Inclusive Employer Program

A highly unique business school-led training for recruiters, the Inclusive Employer Program aims to make the hiring process more accessible to all students. It helps employers stay current with best practices in avoiding bias by providing thoughtful feedback for recruitment, onboarding, and internships, and by delivering relevant programming for workers across generations. The program strives to ensure an inclusive job search experience for students and to increase representation in business fields.

Call to Action

The Inclusive Employer Program grew out of the Carlson Business Career Center’s (CBCC) commitment to making the job recruitment process more inclusive. The hiring and onboarding process can be daunting for students, especially those from historically underrepresented groups, who may struggle to connect with recruiters. This can lead to missed opportunities, with employers losing out on top talent and students exploring different career paths.

In 2020, the CBCC augmented its efforts to improve the recruitment process. Center staff held focus groups with students from underrepresented groups to identify areas of growth in transparency and commitment.

The CBCC had three takeaways: Students felt there was a “preferred student type and outcome” to which the recruitment process catered; they wanted help connecting with companies committed to inclusive initiatives; and they wanted more opportunities to meet with employers from different backgrounds.

The CBCC leveraged this feedback to implement changes. This included conducting a training course on removing bias for graduating students before they transitioned into their new recruiter roles, connecting recruiters with inclusivity resources before attending Carlson events, and conducting biweekly surveys with students to learn about their experiences during recruitment.

The idea of a “reverse career fair” from the University of Miami, in which recruiters meet with student affinity groups, led to new inspiration. Building off their existing work, the CBCC developed and launched the Inclusive Employer Program in October 2023.

Innovation Description

The program’s purpose is to create opportunities for employers to better attract, onboard, and retain talent from an increasingly broad talent pool. Further, it aims to provide students with a way to identify employers that have received training and demonstrated a commitment to inclusion.

CBCC staff facilitate the Inclusive Employer Program with Chaka Booker, managing director for The Broad Center, a national organization focused on leadership development. The program consists of three 90-minute virtual workshops spread over a month. The first workshop focuses on recruiting and hiring, the second on employee engagement, and the third on a topical theme, such as artificial intelligence.

Participants complete a light prereading before each workshop, then dive into the content with a student panel, an employer discussion, and a presentation of best practices. This structure allows recruiters to receive direct feedback from students, connect with other employers, and learn how to apply the lessons to their organizations.

Following the last workshop, the CBCC holds an in-person breakfast celebration, during which the newly trained recruiters can meet and network with student leaders from the undergraduate and MBA student affinity clubs and organizations. The event culminates with a special badging ceremony in which recruiters receive their Carlson Inclusive Employer pins to wear to Carlson career events, signaling to students the recruiters’ completion of the program and their commitment to inclusion.

Innovation Impact

The Carlson Inclusive Employer Program is mutually beneficial. It improves students’ recruitment experience and empowers recruiters to foster change from inside their organizations. By taking a proactive approach, the Carlson School innovatively promotes inclusive hiring and onboarding practices. Taking these steps today, the CBCC aims to reshape the business world of tomorrow and create an environment for all to thrive.

So far, 103 recruiters from 57 corporations have completed the training sessions. Participating organizations include, 3M, ALDI, Cargill, and UnitedHealth Group, among others. Employers that complete this program are featured as a Carlson Inclusive Employer at Carlson events.

The response from program employers has been overwhelmingly positive. Participants report bringing back the lessons learned to their organizations. This has led to changes such as bringing a more representative team to Carlson recruiting events, writing more inclusive job descriptions, modifying interview training to include best practices, and reviewing internal policies. An ALDI recruiter said that he “would highly recommend it to any employer that’s looking to learn more about what the students are really looking for.”

The CBCC will hold the Inclusive Employer Program annually in the spring to train new recruiters. The center engages the cohort regularly via email, a dedicated LinkedIn group, and various training opportunities throughout the year. Maintaining this network will lead to future growth opportunities.