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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
Armstrong World Industries was selected as a 2023 Campus Forward Award Winner for their unwavering commitment to seeking out and hiring early career talent, their emphasis on diversity & inclusion, and investments in nurturing and retaining the next generation of talent. Please see below for the highlights of their approach to early career recruitment.
Demonstrated Investment in Early Career Hiring
Armstrong World Industries’ entry-level talent and internship program is very important to the organization. The company recognizes that the next generation coming into the workforce will not only be its next generation of leadership, but also will change the world with their ideas and thoughts. Armstrong World Industries thinks of them as a key part of its teams to help shape its culture and initiatives, and takes time to invest in new employees and interns to make sure they are getting a great experience as well.
Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruitment
The early talent team at Armstrong World Industries approaches hiring in a couple different ways. The company likes to recruit regionally where its plants and headquarters sit. It also has a very involved career fair season, in which the team takes time to meet with students and have next-day interviews. Out of everyone that it meets, whether online or in-person, Armstrong World Industries likes to bring them into the company for a weekend event to explore the company and people. Armstrong World Industries provides a social event, followed by formal interviews for them to see the company as a whole. Armstrong World Industries finds diverse talent through its different technology partnerships, and by partnering with some core schools and their organizations like AICHE, Women in Business, and more.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Armstrong World Industries approaches diversity in a couple of ways. Its initiatives include hiring underrepresented students and graduates, candidates from different locations and backgrounds. The company has also partnered with technology like RippleMatch to increase its diversity efforts, and utilizes its online applicants to meet new people who it may have not been introduced to at career fairs. When diverse talent joins the company, Armstrong World Industries likes to immerse them in Armstrong and its different programs such as BRGs, different committees for initiatives like sustainability, and do a lot of meet & greets with different people in the business.
Impactful Internship Program
Some events that Armstrong World Industries offers to interns are social outings, such as to see its local baseball team via its skybox. The company also has an intern scavenger hunt toward the end of the internship, with an ice cream social to say ‘thank you’. Armstrong World Industries interns are fully immersed into their department by attending meetings, meet & greets with different managers, and lunches with the team. Just because they are considered an intern, doesn't mean that Armstrong World Industries excludes them from real business meetings. In fact, the company views interns as future talent.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
When entry-level talent comes into Armstrong, they are valued as long-term employees. Armstrong World Industries likes to get them started with the basics, followed by a few unique events in the first couple of months to get them engaged with not only their department, but with the company. The company offers a couple of events like “Senior Leadership Speed Networking" and "Career Cornerstone” — an internal conference with different sessions to learn about themselves and other parts of the company. Interns are also invited to join business resource groups, initiatives at Armstrong, and volunteering opportunities.