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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
WeWork 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
WeWork interns and new graduates are fundamental to the company’s growth. WeWork provides the training and mentorship — they bring the drive and determination. Across its 700+ global locations, WeWork has opportunities spanning different fields to help interns and recent grads get started on their professional journey. They’ll work on and own a variety of projects, opening the door for growth and opportunities to step outside their comfort zone. WeWork interns participate in a robust ten-week program that offers the opportunity to learn about WeWork’s industry and products through an immersive experience.
Innovative and Multi-Faceted Approach to University Recruitment
The Campus recruiting team at WeWork is striving to build an innovative and inclusive early talent strategy. The team prioritizes a school-agnostic recruiting approach to ensure that all candidates are on a level playing field. Experienced with the process (some of the recruiters started off as campus hires themselves), the team strives to ensure that students receive a high-touch, personalized candidate experience to help them feel seen and included. Aside from participating in Campus recruiting events, WeWork hosts resume workshops — both in person and virtually — with student organizations, focusing on first-generation students who may not have been taught the unspoken rules of recruiting. It also hosts student groups on tours of various WeWork buildings to get a behind-the-scenes look at a post-grad office experience that provides innovative spaces and flexible solutions.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) are at the core of WeWork’s mission, values and goals, and are prioritized throughout the employee experience, starting with the recruitment of its intern cohort and entry-level positions. WeWork recruits diverse talent through a number of channels in its outreach efforts, including partnering with student groups at universities across the country to connect with diverse students. All interviewers at WeWork are required to complete an unconscious bias learning series to ensure they are being proactively inclusive throughout the hiring process. Interns and new grads experience WeWork’s commitment to I&D in a myriad of ways, including live programming opportunities with WeWork’s six, global Employee Community Groups and interactive Allyship at Work workshops, which aim to help employees recognize their privilege and positional power and learn what specific actions they can take to show up as allies.
Impactful Internship Program
Instead of exploring one function or location only, WeWork interns are invited to experience a multitude of cross-functional projects and growth opportunities. They are assigned both a “mentor” and a “buddy”, and participate in ongoing learning and development over the course of the summer, ranging from function-specific to general professional development. In addition, every week a different WeWork leader presents to the group as part of the company’s national speaker series. Interns are encouraged to join Inclusion & Diversity events; past events included a virtual LGBTQIA+ Leadership Panel, virtual Drag Queen Bingo, virtual Juneteenth celebrations, and walking in the New York City LGBTQ+ Pride March for interns located in New York City. WeWork also hosts an intern-specific WeRead session, which features diverse authors. The program is rounded out by a formal talent management process, including goal setting and completion of mid-summer and end-of-summer self reflections and assessments. Interns’ WeWork keycard gives them access to more than 700 WeWork locations worldwide — giving them the opportunity to explore all of WeWork’s product offerings during their internship.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
WeWork is invested in new hires’ professional growth, providing continuous development opportunities and learning resources. As part of their onboarding journey, new hires participate in a virtual session with the additional opportunity to learn more about WeWork’s products and member experience during an immersive, in-person session at a WeWork building. All employees have access to global learning offerings to help achieve their learning goals. Additionally, WeWork’s Office of Inclusion promotes a workplace environment that helps to foster diversity through the attraction, engagement, development, and advancement of entry-level talent of traditionally marginalized identities.