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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
Crestron Electronics 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
Crestron knows that technology is always evolving, and that diverse and dynamic teams tend to be more innovative. Part of Crestron's talent strategy is to support its industry-best internship and co-op program to drive early career hiring, while infusing the organization with diversity and encouraging new ideas and fresh perspectives. Crestron's internship and co-op program has grown by 80% in 4 years, and its intern conversion rate has grown six-fold in the same time frame. Senior leadership supports this program knowing its potential to keep growing and redefining our company and our industry.
Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruitment
Crestron's campus and early career team believes in making authentic connections with students; simply posting a job on a job board isn't enough to stand out. Students are feeling "ZOOM fatigue", and while automating several functions, the team still believes the best way to attract and retain top talent is with an innovative and honest approach. Crestron leverages its alumni network at partner institutions to provide current students with an example of success, as well as bringing alumni of the intern program itself to institutions to share their career path. Crestron works closely with trade and vocational schools as well to develop and source diverse talent for manufacturing and installation roles, which have a lucrative starting point and broad career path in a growing industry. Crestron invests resources in the training and development of early career talent through its mentorship program, innovation challenge, and training activities, including modules on personal financial literacy, long-term opportunity, and non-technical skills such as communication and emotional intelligence.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Bringing a diverse early career workforce to Crestron is a cornerstone of the long-term strategy to shift the company and the A/V industry into a more inclusive era. Crestron partners with campus and national organizations such as SWE (Society of Women Engineers), SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers), NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers), Girls Who Code, and many more. Every early career talent we bring to Crestron is assigned a dedicated mentor, many of whom are alumni of the intern program and many of whom come from diverse backgrounds as well. Crestron does not limit DEI to topics such as race and age; the organization believes in promoting a safe work space for all communities. LGBTQIA+ individuals, individuals with disabilities, military veterans, and the neurodiverse are considered in every DEI and early career initiative the company makes.
Impactful Internship Program
Crestron's intern experience is unlike any other in the A/V industry. Students who have gone through the Crestron internship program often speak about how welcoming the company culture is, how challenging and relevant the work is, how valuable it is having a mentor, and how surprised they are that this privately-owned company has the global reach and scope that it has. Whether on-site, hybrid, or remote, Crestron's early-career talent is expected to think as innovators, regardless of department or major, and to regard the program as a stepping stone to future career opportunities. Crestron's interns and co-ops are also involved in Corporate Social Responsibility projects each summer, with past projects supporting DEI and STEM initiatives. This is important, as it taps into the sense of civic responsibility of the new generations and reinforces how important Crestron's community is to its continued success and fulfillment of its responsibilities to the world at large.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
At the end of each summer, Crestron's intern and co-op students participate in an internal career fair to provide exposure to various other departments, divisions, and disciplines within the organization. For example, an intern majoring in computer science may have been hired in software engineering for the summer, but sees opportunity within the firmware engineering department long-term. Crestron's early career team works with managers to ensure multiple paths are available, encouraging these employees to try different experiences while reminding them that a career path is rarely a straight line anymore, and that a successful individual at Crestron may spend 30 years with us and work in multiple diverse career paths on hundreds of exciting projects. Having career conversations early and developing non-technical "human skills" such as communication, emotional intelligence, teamwork, change management, and health & wellness are critical to the long-term success and happiness of Creston’s employee population, and its internship and co-op program takes this to heart.