system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
What is the best strategy to recruit PhD students?

Hello all! I'm starting as a professor at a US institution this Fall and I'm having a hard time finding PhD students. Especially since many of the students that applied during the last fall with our department have decided to go somewhere else (i.e., we weren't their first option). Any piece of advice from some senior professors on how to efficiently recruit good PhD students? \[my field is engineering\]
gpt
It’s challenging to do this before you are actually there working and have a lab set up.  From the student’s perspective it feels too abstract and there are too many unknowns, such as what the research group’s culture will be like.  

In a pinch you can start by working with undergrads or hiring a technician.