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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
Lumen Technologies 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
Lumen believes that to drive its mission of furthering human progress through technology, it must be committed to the growth and development of its next generation of talent. This commitment is supported through its early career and internship program opportunities. The work of Lumen’s University Relations team is critical to its early career strategy, playing a vital role in recruitment and hiring, delivery of an award-winning internship program, and driving forward the company's DE&I strategies. Lumen is excited and committed to continuing to build best-in-class early career programs.
Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruitment
Lumen’s University Relations team leverages a multi-layered approach when it comes to connecting with the next generation of talent, recognizing its critical to reaching talent ‘where they are’ and in a way that will resonate with them personally. Over the last couple of years, Lumen has developed a hybrid approach to engaging early career talent; on-campus, at virtual events, and through various social and digital strategies like LinkedIn Live events, Virtual info sessions, and Youtube. Through this “triad” approach, Lumen can share information about the company, such as the meaningful work, programs, and culture. Lumen’s strategies have ensured that it is focused on reaching and engaging diverse talent from a diverse mix of colleges and universities across the country. Once students apply to Lumen, everyone is provided with resources about its processes, interviewing at Lumen, and offered the opportunity to complete a virtual video interview.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Lumen knows that one of its strengths is the diversity of its people, and it is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture. The mix of viewpoints, talents, experiences, backgrounds, and beliefs found at Lumen makes it stronger as an organization. The University Relations team is passionate about finding and connecting with a diverse mix of students and universities across the country. To recruit a diverse slate of candidates, the team has forged new relationships with HBCUs, HSIs, and public universities, as well as built out a robust set of diversity-focused partnerships with national and regional organizations. Lumen also offers interns and new grads support when they join the company in the form of mentorship, employee resource groups, and development programs.
Impactful Internship Program
The goal of Lumen’s program is the success and growth of the intern for career readiness. Lumen strives to create a program that will expand and enhance their professional and personal development, as well as their network. Interns can work on projects that directly impact the business and are provided mentors and internship “host” to help guide them to success. A critical criterion for the program is the commitment from senior leaders as a pathway for diverse early career talent into the organization, with the willingness to convert interns. This past summer, Lumen converted 75% of its eligible intern cohort. The intern program experience starts from the time the individual accepts their offer to join the program, approx. 6 -9 months prior to the actual start date, with monthly group video calls and weekly newsletters. During the program, interns are exposed to the value of owning their commitments, possessing a growth mindset, and the significance of inclusivity.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
Lumen’s early career programs focus on a robust onboarding and new hire experience. Its early career and rotational programs not only provide on-the-job training, but the building blocks for professional success at the company. Within the first 90 days, these new hires are given the option to participate in a dedicated mentorship program, as well as regular career mapping check-ins. Individuals who are a part of Lumen’s leadership development rotational program are provided with support and professional development, given the opportunity to explore different career paths within the company before solidifying their long-term professional focus.