Forget internships: Freelancing for new student populations

Up until the 1970s, corporations filled approximately 90% of their jobs through promotions and internal hires. Today, internal mobility represents only about a third of all hires.  The first pillar of Hiring Success, Talent Attraction & Engagement, emphasizes an organization’s ability to reach top talent with a combination of inbound and outbound recruiting strategies. The most successful companies rely on cutting-edge tactics and channels to attract and engage candidates in personalized, genuine ways. As Generation Z enters the workplace, there needs to be a new change in approach – from internships to freelancing for student populations. This shift allows recruiters to build out their talent pipeline and usher in graduates from a wider range of colleges and universities, with well-developed skills. Akin to the experience-based model of career pathing, employees develop new skills, knowledge bases, and personal attributes through on-the-job training. It enables students to learn and fail without one project ruining their whole career. Not only will this have a measurable impact on hiring velocity and budget optimization, but it follows the same best practices as companies that rank highly at being mature talent acquisition organizations. If 44% of high school students feel they aren’t ready for college or a career, why not give them a chance to overcome that insecurity by applying themselves to the type of work they’ll face on the other side of college?