Over the last two years, Enterprise Holdings has further strengthened our approach to talent acquisition as we recognize the importance of building a strong pipeline of talented and passionate people who want to help us deliver on our vision to be the world’s best and most trusted mobility company. During this time, Enterprise Holdings has embraced our ability to be more flexible, especially with the candidate experience. Today, candidates expect a high-touch, personalized interaction throughout the recruitment process and our teams are working harder than ever to deliver on those expectations. As a result of these efforts, we’ve been excited to welcome thousands of new colleagues over the last year through our entry-level Management Trainee positions and internship program. Both of these continue to be critical pipelines to fuel the promote-from-within culture.
Marie Artim
Vice President – Talent Acquisition
Enterprise Holdings
At Liberty Mutual, we’re focused on meeting new and existing talent where they are – whether that be through a remote or hybrid role, a flexible schedule, benefits that provide greater work-life balance, or professional opportunities to keep them engaged and fulfilled. Our organizational culture is centered around putting our people first, building a variety of programs to help employees to feel a sense of purpose and belonging in everything they do.
Maura Quinn
Assistant Vice President of University & Emerging Talent Acquisition
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Our team came out of this better than we were in the initial stages of the pandemic because of our ability to adjust our approach to what the market was bearing and our commitment to Echo’s success. We leaned into sources of talent that have produced pretty solid and stable results for us, such as our employee referral program, and doubled down on some of the outbound recruiting strategies that were successful in helping us hit our hiring targets during this rocky period. The changes we made to spark candidate interest in Echo and keep them engaged throughout the recruiting process continues to be an ongoing focus to help us compete in today’s market.
Given the shortage of talent we are seeing in entry level roles, now more than ever, organizations are turning to college students to help fill the talent supply gap. More and more organizations are offering on the job training and are willing to be flexible around skills and experience. College students will find themselves in a market filled with options so doing their research on industries, companies and roles will help them narrow down their target to the companies that best align with their values and career aspirations.
Our continued focus to deliver on our R.I.D.E. framework to achieve Results through Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity is helping us stand out and stand with others who care deeply about being part of a company where employees of all backgrounds, perspectives, and abilities are empowered to reach their full potential.
Sharon Garcia
Vice President Talent Acquisition
Echo Global Logistics
Since the start of the pandemic, ALKU has continued to aim to be as proactive as possible with all things-recruitment. To keep up with the company's hiring goals, we continued to interview and hire during the pandemic and we have continued to try our best to adapt to the entry-level market to this day. First and foremost, we started by learning about the wants and needs of the entry-level market as it stands today. We conducted research on compensation in our industry as well as new and unique benefits being offered by employers to their talent pool. We learned that a large portion of students prefer to attend events and interviews via Zoom as opposed to in-person, so we shifted our interview process to meet their wants and to make them feel more comfortable throughout the process. While the hybrid world is preferred by students, it has also allowed us to be more efficient with our on-campus recruitment efforts. We prefer being on-campus, of course, but we also find value in hosting events virtually depending on the nature of the event itself. Our Internal Recruiting team here at ALKU has specialized so that we can be more proactive to meet hiring needs for both our full-time and internship roles, and our College Relationship Development team has expanded its reach by casting a wider net - partnering with diverse student organizations, Greek Life, and a variety of business and non-business related collegiate programs.
Similarly to employers, I think it's crucial for students to be proactive on the job hunt as well. As far as what this means for college students entering the workforce, my biggest piece of advice would be to get in front of employers as early on as possible and to continue to build personal relationships throughout the job hunt. Be urgent, be attentive, and be confident in your application. A college student who is able to talkspeak to their previous experience, interests, and resume, while also being able to showcase their desirable character traits will stand out to employers.
Delaney Bradley
Internal Recruiting Manager
ALKU
Being a workplace people want to be a part of, whether working on-site, remotely, or in a hybrid work environment, is the foundation of Acuity’s high job satisfaction, low turnover, and industry-leading results. Based on the “normal” of today, we are continuing to expand our hybrid, flexible work policy with our expanded geographical recruiting throughout our operating territory.
It’s important for students, now that they have increased options for employment, to be mindful of the corporate culture they look to join and expand, and to be sure it aligns with their own personal values. At Acuity, we demonstrate a fierce respect for the individual and provide college graduates the opportunity to demonstrate their competencies and skillsets from their first days on the job. We also recognize that they and all our employees have a thirst for continual learning in our fast-paced, knowledge-based, technology-driven world. Therefore, we provide continued education on the job as well as support for their advanced learning through both traditional educational institutions as well as industry associations.
Joan Ravanelli Miller
General Counsel/Vice President – Human Resources
Acuity, A Mutual Insurance Company
North Star is growing and we are ready to meet that demand! We have a supportive culture that helps individuals who would like to start their career. We provide training and growth opportunities to help our team meet their goals.
Mary Claire Wente
Supervisor, Client & Customer Services
North Star Resource Group
We (RS&H) embraced some of these realities by transitioning the firm from pandemic/temporary to permanent flexible and remote work options. Even with the pandemic on-going, this transition was executed to honor the wishes of the majority of our associates and eliminate the guess work for new hires and candidates as it pertained to office reintegration. With these offerings in place, recruiting was bolstered with hiring leaders willing to post “Anywhere, USA” openings that are appealing to those seeking hybrid or other flexible arrangements. We have been able to expand talent pools to candidates previously unwilling to relocate and/or in geographical areas we weren’t appealing to prior.
