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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
Smith+Nephew 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
Smith+Nephew is passionate about its emerging talent population because of the value they bring to the organization. Due to their pioneering spirit and drive, they created the company's first employee inclusion group six years ago. This is just one example of why Smith+Nephew invests in its talent. Individually and collectively, they have saved the company millions of dollars with their innovative ideas. Smith+Nephew truly believes they are its future leaders and provide learning, mentoring, and stretch assignments that make an impact on its organizations
Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruitment
Smith+Nephew believes that a school-agnostic approach to campus recruitment is the most effective way to recruit diverse talent. Sourcing candidates through Parker Dewey and the Micro-Internship Program, Smith+Nephew has been exposed to students from hundreds of different universities around the United States, and has hired many students for internships and full-time positions.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
In 2022, Smith+Nephew attended the National Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers National conferences. Additionally, Smith+Nephew continues to attend multi-school events, including the Atlanta University Center Consortium, which is comprised of HBCUs. Prior to final round interviews, Smith+Nephew hosts information sessions for candidates focused on its Employee Inclusion Groups to ensure all have an excellent candidate experience.
Impactful Internship Program
Smith+Nephew’s intern program has a 98% satisfaction rate year-over-year, and interns are considered full-time employees when they join the organization. They participate in community service and their work is meaningful and critical to the company’s mission. Another hallmark of the program is that Smith+Nephew listens to their feedback and implements their ideas. One example is that Smith+Nephew has paired interns cross-functionally and cross-geographically so they can learn from one another. Another idea interns had is a weekly “intern spotlight”, where interns share their work with each other. In addition, Smith+Nephew has a lunch and learn series that provides development and learning opportunities, and hosts an international poster competition and allows interns to present to senior leaders to showcase their accomplishments. Incorporating interns ideas, the impact they have on the projects they are leading, and exposure to senior leaders all make this intern program best in-class.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
Smith+Nephew believes emerging talent is its future. In the past five years, it has developed global leadership development programs around the world and has unified them with the Smith+Nephew Acceleration Program (SNAP). The program was developed by current leadership development participants and is supported by the company’s most senior leaders. The team hosted its first Summit, where the participants came together to learn about the company, themselves, and one another. SNAP Chat groups were designed to continue the conversations throughout the year and are cross-geographical, representing three continents and are cross-functional including R+D, Commercial, Supply Chain, and IT. The Smith+Nephew Young Professionals Employee Inclusion Group is one of the oldest and most prolific organizations at Smith+Nephew. With 13 chapters worldwide and over 500 members globally, this group provides leadership training, community service, and social events to young professionals.