Building an Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruiting

As part of Plante Moran’s “we care” philosophy, they’re dedicated to recruiting students early in their academic career. The firm pride itself in adding value to the students’ educational experience and help them achieve their professional career aspirations by aligning their internship/work experiences to their academic plan and goals. Plante Moran hosts summer leadership events for freshmen and sophomores which provides them an opportunity to see themselves at the firm, meet some staff, and gives them a chance to give back to their community through a volunteer service project. The students who participate in these events tend to accept an internship or full-time opportunity. Plante Moran also utilizes Campus Ambassadors to help guide prospective candidates towards the firm, and to serve as another resource to answer questions and further mentor students. Plante Moran’s Expo Summer Leadership event is designed for freshmen and sophomores and challenges students with skill-centric activities centered around professional development, followed by a community service event.

Crafting a Standout Candidate Experience

The Campus Recruiting team at Plante Moran knows providing a positive candidate experience is the foundation of a successful recruiting season. From the first-time students make contact through the offer acceptance, Plante Moran pride themselves on open communication and transparency. The firm accomplishes this by keeping students updated on the next steps of the hiring process and expected timing through regular outreach from their recruiter, ensuring a member of their team is available to answer questions directly, and proactively seeking out additional resources and assistance from their internal teams when a student has a unique situation or requires special attention. They’ve also invested in new technology, like an interactive chatbot, that allows them to capture important information while allowing the student to share more about themselves.

Moving the Needle on Diversity & Inclusion

Plante Moran values a diverse workforce and realizes diversity, equity and inclusion is a journey, not a destination. The firm continues to build upon their relationships with HBCU’s and national organizations like NABA and ALPHA. They also offer Track – a multi-year program dedicated to the early recruiting of ethnically and racially diverse talent. The experiences provides a mix of real-life scenarios and educational opportunities, while showing students what career options await them in a professional services firm. Students are paid while in the program and experience academic and professional mentorship as they grow from an intern to a future leader.