This is a perfect market for candidates, which means job seekers of all levels have many employment options. Regardless, the competition to be selected remains stiff. New grads should have a targeted and intentional approach when pursuing post-grad employment. A focused search, with focused application and resume submittals, and a focused approach to interviewing, will showcase to a prospective employer that you want the role at that company, and are not just there for “anything”. The top candidates are the ones with the greatest display of authenticity and intent.
Kellen Baker
Head of Talent Acquisition
RS&H
With the ever-changing scenarios and circumstances surrounding the pandemic, incorporating creative and intentional thinking was crucial over the past 2 years, all while keeping our candidates’ and Kearney employees’ wellbeing in the forefront of our minds. In hindsight, Kearney’s flexibility and empathetic mentality focusing around “taking care of our people”, especially in a time of crisis, was and still is a major differentiator in the candidacy market for us. We treat every Kearney team member with compassion and support them in good times and in times of crisis. In a virtual recruitment environment, adding a special layer of authenticity and uniqueness to their candidacy experience is something that we execute year- round. We strive for candidates to be able to really grasp what the culture is like here at Kearney. By doing just that, we are meeting our hiring needs, attracting top talent, and hopeful to retain our Kearney team members with consistency and trust.
The job market is without a doubt, booming. College students entering the workforce in the near future are able to be selective with prospect companies, ensuring their future employer aligns with their morals, career growth, and somewhere they can proudly say they work for. Choosing an employer in a specific industry of their interest is imperative to their happiness, mental health, and job security. This market allows for both, students and employers, to be involved, ask questions, and to interview one another in hopes to find the best match for both parties.
Makenzie Shearson
Manager, University Relations
Kearney & Company
At Asurion, we've always prioritized employee wellness and work-life balance. We had flexible, remote and hybrid options long before the pandemic required it. As we "return to normal," we're seeing that this attribute continues to serve our employees well. Nobody knows what the next road bump will be, but we figure it out together. We remain transparent and flexible with virtual and in-person hiring, interviews and day-to-day work. We fundamentally believe in putting our employees first, so they can feel supported and, in turn, do great work.
As you enter the workforce, it's vital to consider what you want in a job along with your priorities. For example, is a healthy work culture your priority? Or are specific projects most important to you? These things don't have to be mutually exclusive, but think about what you want and use this information to narrow your options. When you do, you will naturally find recruiters and hiring managers who are looking for you. Don’t chase money or a title, that will come. Chase what makes you happy and brings you joy.
Early in your career, it’s important to learn and explore. Very few people know exactly what they want to do (or, know what they are good at) when they graduate from college. This said, finding a company that can offer you not just an internship/job, but an opportunity to learn from a diverse set of individuals, teams and project-work can shape your career path in ways you may not have considered otherwise.
Kellye O’Connor
Senior Manager, Professional Recruiting & Early Careers Programs
Asurion
As Blackbaud has transitioned to a remote-first workplace approach, the early career talent team continues to provide virtual internship opportunities across the globe. We see this new approach as an opportunity to expand our university portfolio, ultimately diversifying our talent pool. We’re looking for top talent regardless of geographical location.
In keeping diversity, equity, and inclusion on the forefront, Blackbaud focuses on not only recruiting a diverse class of interns, but also on investing in development and retention. By assigning challenging and strategic projects, providing career growth opportunities and encouraging exposure to leadership, we cultivated our summer programming to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging amongst the students.
Kristi Alu
Director, Early Career and University Programs
Blackbaud
With more job openings than job seekers, upcoming graduates will be met with more job opportunities than previous classes, and it’s crucial hiring companies identify what this class wants in a role and company. Based on historic data LaSalle Network has collected from college graduates, what they are seeking in their first employer post-graduation is effective leadership, career growth, a strong company culture and competitive benefits. What we have always done as an organization is acknowledge what this talent group is seeking, and if it aligns with our practices and culture, we incorporate those elements into our recruitment and interview process. For instance, if career growth is important to job seekers, we bring in LaSallians who have achieved career growth into the interview process so they can share firsthand the stories of their growth, and we promote these stories on social media because we know that is where job seekers are going to learn more about a company’s culture.
LaSalle Network has always made company culture a priority – especially throughout the pandemic when employees had to work entirely remote. To ensure the connection remained strong and our culture stayed intact, we focused on hosting virtual and socially distanced events to keep employees engaged. We knew that was important to our people. We also looked at how employees’ lives were impacted and adjusted / added new benefits and perks/programs to help in this new world of work, whether it was implementing new committees and support groups, mentorship programs, mental health initiatives, among other initiatives.
The class of 2022 is entering one of the strongest jobs markets we’ve seen in decades, which means they will have more job opportunities than prior classes. However, they should not assume they will land a role upon graduation and push back when they start their job search. It’s important they begin their search well before crossing the stage and utilize all resources like career services, attending career fairs and networking events, tapping into personal networks, working with staffing firms, among utilizing other resources. They should also be open in their job search and not pigeonhole themselves down one narrow path. Whether it’s trying a contract position as a test run with a company or role, or trying a position not directly aligned with their degree, it's important to approach the job search with an open mind.
Jessica Schaeffer
Vice President
LaSalle Network, a national staffing, recruiting and culture firm