Recognized for Excellence in Every Campus Forward Award Category
UKG received a Campus Forward Award for Excellence in Recruitment Strategies, Tech Innovation, Candidate Experience, DE&I, and Internship Programming.
Receiving an award for each category reflects UKG's unwavering excellence and commitment to providing the best experience for the next generation of talent. UKG invests in innovative recruitment strategies, cutting-edge technology, thoughtful candidate experiences, inclusive recruitment practices, and standout internship programs. See below for the highlights of their strategies in each one of these categories.
Excellence in Recruitment Strategies
The Early Careers recruiting team at UKG exemplifies an innovative approach to sourcing and recruiting emerging talent. They actively engage with the next generation of employees through strategic, in-person events at target schools near their headquarters, offering invaluable resources such as resume workshops and interview preparation. Furthermore, UKG hosted 40 diverse events during the Fall of 2024, reaching over 2,000 candidates through virtual workshops, presentations, campus office hours, and face-to-face interactions. To showcase UKG’s competitive offerings and vibrant culture, the team developed an Early Career & Internships landing page. This page combines video, testimonials, and office walk-throughs. To support emerging talent in their pipeline, UKG updated candidate messaging to include helpful resources, such as: career advice articles from UKG recruiters and technical assessment tutorials.
Excellence in Tech Innovation
UKG’s early careers team utilizes platforms like RippleMatch in their process to increase efficiency and respond to applicants more quickly. The platform provides data analytics and insights on the effectiveness of sourcing and events, enhancing the team’s ability to provide a positive candidate experience and make strategic decisions. The platform allows for seamless event follow up, sending every candidate personalized communication, while moving top candidates into the hiring process efficiently. The team also uses the platform to pipeline candidates and tailor periodic communication, using technology tools such as ChatGPT to draft messages. The team uses other tools and platforms, such as HackerRank, to efficiently assess technical skills without losing the personalized touch.
Excellence in Candidate Experience
The Early Careers team at UKG prioritizes candidate experience, ensuring every touchpoint in the hiring process is smooth and meaningful. UKG has established the Talent Squad, a group of employees who join early careers events to share personal experiences and set clear role expectations. UKG also involves former interns, now in early-career roles, to help conduct interviews and put candidates at ease. This year, UKG launched technical prep webinars for students completing coding assessments. Held twice a week, these sessions cover key assessment components, tips from engineers, and coding topics to focus on. This initiative boosted student confidence and improved candidate passing rates
Excellence in DE&I
At UKG, interns and Early Careers roles account for approximately 20% of the hiring, and representation at the entry- level moves the needle on diversity across the organization. In a commitment to fostering connections with diverse talent, the team sponsors various organizations, including SWE, WiCS, NSBE, and others. UKG partners with community partners that support underrepresented minorities entering the tech space. For instance, they support first-generation students at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, offering scholarships and training to help them earn their degree and thrive in tech careers.
Excellence in Internship Programming
UKG believes in recognizing interns for their contributions to the organization and commitment to transitioning into the workforce. The Intern Academy is a paid program for technical and business career tracks, where interns participate in interesting, challenging, and meaningful work. UKG interns are embedded into existing teams and fully integrated into the work of that team, allowing each intern to make an individual impact. The program balances this hands-on approach with one-to-one mentorship and consistent feedback on clearly established expectations for success. Interns are trained to problem-solve, think innovatively, and work collaboratively with the support of professional development.
