Employer Panel...the Talent Pipeline

The Talent Pipeline: Corporate Executives Discuss the Strategic Value of Co-op and WIL

companies represented: Merck, GM, RIM, Hilton, Lockheed Martin

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What's more important...GPA or experience?

...neither...they just get you in the door. Who are you? Are you collaborative? Will you fit with our culture?

...past performance is a predictor of future abilities and GPA shows that you can succeed.

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Is it more important to hire from a Co-op school, culturally?

...for RIM, yes.

...for Merck, yes, also. The reason being, it's easier to convert these students to full-time hires.

...for GM, these students are more able to differentiate themselves.

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How should Universities prepare their students? (from Sweden)

...students seem to have difficulty working in the corporate world. If it were possible to create a learning space for students (tip sheets, classroom experiences, confidentiality discssions), this would have recognizable benefits. Even something as simple as email etiquette is important.

Expectation levelling would be worthwhile, also. For example, corporate entities don't pay for lunch and commuting time.

...collaboration in classrooms and with other students in project work seems to be recognized as beneficial.

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Is the internship program integrated with the talent management program?

...Merck says yes, including both succession planning and the full involvement of MBA candidates in rotations around the world to understand and learn from their business.

...GM says that if candidates can learn from one situation and apply it in another, which is demonstrable even in a Co-op work-term, then it supports their TMP.

...Lockheed says, students should be aware that they are always being observed.

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What are best practices for international exchange? (from Austria)

...from RIM, the issue is work-authorization and immigration policies. The value is apparent...the cost is prohibitive.

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What are your best practices for promoting yourselves on-campus? (from Canada...guess who).
...GM is reevaluating.

...Lockheed, use professors, be on social media, use former students (go for the halo effect),

...RIM, be on-campus and be in-person...paying Ambassadors to be there. Unfortunately at 10% of the workplace population being co-ops, the conversion rate is very low for full-time recruits. So, they are evaluating what works best...don't have to do much in Ontario...but do have work to do in other countries.

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What characterized your best Co-op student and how did you challenge them?

...RIM, we have great technical talent. It's their interpersonal skills and communication abilities that distinguish them.

...from Merck, being able to craft something innovative with little or no guidance is distinguishing our current Co-op student.

...GM, a student who is involved in extracurriculars and can multitask is what we're after.

...at Lockheed, they welcome the problem-solver and the willingness to tackle a difficult situation.

First Day of Interviews

So much goes on behind the scenes to make career opportunities blossom for university students. There's a great team developing opportunities with the employer community and others dedicated to the logistics of bringing the parties together.

The bloom opened today. We've got a full house of employers and students who are all trying to make the best decisions for themselves.

It brings a real refreshment to the air through the energy that exudes from the overall excitement. Yes, students may be more on-edge than employers since they look at the mountain from the bottom, while the hiring people feel it through their obligation and willingness to make the right selection and keep their team moving up the mountain.

At the risk of forcing the metaphors together, everyone should recognize that flowers in the meadow on the mountain are what it's about.