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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
Berkeley Research Group 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
BRG understands the importance of investing in talent early to ensure the continued growth of the company. Talent development is a firmwide responsibility, and BRG provides training opportunities, networking opportunities, and mentorship opportunities to ensure that employees have a solid foundation on which to build their careers. BRG accomplishes this through the efforts of its Campus Recruiting team, learning and development program, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team, experts, and other professionals.
Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruitment
BRG uses both virtual and in-person recruitment methods to ensure that the candidate receives an optimal experience. From the beginning of the recruitment process, BRG strives to meet candidates where they are. The firm hosts on-campus and virtual information sessions, and attends campus wide career fairs and specific diversity-based career fairs, such as the Hispanic Business Student Association Career Night, to promote face-to-face interaction and relationship-building. To increase interaction with and focus its audience, BRG has utilized QR codes on business cards and brochures so that candidates can connect directly to job boards and with members of the team. BRG also utilizes former interns and current associates to build connections with students from their alma maters to create a bespoke and enjoyable experience.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Campus recruiting is a significant priority for BRG’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. To ensure that BRG is identifying the top diverse talent, the Campus Recruiting and DEI teams have boots on the ground. Because campus recruiting is a firmwide commitment, BRG’s DEI Committee has dedicated its efforts to increasing recruitment at HBCUs and HSIs, and made a 280% increase in the diverse schools that BRG recruits from in 2022. With in-person activities again taking place, BRG professionals have visited an array of schools and prioritized face-to-face interaction with students. BRG also partners with Heart of Los Angeles, a nonprofit dedicated to providing opportunities to underserved students, to provide eligible students from their program internship and full-time entry-level opportunities. BRG had also developed the Leg Up Program, a pipeline program for high achieving diverse high school students to introduce them to consulting and the foundations of business, finance, and economics.
Impactful Internship Program
BRG provides interns with opportunities to gain experience in various services and industries. Interns interact and engage with case work and clients across communities such as Healthcare, Corporate Finance, and Economics & Damages. Interns also participate in weekly technical skill-building series involving programs such as R, SQL, and Excel. BRG values connection and knowledge-sharing — and makes sure that interns engage with both. The internship program includes networking and team-building experiences to connect interns, junior and senior associates, and experts across BRG. At the completion of the internship, over 50% of candidates receive a full-time offer.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
BRG prides itself on being a great place for recent graduates and entry-level employees. The firm strives to provide new hires with the materials and opportunities to succeed, starting from competitive compensation and benefits packages to on-the-job training and sessions. BRG aims to ensure that employees — especially those new to the corporate world — feel heard. BRG’s senior manager of DEI and members of the Operations team engage in one-on-one check-ins with campus hires and interns during their first year. To help retain employees, BRG invites new hires to participate in a mentorship program and engage with employee resource groups. BRG’s various offices also provide cultural experiences through events such as lunch-and-learns, volunteer opportunities, and community-building experiences. Through these experiences, new hires can engage in the culture and experiences that the firm offers, which aids in their continued professional growth and development.