Page 8 - BV_Mar-April 2012

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BizVoice
/Indiana Chamber –
March/April 2012
“H
ow can a high-tech, high-growth company
flourish in Indiana?” As head of our human
resources team, I get this question all the
time. With good reason, people assume
ExactTarget would gravitate to the coasts like many other
successful tech companies.
But Indiana’s close proximity to high-quality academic
institutions and our ability to continually harness top college
talent is a competitive advantage for ExactTarget – and any
other company willing to invest in strategic college recruiting
and internship programs.
Indiana: An educational breadbasket
There are more than 50 universities throughout Indiana,
including some of the nation’s top-ranked programs in
entrepreneurship, accounting, marketing, arts and design, engineering
and informatics. If you’re willing to drive a couple hours, you’ll
also find esteemed academic institutions like Northwestern,
Ohio State, Miami of Ohio, University of Illinois and University
of Chicago. Indiana businesses are uniquely positioned to draw
from one of the richest college talent pools in the country.
So, how do Indiana companies harness this opportunity?
Companies must master three keys of Millennial recruiting,
including: (1) building mutually-beneficial relationships with
schools; (2) identifying characteristics of your business that appeal
to Millenials; and (3) constructing strategic programs that
focus on the recruitment, hiring, employment and professional
development of top college talent.
Relationships matter
With dozens of universities across the Midwest, it’s important
to narrow recruiting efforts to a select
group of schools or programs that
produce the kind of talent you seek.
For example, at ExactTarget we have
a never-ending need for business-
savvy, technically-inclined graduates.
The School of Informatics and
Computing at Indiana University is a fantastic cultivator of
those skill sets and helps fill our funnel for top technical talent.
ExactTarget has worked tirelessly to forge and grow a strong
relationship with the school. We serve on the advisory board,
participate in career fairs and on-site interview sessions,
facilitate case study competitions and even volunteer in the
classroom to ensure students and recruiters, alike, know who
we are, what we do and why we’re different.
Give Millennials what they want
Approximately 75 million people were born between 1980
and 2000. We affectionately call them the Millennial generation.
Millennials are technically savvy, thrive on group interactions
and are born multi-taskers. Among other things, Millennials
want variety in their work, flexible hours and work-from-home
options, personal relationships with their managers and a
strong work/life balance. At ExactTarget, we’ve also found they
especially appreciate the opportunity to travel both domestically
and internationally for work. Figure out what your workplace
offers Millennials and aggressively market those benefits to
college talent. Know what you have and use it.
Plan and execute
Our strategy for attracting and retaining Millennials takes
Millennials in the Midwest
Three Keys to Attracting Top College Talent
By C. Todd Richardson
C. Todd Richardson
What first attracted you to ExactTarget?
Adam Gillespie:
“Most companies drill Millennials with
nerve-wracking, behavioral-based scenarios or technical use
cases during the interview process. ExactTarget stood out
because the recruiters were interested in what motivates me
and what I’m passionate about – they got to know me as a
person. Their transparency put me at ease and allowed me to
talk candidly about my talents, interests and experience.”
Did the IU School of Informatics play a role in your decision?
AG:
“It was critical. The informatics program brought ExactTarget
to campus for everything from IT conferences to career fairs,
which gave me numerous opportunities to develop a
relationship with the company outside of a stereotypical
interview setting. I was able to showcase my passion and
experience to the recruiters over three years, not 30 minutes.”
Why did you select the Catapult Rotational Program?
AG:
“As fast as the IT world is moving, it’s impossible for
technically-inclined students to know exactly what they want
to do after graduation. The Catapult Rotational Program lets
me explore the entire spectrum of my interests, as well as
gain the general business and company knowledge I need to
be successful in the long run.”
Why did you decide to stay in the Midwest?
AG:
“The Midwest provides employees with the best of all
worlds. Indianapolis is a safe, clean and inexpensive place to
live and a fantastic place to start a career.”
Millennial Viewpoint
Adam Gillespie is an ExactTarget solutions designer.
PAss it on
The Practical Side of Business