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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
WillowTree was selected as a 2024 Campus Forward Award Winner for their unwavering commitment to seeking out and hiring early career talent and investments in nurturing and retaining the next generation of diverse talent. Please see below for the highlights of their approach to early career recruitment.
Multi-Faceted and Thoughtful Approach to University Recruitment
WillowTree recently hosted the second annual but revamped “App Dev Con,” a student conference covering topics relevant to mobile app development, both native and multi-platform. WillowTree invited local college students to their Durham office space for a night of learning, networking, and recruiting. Students could self-select into different breakout sessions hosted by WillowTree professionals from a wide range of topics like building a SwiftUI powered app powered by ChatGPT APIs, connecting design and engineering, and an overview of the entire product management lifecycle. Students were able to network with WillowTree professionals and also with other college students interested in a career in application development. The event ended with students learning about WillowTree’s internship program and ways to continue learning from industry professionals.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
WillowTree developed a competition, ‘WillowTree for Good,’ to recruit, retain, and create a difference. Teams of undergraduate students were asked to explore the world’s most pressing challenges and suggest how a digital experience can solve them. Winners of the competition participated in WillowTree's summer internship program, where they spent their summer developing and launching their app alongside a team of WillowTree expert engineers, designers, and strategists. The winning team this summer created a react-native mobile app combating food security in North Carolina called “StayFull.” WillowTree is approaching DE&I in a unique way where they are recruiting underrepresented talent, providing mentorship and support through an impactful summer experience, and using that time to create a product that can make a difference for their local community.
Impactful Internship Program
WillowTree’s Talent Program's three pillars are “Mentorship, Impact, and Community.” Every decision the team makes in regard to recruiting and structuring the summer experience aligns with the core pillars. Each intern is provided with two mentors, one technical and one career-focused, to ensure they make the best of their 11-week learning experience. Each intern is placed on an active client-facing project. WillowTree believes the best way to learn is through hands-on experience and interacting with stakeholders on a live product. The Talent Programs team plans and executes 2-3 events per week ranging from kayaking on the river to career exploration panels. The team believes in the value of creating long-lasting connections for the interns within their intern cohort, project teams, and the broader organization.