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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
Terracon 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
Terracon’s vision is to be ‘Best at People’. This focus inspires leaders to continually lift employees up, give them a voice, and provide them with valuable resources and the empowerment to design their career. The focus on people begins at the very beginning with the intern program. Interns are mentored, trained, and provided with great professional development opportunities. This dedication is carried through to the ‘New Grad’ program. Terracon encourages employees to explore, discover and innovate – and the encouragement continues throughout the duration of their career as new grads grow into professional leaders.
Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruitment
At Terracon, everyone is a part of the campus recruiting team. The local offices provide “champions” who work to develop a close relationship with strategic universities and community colleges. Terracon engages students in a variety of ways – career fairs, resume prep sessions, student organizations, mentorship programs, and building relationships with professors. Students are engaged through both in-person and virtual events. Many interns continue to work with the company throughout the school year. This provides a unique opportunity to stay engaged with them and for them to share their story with their peers. One such student worked part time for three years while attending school. He participated in the official intern program during the summer. Through these efforts, he was given an offer as project manager upon graduation. The office had a fun “signing ceremony” that was shared online with the whole company.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Terracon partners with HBCUs, NSBE, SWE, and other organizations to attract talent. The Terracon Foundation, Terracon’s charitable organization, has set aside specific funds that support equity and inclusion. The grant requests are submitted by employees who are actively engaged with these organizations. Terracon ERGs are grassroots, employee-organized and employee-led groups that support the company’s Guiding Behaviors and offer an excellent support system by serving as the common voice for employee-owners and their diverse perspectives. All employees, from interns to tenured professionals, are encouraged to participate in an existing ERG, or develop one that speaks to their passion. The Inclusive Culture Leadership Team includes approximately 20 employee-owners from across the country to help guide strategic efforts for driving a truly inclusive culture at Terracon.The ERGs, Foundation Grants, dedication to equity and inclusion ,and partnerships with diverse organizations have helped Terracon both attract and retain talent.
Impactful Internship Program
Imagine the CEO being so inspired by your interns’ words that they are now posted online for all employees to access. In 2022, cohorts were incorporated into the intern program, complementing the existing elements of mentorship, technical training, and professional development. Cohorts allow smaller groups of interns to meet on a regular basis and learn about each other’s work across the company. Each cohort gave a final presentation discussing the company values. These presentations were well-attended by executive leaders, including the CEO attending 8 of the 18 presentations. One intern’s quote was: “Terracon has the resources available that interns can take as little or as far as possible […] people are one of those great resources.” Terracon’s conversion rate is higher than industry average. Overall retention is also higher with converted interns.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
Employees are encouraged to get curious and dive deep into their career goals. Career Conversations are a powerful way for supervisors to connect with and retain employees through career growth and development. These conversations play a critical role in creating the "Best at People" employee experience. It helps the company create a place where employees feel they belong and experience opportunities to contribute their best work. A Career Conversation Guide is provided to help professionals find the path to their career goals. New grad programs provide mentorship and a way for new professionals to connect with one another and learn how to make the ‘big world a little smaller’. This mentorship also helps develop the required technical skills to help the professional grow in their career.They can also access Terracon University, a learning management system that provides employees with great development opportunities.