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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
Land O'Lakes, Inc. 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.
Standout Candidate Experience
Land O’Lakes developed the New Hire Engagement Program to foster community and connection. Through virtual and in-person events, speakers, newsletters, and gift mailers, incoming interns and full-time hires have multiple opportunities to connect with the business and their cohort. From the time students accept their offer until their start dates, they receive regular check-ins from the college team and assigned mentors. When interns start in May, all attend a weeklong in-person orientation to connect with senior leaders, attend networking events, and receive internship specific training. Interns complete a mid-summer performance review and are sent a feedback survey to share thoughts on their experience. They continue to invest in new grad talent with in-person skill building and leadership trainings 3 times a year at their headquarters.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Land O’Lakes partners with several diversity centered organizations such as The Consortium, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and MANRRS. When attending diversity conferences, company representatives are comprised of alumni of those organizations. Hired interns from diversity focused orgs, HBCU’s, and HSI’s are paired with a mentor for their summer. The College Team also has dedicated strategies to increase brand awareness and hiring at HBCU’s and HSI’s across the country. During intern orientation, there is a dedicated DEI session and ERG social for interns to network with leaders and encouraged to join any ERG of their choosing. And new this year, the Land O’Lakes College and Foundation teams launched the Rooted in Tomorrow Scholarship dedicated to 1st year students within the MANRRS organization.
Impactful Internship Program
Land O’Lakes recognizes Gen Z is seeking in-person connections to access peers, managers, and executive leadership. This is why they continue to invest in a fully in-person experience including a weeklong orientation and in-person final presentations. As a Fortune 250 agriculture cooperative, they introduce their business model through tours of various facilities across the country leading cutting-edge research, member-owned farms, and Answer Plot systems. Intern projects are designed to fully immerse students into their company mission, giving them the opportunity to impact our communities by building sustainable futures, contributing to rural vibrancy, and solving real-world problems to end food insecurity. Through a thoughtful and impactful internship experience, they have a 96% conversion rate from intern to full-time hires.