The Path to Millennials: Developing a Pipeline of Talent through Student-based Programs

Ann Marr, Vice President, Human Resources, World Wide Technology, Inc.

Wed., May 24, 2017 from 2:30pm – 3:30pm

At World Wide Technology (WWT), creating an environment that helped drive Innovation and profitability became two of WWT's main cultural initiatives. Those pillars became especially important as WWT began focusing their efforts on recruiting and retaining talent. As a result of the recession between 2009 and 2012, economic production in St. Louis (WWT's headquarters) was moving at a much slower pace than the rest of the nation. Thus, WWT saw an opportunity to develop the millennials in their area through a robust Internship Program as well as a High School STEM Student Forum; helping to raise awareness and foster interest by both college and high school students. The goal of these programs was to improve academic proficiency and provide competitive advantages for both post-graduate job-seekers and college enrollment.

Motivated by this generation because they bring a fresh perspective to business, boundless energy and a dynamic interest in technology, it seemed like a natural fit for World Wide Technology to tap into this workforce by creating programs that educate, train and develop future leaders. By establishing these programs, WWT was able to retain and recruit talented individuals as loyal and trust-worthy employees. This also landed WWT as #8 on the 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials List and on the 20 Best Workplaces for Gen X'ers in 2016.

Hear from Ann Marr, VP of Human Resources at WWT, as she shares her experience with developing leadership programs and provides key insights and best practices that can enhance your company’s ability to attract and retain millennials while understanding how to drive their ambition and prepare them for future leadership opportunities. Also, hear from a current millennial employee at WWT, Emily Montgomery, who helps support these programs and has been directly impacted by WWT's development programs.

Three Key Learning Objectives

• Learn how to tap into your local market of millennials by creating enticing training programs aimed to engage and motivate a new generation of workers.
• Gain insights into what factors drive the younger workforce to succeed in today’s economy, including managers' support for people’s personal and professional lives.
• Learn how to provide leadership opportunities and help millennials successfully navigate within your organization.