News

Plenty has been written about top ‘feeder schools’ or target schools that define the graduate recruiting strategy for some of the world’s most coveted and recognized workplaces. I think it’s a flawed approach. It’s limiting and great talent gets systematically overlooked. Some of the most creative and dedicated minds in the country aren’t studying at those specific schools, and therefore, don’t get exposure to the same opportunities. Fortunately, there are companies making bold moves to change this for example Penguin Random House, Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

One organization changing the game and expanding opportunities for future leaders is the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. TMCF is dedicated to transforming the lives of students at Historically Black Colleges & Universities and they’re making bold moves in how they identifying future leaders and connecting them with top companies across the country.

Each year, TMCF’s Talent Acquisition team identifies and prepares an average of 1,800 students across 47 member-school campuses around the country for success in the workplace. Of those 1,800, approximately 400 students get selected and invited to attend the Leadership Institute Conference which includes a series of individual interviews. It’s an intense challenge for the TMCF talent acquisition team charged with giving all 400 students a fair shot; using the interviews to connect students with top companies that will be an ideal skill and culture fit for both sides. I find it inspiring to see young people full of creativity, motivation and raw talent getting access to opportunities they wouldn’t have had without the kind of work TMCF is doing. Last year, TMCF raised the game even further, implementing a better way to connect students to top employers by moving from a traditional resume based process to a digital one. I sat down with Scott Lilly, VP of Programs at TMCF and President of TMCF’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Division to discuss their new approach to identifying and coaching students for its signature Leadership Institute program.