of business referrals from past employees.

• Talent Pipeline: Beyond rehiring alumni, their referrals typically have a 40% higher retention rate than other hires.

For Alumni:

Former employees gain equally valuable benefits from maintaining organizational connections. The advantages extend throughout their career journey in several meaningful ways. Some of them include:

• Career Advancement: Access to exclusive job opportunities, with 73% of alumni reporting that staying connected helped advance their careers.

• Professional Development: Continued learning through alumni-focused webinars, workshops, and resources.

• Networking Opportunities: Connections with fellow alumni across industries and roles, with 82% of alumni citing networking as their primary reason for staying engaged.

• Continued Belonging: Maintaining valued relationships and professional identity connected to a respected former employer.

Why Invest in an Alumni Networking Tool? 

Unprecedented access to new opportunities, higher wages, remote work, and more have sparked massive shake-ups in employee retention. Yet after leaving their current role for a new opportunity, many workers realize the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. More often than not, individuals come to regret leaving jobs or organizations that actually were the right fit for them. But without a clear road back, these workers might not feel confident enough to reach out and express their interest in returning. 

Companies need a scalable way to bring these workers back into the fold while recognizing the value their experience and perspective bring to the workforce. One of the most important actions an organization can take is to implement an alumni network to foster connection with, and between, alumni employees. 

Without a dedicated program and technology to support, it can be difficult to gauge levels of interest among previous employees. This leaves recruiters focused on finding new talent to bring to the table — which can be increasingly difficult with a tight budget, reduced labor market, and overwhelmed hiring teams. 

But, staying in touch through an intelligent networking tool helps inform the employee that the business is interested in having them back, effectively leaving that door wide open to new possibilities. 

Offering current and former employees a chance to stay informed, connected, and potentially return in the future will only add more value to your company. Taking this step goes a long way toward maintaining a robust, diverse talent pool and an experienced, resilient workforce that’s ready to take on any unforeseen challenges. 

The Alumni Community Platform Technology Landscape

Recruiting, engaging, and converting alumni requires the right technology. Without appropriate technology, organizations miss chances to maintain relationships with former employees. An effective alumni program should be introduced during exit interviews, but its success depends on having a user-friendly platform that connects people easily. 

The right technology makes a significant difference in how many people join and stay engaged with your program. Consider these primary approaches:

Consider Your Preferred Platform Options 

When selecting an alumni community platform, organizations can choose from dedicated alumni solutions, CRM-based systems, or social media groups. Dedicated platforms offer specialized features like alumni-specific profiles and event management, while CRM extensions provide seamless integration with existing systems. Social media groups, though less robust, offer a low-cost starting point for smaller organizations.

Integrate with Existing HR Systems

Your alumni community platform should connect smoothly with your current HR infrastructure. Look for solutions that integrate with your applicant tracking system, HRIS, and email marketing tools. This integration allows for streamlined data management and ensures alumni profiles stay current without requiring manual updates across multiple systems.

Data Privacy Considerations

Protecting alumni information requires clear data policies from the start. Implement transparent opt-in processes, secure data storage practices, and regular privacy audits. Make sure your platform complies with relevant regulations like GDPR or CCPA, and clearly communicate to alumni how their information will be used and protected within your network.

Features to Look for in Alumni Networking Technology 

There are many options to consider when you start researching alumni network tools. But there are a list of must-have features that shouldn’t be overlooked when you’re looking for the right alumni networking technology. 

Here are a few to keep in mind: 

• Event planning — Hosting in-person or virtual events is a great way to stay connected with former employees, build a community, and help them feel close to the organization even when they’re no longer involved in day-to-day operations.

• Talent communities — Having the ability to capture passive leads and build an engaged community of past employees that you can nurture with email and SMS campaigns is critical to driving engagement and keeping individuals informed of new opportunities as they become available.

• Email and SMS campaigns — A critical element of an alumni network, campaigns allow for consistent communication to ensure everyone is receiving the most up-to-date company information, effectively keeping the lines of communication open with your corporate alumni.

• Integrated analytics — Designed to help you measure the ROI and positive impact of your corporate alumni program, analytics highlight what is and isn’t working. With this insight, you can duplicate the efforts that work well and improve the processes that aren’t helping you reach your goals. 

