Building a Diverse Workforce Through Outreach to Young Talent

Could your organization do more to build impactful relationships with emerging professionals? HR plays a major role in fostering a more diverse and inclusive workforce, as well as addressing talent shortages. To stay proactive, organizations must rethink their approach to recruiting and retaining early-career talent in an environment that’s constantly shifting, according to experts.

“When you ask CHROs across the board what it is they are experiencing, the No. 1 thing that comes to mind is that they don’t have enough talent coming into the equation to be truly successful,” said Alex Alonso, SHRM-SCP, chief data and analytics officer at SHRM. 

Stress regarding inclusion and diversity (I&D) is high among HR professionals, with 33% expecting the Trump administration’s executive orders involving these initiatives to have a negative impact on their organization, according to SHRM’s February 2025 Current Events Pulse Research.

Meanwhile, 77% report difficulty finding candidates for full-time roles in the previous year, a 2024 SHRM survey noted. 

HR professionals can help address these concerns by updating their hiring strategies, prioritizing accessibility for emerging professionals through outreach programs and collegiate partnerships, or redefining traditional recruitment measures. Additionally, resources such as SHRM’s BEAM Framework for Inclusion: Aligning Merit with Organizational Excellence can help align internal needs while ensuring your organization remains compliant, equitable, and fair.

Start by evaluating your organization’s approach to engaging with emerging professionals and learn to address the major obstacles to forming productive relationships with them.  

Obstacle #1: Inaccessible Experience

Traditionally, internships and apprenticeships have served as the starting point for early-career individuals, providing them with valuable real-world experience and industry connections. More than half (50%-60%) of interns are converted to permanent, full-time employees, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).  

However, these opportunities can inadvertently exclude qualified, deserving applicants due to restrictive eligibility criteria — or a narrow definition of what makes a “qualified” candidate. Many organizations limit their internship and apprenticeship opportunities to candidates actively pursuing a degree.  

While the intention might be to attract high-achieving students, this can also create a barrier for candidates of nontraditional career paths, particularly those who may lack access to higher education.  

Solution: Skills-Based Assessments

HR professionals should consider focusing on demonstrated proficiencies and potential rather than academic enrollment. Skills-based assessments can be helpful in determining an individual’s fit for a role. One approach is to develop an examination that allows candidates to display the required skills for an opportunity. For example, a hiring manager may assign a coding project to a prospective software engineer, allowing them to demonstrate their knowledge of the relevant language. 

This recommendation prioritizes passion, creativity, and drive, rather than traditional markers of merit, such as an in-progress degree or high GPA.  

“As the skills-mismatch crisis persists, excluding candidates without higher education, thereby ignoring their meaningful experience, is no longer an option,” said Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, CHRO at SHRM. “Valuing skills alongside credentials in determining merit opens doors for underrepresented demographics who historically have less access to higher education, all while hiring the best candidate for the job.”

With a skills-first mindset, organizations can cultivate a broader pool of emerging talent, dismantling outdated recruiting biases that prevent them from allowing diversity to transpire — without compromising on merit. This also provides emerging professionals of nontraditional career paths with the opportunity to gain the experience they need to permanently enter the workforce.  

“Leveraging skills evaluations is key in identifying the most qualified candidates, allowing applicants to demonstrate their capabilities by displaying their talents,” said Link. “Furthermore, prioritizing the results of these assessments in evaluating candidacy lowers the barrier to entering the workforce for highly qualified candidates who lack degrees.”

Organizations should also consider the role that inclusive and accessible internships play in talent retention. These programs provide emerging professionals with the opportunity to experience a new field before entering it on a permanent basis, thus lowering the likelihood that early-career candidates will leave permanent, full-time roles after unexpectedly realizing that the industry isn’t for them.  

“The beauty of an internship program is that it gives talent the opportunity to figure out if this [job] is something they want to do,” said Corey Smith, head of diversity and inclusion, North America at LVMH, a French holdings company in the luxury goods industry. “It works both ways. We give them access. We give them opportunities. But at the end of the summer, if they decide, ‘Hey, you know what, I think I’m going to switch [my career path],’ that exposure gives them the skills they need to figure out what they want to do in life. In my view, everyone should have that type of access.”

Obstacle #2: Lack of Diversity in Collegiate Partnerships 

HR professionals often work with colleges and universities to meet emerging professionals in person, appearing on campuses during networking events to cultivate strong pools of early-career talent and build relationships with students. They may also use school job boards to promote their internship opportunities.  

Many organizations partner with exclusive academic institutions, such as Ivy League universities and other prestigious colleges, to identify top early-career talent. However, these partnerships often unintentionally create additional barriers for students attending other institutions.

Solution: Network with Students at a Variety of Institutions 

To foster true inclusion, HR must adopt a more balanced approach to its outreach efforts. HR professionals should expand their reach by conducting these recruiting initiatives at regional public universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and community colleges, too.

“It’s all about finding the best and brightest talent there is,” Smith said. “That requires us to look for that talent in all places. The idea that this talent can only come from one place is false.” 

This approach celebrates a desire to learn, rather than academic pedigree, among early-career professionals. A skills-first mindset expands talent pools for internships and entry-level roles, minimizing the barrier to entering the workforce for all students — not just those who attend elite universities.

 “It is about tapping into communities that may not have always had a point of privilege, and therefore access to the workforce,” Smith added. “We pull from HBCUs as much as we do Ivy Leagues. We pull from private schools as much as we do public schools. That ideology ensures that we are getting the best talent out there.” 

Obstacle #3: Lack of High-Demand Skills

HR’s continuing struggle to source qualified candidates is related to the “skills-mismatch crisis” — meaning professionals are having difficulty keeping up with the rapidly evolving needs of the workforce. That’s why it’s important that organizations play an active role in their development, experts said. 

Solution: Play an Active Role in Education

Collaboration between organizations and universities can go beyond simply recruiting soon-to-be graduates. HR professionals should work with colleges to help shape curricula that align with the current demands of the workforce. By doing so, organizations ensure that students — regardless of their institution — graduate with the most relevant skills and learning experiences needed to thrive in their fields. 

Such efforts not only benefit students but also ensure a steady pipeline of skilled candidates for the hiring organization. The result is a win-win for both parties: Students acquire the critical skills they need to succeed, while organizations benefit from better-aligned talent pools.  

“Building the next generation and talent pipeline is important because it helps us maintain our relevance in the future,” Smith said. “Our future is predicated on bringing in the most experienced, most diverse, most qualified talent there is.”

HR professionals should consider forming relationships with colleges in their communities and networking with the educators relevant to their industries, making them aware of the skills emerging professionals need to meet evolving workplace demands. These relationships don’t just strengthen the talent pipeline — they also put an organization on the map for students about to begin a job search, Link said. 

“As the skills-mismatch crisis persists, now is the time for organizations to get involved with the development of young professionals, ensuring a consistent source of qualified talent,” Link said. “HR professionals should consider building a partnership with local academic institutions. Meet with educators in your industry and build a relationship with them. Advise them on high-demand skills and explain the toolkits necessary for emerging professionals to succeed in today’s fast-paced workforce.”