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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
Garmin International 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
Garmin views the early career talent program as an investment in the company’s future. The next generation of talent is an essential part of the company’s growth and success, which allows Garmin to bring in fresh perspectives and diverse skill sets from students across the country. The Garmin University Recruiting team is passionate about cultivating relationships with universities and students, and providing an internship experience that is unmatched by others. Garmin is excited to continue building an exceptional program each year. By investing heavily in early career talent, especially interns, professionally and personally, Garmin can help prepare them for a successful future career – hopefully one they will choose to spend at Garmin.
Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruitment
The Garmin University Recruiting Team utilizes a variety of strategies to connect with the next generation of innovators. Garmin’s intern ambassador program is arguably one of the most effective. Interns are selected each summer to serve as a campus ambassador for Garmin, organizing campus events, sharing their Garmin experiences with others, and connecting recruiters with university staff, student organizations, and other students. Garmin’s University Recruiting Team attends and hosts small group and large-scale events at schools across the country in addition to hosting candidates, university faculty, and student groups at Garmin facilities for tours, panel sessions, and meetings with leaders.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Garmin values diverse perspectives and backgrounds and invests heavily in DEI efforts both internally and externally. Garmin partners with community organizations and student groups like NSBE, SHPE, SASE, SWE, Grace Hopper, Rewriting the Code, and others, in addition to MSIs, to provide support and promote Garmin’s job opportunities. Garmin strives to maintain and build its inclusive and welcoming culture through a number of initiatives and involvement opportunities within the intern program. Garmin has seven associate-driven Business Resource Groups that associates and interns are encouraged to take part in: Black EnterpR.I.S.E., Emerging Professionals, GPSVets, Juntos, LGBTQ+ Allies, Women’s Business Forum, and C.A.R.E.S. Not only can interns participate as a member of the BRGs, but they can also opt into the Peer Resource Program. This program matches the intern with a peer mentor from one of the BRGs to provide mentorship, connection, and coaching.
Impactful Internship Program
Garmin seeks to cultivate the next generation of innovators and provide each intern with an authentic experience. Interns are immersed in Garmin’s approachable culture and make a significant, tangible impact on the products. Interns may find themselves writing code, loading it to their watch, and going for a run to test the feature they created. They may go to the lake to work on a boating product or go on a flight in one of Garmin’s many onsite aircraft to see the avionics in action. Garmin interns take pride in making such a prominent impact on the products and have fun getting to be their own end user. They also build lasting relationships with associates and other interns through the mentorship program, peer resource program, professional development sessions, social events, and service opportunities. This is why Garmin’s intern program continues to be its best pipeline for future early career talent.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
Garmin provides opportunities for new associates to participate in the “Inside Garmin” new associate engagement program, which offers associates within their first year of employment a holistic view of the company by showcasing various parts of the business and helping make long-lasting connections. New associates are invited to sessions that expose them to different leaders, departments, resources, and initiatives, in addition to networking lunches and events. Early career associates are also paired with a mentor from their team as an additional resource to learn from and connect with. Garmin encourages its associates to take part in the seven Business Resource Groups and over 40 other clubs and special interest groups that are available. Garmin also offers professional development sessions to associates to help them achieve their career goals. The more associates learn and connect within the company, the more fulfilled they will feel in a long-term career at Garmin.