In today’s competitive landscape, the challenge of attracting top talent has become a pressing concern for many companies. Executives are often seeking guidance on navigating the intense Talent War. With markets evolving at a rapid pace, securing the best talent is now more critical than ever, making our recent Transformative Leadership Panel especially timely.
During the event, experts discussed how companies can establish robust talent pipelines through strong university partnerships and impactful internship programs. There was a special emphasis on how organizations can guide young professionals to make informed career choices and how students can become ambassadors for their companies. This session focused on attracting and retaining young supply chain professionals, is part one of a series designed to explore the nuances of talent development.

Check out these highlights from Part One:
- “There are certain companies where they are building their brand awareness, and they may not even have a current open role. But they’re building relationships with the universities and the students themselves, and the best ambassadors for the company are really students who have had a successful interaction with that company. You rely on and trust more what your friend tells you about something, so that ‘through the grapevine’ interaction is critically important.”
- “Have mentor circles available for those interns. Have people from different parts of the company involved in those intern programs or projects. That way, they’re not just interacting with the team they’re working with, but they’re also learning about other departments, other sectors of the business. And you might have someone say, ‘Hey, I started off in your role, and this is how I got here.’ You have to make sure you’re showcasing examples of success, and you’re also showcasing how that’s possible. And make sure those resources, development plans, and career development conversations are normalized within the company culture.”
- “A new wrinkle that has come into the whole internship discussion is that it’s not just for juniors anymore. There are plenty of freshmen and sophomores that are also doing internships. I know here at the University of Arkansas, it is not uncommon for students to graduate with three, four, or five internships. I think companies need to rethink, ‘Are we just going to stick with juniors the summer after their junior year, before their senior year? Or are we willing to open it up to other ages who may not have had as many classes or as much knowledge, but maybe we can get them early, and they’ll stick with us?'”
Click below to watch the full recording of Part One for those who couldn’t attend or wish to revisit the insightful discussion. Stay tuned for Part Two of this series as we continue exploring talent development strategies for the future!