Overall, it’s important to look for a solution that offers an integrated approach to your existing systems while simultaneously giving you the tools you need to engage alumni. With the right technology, you can ensure your former employees are informed and connected.

How to Build a Corporate Alumni Network

A great first step in designing and implementing a corporate alumni network is to define the goals and objectives of the program. Is the main objective to leverage former employees as a viable talent source for open roles? Or simply to build a community of corporate alumni and encourage networking. 

The goals of the program will dictate the tactics you can use to engage former employees. Once you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, start reaching out to alumni and building your network. 

Pro tip: Proactively collecting the information you’ll need to engage with individuals — like their personal email address or mobile phone number — is an impactful best practice. 

1. Create a space where former employees can stay connected with your organization 

Leveraging an alumni network to foster relationships with past employees only works when it’s easy to access, up-to-date, and valuable. Implementing a program that’s easy to use and can be integrated with campaigns, event planning, and talent communities is critical to ensure the success of your network. 

Having one location that highlights your employer brand, recent activities, available roles, and more is better than relying on various Facebook groups to communicate your messages. An integrated platform gives the organization control over the branding, messaging, and offerings, adding more credibility to your alumni program. 

2. Make signing up for your alumni network simple

After you’ve set up a branded alumni network landing page, the second action item is focused on improving visibility for your new program. Using embedded forms on your website and hyperlinks within alumni oriented content or social posts, you can streamline how easily former employees can sign up to stay informed on everything your organization is doing. 

An alumni network program is only impactful and valuable when it’s full of former employees who can network and foster a sense of community. To grow this community and stay connected, embed an email sign-up form on the career site for alumni and employees. 

Another impactful step you can take is to proactively identify former top performers. You can do this by reaching out to team leaders or using a tool like AI discovery within your CRM or talent marketplace. Knowing who you would want to retain or rehire is critical so you can effectively target those individuals through your preferred communication methods. 

3. Spread the word about your alumni network 

Another important element to consider is how you plan to promote your alumni network. Here are some questions to consider before you determine the methods and channels you’ll use to communicate with potential network members:

• Do you want former employees to find it easily on your social media profiles?

• Do you want to create specific blogs and content targeted toward former employees?

• Should you include messaging about your alumni network in exit paperwork or emails? 

• After an employee completes their last day, how do you stay in touch with them if they haven’t joined your community yet? 

• How do you want to recruit existing employees to enroll in your program to make connections with former employees? 

• What kinds of information do you want to highlight on the network dashboard? 

• What automation workflows should be set up to nurture former employees that have engaged with the content in your alumni network? 

• How will you personalize content for network members? 

These are just some of the things your team should think about when designing your alumni network. Answering questions like these will help you start off on the right foot before you implement a new program. 

Once you’ve determined where and how you want former employees to discover and engage with your alumni network, consider what SMS or email campaigns you’d like to implement to nurture new members. It’s not enough to just have a long list of interested individuals — you still have to keep them engaged and informed to successfully keep the lines of communication open. 

Remember that behind each employee or alumni is a real person who cared for the organization — so we recommend skipping the advertising and marketing jargon. Instead, communicate in a human, personalized way and strive to foster meaningful relationships using authentic content and messaging true to your employer brand.

4. Set up events and activities to foster a sense of community 

Communication doesn’t have to all take place digitally — think about hosting regional events for company alumni to get together. Plan events centered around alumni interests and needs, whether it's a career fair or a reunion. And don't forget to keep track of your progress through regular evaluations and surveys. 

Also, think outside the box! Consider renting a box at a baseball game or hosting an alumni tailgate during football season for your local team. People are more likely to get excited about an event that they would actually want to attend even if an organization wasn’t hosting it. 

By taking these steps, you'll be well on your way to creating a successful alumni program.

Discover additional corporate alumni best practices that will set you up for success from day one by viewing this customer-exclusive resource.

