Companies are now taking a very strategic look at university recruitment, with a growing focus on identifying and aligning with a few select “key schools”. Being designated as a “key school” enhances the level of attention the school will receive from a corporation and its leaders. This includes recruitment of full-time hires and interns, partnerships with faculty in their research and teaching efforts, and corporate philanthropy directed toward programs, faculty, and students.
I am pleased to report that one of the large distribution industry firms we recently visited designated us as their key school for hiring in the southeast. The School of Business and UAB clearly have an opportunity to add real value in the evolving hiring practices related to well educated business students, as major public and private corporations begin to move toward modest hiring and related intern/training programs.
Meeting with industry leaders is a key part of our increased focus on communicating with our alumni and external stakeholders. The School’s External Relations staff and I are meeting face-to-face with alumni and key employers around the country. They are telling us they can help facilitate potential recruitment opportunities for our students as their companies begin to consider recent graduate hiring. In continuing this outreach, I want to know how your company is dealing with the economic recovery---i.e. do you see signs within your organization of an improving outlook, is your organization hiring, are you bullish or bearish on the economy? Post your response here and I look forward to continuing the dialogue with you.
