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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
The J.M. Smucker Company 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
JMS believes that nurturing the next generation of talent is an essential part of the growth and success of the company. That’s why the work of JMS's early careers team is so important and the company invests in recruiting and hiring so many promising individuals at universities across the country.
Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruitment
The university relations team at JMS goes above and beyond to connect with the next generation of talent both on and off campus. Adopting a hybrid approach to recruitment, the team participated in both virtual and in-person events and even hosted its own career fair on-site. The team also planned strategic in-person events at a select group of colleges – such as HBCUs and HSIs – to provide students with valuable face-to-face interaction and to deepen relationships. Once students enter the pipeline, the team at JMS prioritizes candidate care and students have the opportunity to meet with multiple people from the business.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
The UR team at JMS is passionate about finding and connecting with a diverse set of students across the country. To recruit more students, the team at JMS has built new relationships with HBCUs and HSI, and paired with national organizations such as SWE and NSBE. In addition to recruitment, JMS is proud to offer interns and recent graduates the opportunity to join its ERGs, provide mentors, and more.
Impactful Internship Program
At JMS, interns are empowered with impactful projects that contribute to real business outcomes, in addition to an inclusive, welcoming experience. As a hybrid internship program, interns have the chance to gain real-world experience with the benefits of flexible work schedules, leaving time for plenty of community-building on top of exciting technical and non-technical projects. Interns also have the chance to learn from company executives during lunch-and-learns, coffee with the CEO, 1-1 mentorship opportunities, tours of the Innovation Lab, a dodgeball tournament, as well as final presentations presented to business leaders (and so much more). These components are part of JMS's significant investment in early career talent, leading to a 84% intern return offer rate.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
JMS goes above and beyond to set up its new full-time hires for long-term success at the company. Starting with a robust onboarding, entry-level hires are provided not only with on-the-job training, but the building blocks for professional success at the company.