Corporate Alumni Program Implementation Roadmap

Creating an alumni network requires careful planning and a step-by-step approach. A clear roadmap helps you build a program that works well for both your company and former employees right from the start. Follow these four key phases for successful implementation:

Planning Phase

Start by defining clear goals for your alumni program and identify the resources you'll need. Determine what success looks like—whether it's rehiring former employees, generating referrals, or building your brand. Get buy-in from leadership and assemble a team to oversee the program's development.

Building Phase

Select the right technology platform that fits your organization's needs and budget. Create guidelines for how alumni will join and participate in the network. Develop compelling content and engagement opportunities that will attract former employees to participate in your program.

Launch Phase

Announce your program to current employees and reach out to former team members with a clear invitation. Start with a small group of engaged alumni to build momentum. Host kick-off events that showcase the value of participation and gather feedback to make early improvements.

Maintenance Phase

Keep alumni engaged with regular communications and meaningful activities. Track important metrics like membership growth, engagement levels, and rehiring rates to measure success. Adjust your approach based on what's working, and gradually expand your program's features and reach.

Anticipating Frequently Asked Questions

Adoption is critical when you’re looking to create an engaging and effective alumni network. One of the best ways to ensure past employees are excited about joining your network is by answering their questions before they ask them. 

Copy and paste the following FAQs to start creating a wealth of knowledge potential users can keep at their fingertips: 

• What is an alumni network? An alumni network is a community of former employees who actively choose to maintain a connection with an organization after leaving.

• How do I join the Alumni Network? Provide company-specific answer.

• If I’m hired, how long before I can start my new role? Provide company-specific answer.

• What is the interview process for alumni applicants? Provide company-specific answer.

• Can I just use my resume rather than filling out a profile? Provide company-specific answer.

• How do I know what pay grade the role is? Provide company-specific answer.

If you’re a Phenom customer, copy and paste the following questions along with the answers to create a more robust FAQ resource: 

• Will you notify me when my application is submitted? Your profile is created when you sign in for the first time.

• How do I see the jobs I’ve applied to? You can see your job applications from the ‘My Applications’ page. Click on your name from the top right corner and choose ‘My Applications.’

• How do I sign up for job alerts? There are three different types of job alerts available to you. You can visit any job description page and click the option to create a ‘Similar Job Alert.’ This will send notifications for jobs similar to the one you’re viewing. You can also create a job alert from any search results page. After searching for jobs and adding filters, you can click to create a ‘Job Alert’ to subscribe to email alerts for jobs that meet your search criteria. Lastly, you can create a 'Profile Based Job Alert.' This is an alert based on your job title and skills.

Can I subscribe to more than one job alert? Click on your name in the top right corner of the site and select 'Job Alerts.’ Here you can create as many job alerts as you wish.

How to Measure and Optimize the Success of Your Alumni Program

Regardless of your specific talent acquisition strategy, one thing is certain: you need to be able to measure the effectiveness of your strategy and tactics. Strong analytics capabilities have been, and always will be a top priority for taking TA and recruitment to the next level. 

Success will depend on your specific company goals, which means it won’t look the same for everyone. The clearest signal that your corporate alumni network efforts are paying off is the number of former employees who you re-hire. 

You can also look at the number of alumni who have left the company but chosen to sign up for your network, or the number of referrals made by former employees. 

Additionally, TA teams can look at the ROI of campaigns and events related to the corporate alumni network. Event attendance, number of applications, conversion rates, open and click-through metrics on email or SMS campaigns can all be indicators of alumni programs' success in terms of engagement. 

The most critical piece of the puzzle? Implementing your alumni network program using the right technology. With AI-powered insights, data analytics, and campaign management, you can implement, adjust, and assess your strategies with ease. 

Unlock Alumni Communities with Phenom Alumni Network

To continue to thrive in a competitive labor market, companies have to consider former employees as viable candidates for open positions across the enterprise. Past employees have the skills, competencies, knowledge, and experience required to make an immediate impact. 

Creating a successful corporate alumni network requires thoughtful planning and implementation. Clearly identifying your goals, as well as the strategies you can use to engage former employees, will allow you to make meaningful connections and rehire lost talent. 

With these steps in mind, you’re sure to create an engaging program for current and former employees alike!

Discover what you can achieve with Phenom Alumni Network by booking a personalized demo today.