%20(21).png "Campus Forward Honoree - Dick's Sporting Goods")
In 2020, Dick’s Sporting Goods (DSG) shifted its focus away from recruiting at specific schools and instead focused on engaging students who were excited to learn more about the retail industry. The transition to virtual recruitment during COVID-19, especially through virtual events and marketing materials like video testimonials, enabled DSG to broaden its reach to new candidates while further expanding its D&I initiatives.
Read on for some of the highlights of DSG's innovative approach to college recruiting and why they were named a 2021 Campus Forward Honoree in RippleMatch's Campus Forward Awards.
Summer Internship Program
DSG launched its first-ever fully virtual internship program in 2020. Interns were set up with a WFH package including tech and a $200 DSG gift card. While the program was abridged, interns still had the chance to complete a project that was presented to key stakeholders. Tech interns even got to see their code pushed into production, after creating new in-app technology for curbside pickup.
Virtual Recruitment
This year was all about new events and partnerships for the team at DSG. After recognizing the awareness and opportunity gap with HBCU students, DSG collaborated with Kohl’s and Burlington to launch the “HBCU Retail Roadshow REMIX”. Partnering with two other retailers allowed the team to highlight the vast opportunities within the retail industry, including how different each retailer operates. The companies hosted three different sessions this past fall and will continue to expand it through this spring.
Candidate Experience
The DSG team implemented Altru, a video testimonial platform, to humanize the candidate experience by providing authentic video testimonials from past interns and current employees. Once interns committed to DSG, they also participated in “DSG National Signing Day,” in which each student receiving an offer also received a Team DSG hat, pennant, and certificate of intent to sign. This year, the early career team also sent coffee from a local shop with proceeds going to local park preservation, granola bites from a locally-owned black business, and hand sanitizer.
Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion has always been top of mind at DSG, and this can be seen through their partnerships with 100+ HBCUs. Partnerships with platforms like HBCU Connect are critical as they help market opportunities, reach more talent, and spread the mission of DSG. The DSG campus team has further reduced barriers to entry to opportunities by removing GPA/major requirements and incorporating a full relocation package at the internship level (currently offered for full-time already). DSG has also begun partnering with CodePath.org, an organization focused on disadvantaged students pursuing a computer science degree.
Congratulations to Dick's Sporting Goods for their accomplishments this past year. RippleMatch is proud to recognize DSG in our 2021 Campus Forward Awards for their commitment toward the next generation of talent.
Learn more about opportunities at Dick's Sporting Goods by visiting their Careers Page and their LinkedIn Company Page.