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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
Kohl's 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
Kohl’s is committed to internal talent growth and the early talent pipeline. The company’s internships and full-time opportunities provide students with an opportunity to make an immediate impact, while bringing fresh ideas to the organization. Kohl’s early talent recruiting initiative provides the business with the opportunity to recruit from diverse universities and organizations, such as Alverno College, Tennessee State University, Texas State University, and San Jose State University, to increase diversity within Kohl’s. Whether it’s an art intern designing graphic tees or a software engineering intern working on the Kohl's App, early talent hires have been an integral part of teams at Kohl’s for more than 20 years.
Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruitment
Kohl’s Early Talent team is dedicated to a year-round recruiting and sourcing approach to attract the best talent to the organization. Kohl’s team posts all jobs to major job boards, such as Handshake, LinkedIn, and WayUp, targeted at two and four-year universities. The team also targets industry organizations, including the National Retail Federation and National Association of Black Accountants. Additionally, the team attends campus events including career fairs, student organization events, conferences, and class presentations. Locally, Kohl’s Early Talent team partners with local organizations, such as All In Milwaukee. Nationally, the team collaborates with partners, including Harbor Institute, to focus on diverse recruitment. Kohl’s truly takes a hybrid recruitment approach with a combination of sourcing applicants and showing up through in-person events.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
To further improve understanding, awareness, support, and engagement in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, all leaders and associates go through an Unconscious Bias and Inclusive Leadership curriculum. In addition, Kohl’s has eight BRGs with more than 9,500 members focused on driving the business by recognizing and championing diversity and inclusion. As it relates to engaging with diverse students and strengthening recruiting efforts, Kohl’s has expanded its talent attraction practices to make more meaningful connections with Black and Hispanic professionals, including broadening its reach at places like diverse colleges and universities, as well as building relationships with Black and Hispanic professional associations. Kohl’s also expanded outreach by utilizing various channels to enhance exposure to and recruiting of diverse talent. This included diverse-centric talent sourcing tools and external partnerships with organizations such as All-In Milwaukee, Harbor Institute, National Association of Black Accountants, National Society of Black Engineers, AnitaB.Org, and Prospanica.
Impactful Internship Program
Kohl’s believes that understanding and embracing differences is fundamental in creating an inclusive environment for all. The company strives to be purposeful in attracting, growing, and engaging more diverse talent, while giving associates equitable opportunities for career growth. Kohl’s interns work 40 hours a week and are paid competitive wages for 8-10 weeks over the summer. All Kohl’s Interns are working on real projects throughout the summer, and making a true impact on the business. More than 70% of interns are offered a full-time job for after they graduate. During their time at Kohl’s, interns have the opportunity to hear from Kohl’s Leadership through the Kohl’s Executive Speaker Series that is available to all interns across Stores, EFCs, and Corporate. Additionally, there are formal development sessions, social activities, and volunteer opportunities for all interns. They also have the opportunity to join all eight BRGs.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
Kohl’s is proud to provide a combination of live and on demand learning opportunities for new hires. Most entry-level positions are part of large training classes that are given 7 to 12 weeks to commit to formally training. There are department specific classes and trainings facilitated by Talent Development, as well as computer-based learning. Kohl’s also leverages LinkedIn Learning to provide a library of training videos for associates at all stages of their careers. The Business Resource Groups provide mentorship opportunities and host presentations to help members learn about various topics and participate in development opportunities. Through development plans and annual performance goals, new hires continually partner with their manager to work through personal strengths and opportunities.