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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
CDK Global was selected as a 2024 Campus Forward Award Winner for their unwavering commitment to seeking out and hiring early career talent and investments in nurturing and retaining the next generation of diverse talent. Please see below for the highlights of their approach to early career recruitment.
Multi-Faceted and Thoughtful Approach to University Recruitment
The Early Career Talent team at CDK Global emphasizes one important concept while sourcing and recruiting early career talent: authenticity. Everything the team does, from intentional school choices to booth presentation, is done in an unscripted, personal manner that allows for more meaningful connections. Because the team strives for genuine connection, a hybrid recruitment strategy is paramount; recruitment events are hosted both in-person and virtually in order to meet students where they’re at, and in-person events are engaging via social games and innovative tools. For example, one of the most recent tools is Popl, a digital business card option where students can scan a QR code and be brought to a variety of resources: team LinkedIn pages to company and program profiles, awards won and testimonials from previous interns, and more. Ultimately, CDK Global’s early career talent recruiting strategy strives to align with these generational values: authenticity, innovation, and transparency.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core to CDK Global’s mission and values, and therefore are a driving force within the internship program. The CDK Early Career Talent team maintains strong relationships with a variety of institutions that allow for networking with students who are diverse in race, gender identity, and socioeconomic status. Last recruiting season, the team attended career fair events that emphasized meeting underrepresented talent, such as a Hispanic-Serving Institution Virtual Career Expo that supported more than dozen institutions. Additionally, CDK Global is very excited to begin working with ColorStack, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting Black and Latinx students as they search for internship and fulltime employment within computer science. However, D&I doesn’t end with recruiting a great team of interns; it’s crucial to create an environment where every hire commits to further supporting representation. Therefore, CDK Global is proud to offer early career talent exposure opportunities such as social corporate responsibility events that emphasize STEM education, engagement with CDK’s Minority Dealership Program and the businesses their serve, and speaker series that demonstrate and offer leadership and mentorship.
Impactful Internship Program
At CDK Global, interns are treated holistically with opportunities to grow professionally, personally, and socially. CDK Interns add significant value to the business by engaging in real, live projects alongside full-time employees. Being engaged in projects that will ultimately be utilized by the company allows the intern team to test their skills and knowledge in a live environment. CDK Global also offers a variety of programs that ensure their young professionals gain insights and skills for future success, such as a Talent Acquisition Workshop series focused on professional development and a formal mentorship program where all interns are guided by seasoned professionals. However future success isn’t defined just by things learned; it’s also in the network built by a full experience, and CDK interns tap into an inherent network built by dedicated Discord channels, in-person and virtual social events, and more.