This week, we’re highlighting some exciting events you won’t want to miss—whether you’re in full-on summer internship mode, thinking ahead to fall campus recruiting, or looking for new ideas to enhance diversity and inclusion initiatives. 

Got 15 minutes to spare? Join us today at 12 PM ET for a recording of CXR's latest eXpertease podcast episode. We'll discuss experiential recruiting and how it can help companies overcome recruiting challenges and provide more equitable opportunities for diverse talent–particularly during their early career recruiting process.

On Thursday, May 6, tune in at 1 PM ET to our conversation with Color Magazine, where we’ll talk about how your organization can maximize the value of employee resource groups. ERGs not only create community and inclusive spaces in our workplaces, but can also be a selling point for recruiting high-potential talent.

I hope you can join us sometime this week! (And if not, keep an eye out for links to the replays.)

Jeffrey Moss, Founder and CEO

Articles of the Week

Pandemic-To-Permanent: 11 Lasting Changes to Higher Education - Forbes

Why Organizations are Hiring for Skills Over Experience - Hunt Scanlon Media

The Job: Priming the Pump - Paul Fain

Should Candidates Be Rejected for Typos? Or Resume Gaps? Or Leaving Their Resumes at Home? - LinkedIn Talent Blog

Pandemic-To-Permanent: 11 Lasting Changes to Higher Education - Forbes

“As employers have become accustomed to the shift to virtual internships, they are beginning to see tremendous advantages to them – including being able to recruit more diverse candidates where physical location used to be a barrier (think cost prohibitive locations such as Washington DC or San Francisco).”

It goes without saying that the pandemic has rocked the landscape of higher education. From the growing momentum of the test optional movement, to the appetite for more impactful DEI initiatives, the numerous shifts brought about in this last year are here to stay. And among the 11 major changes captured by Forbes: the growing prevalence of virtual internships and a shrinking emphasis on elite academic pedigree, two topics we cover often at Parker Dewey. 

Related reading: Succeeding in the New Normal: Virtual Recruiting

Why Organizations are Hiring for Skills Over Experience - Hunt Scanlon Media

“‘The pandemic has required substantial changes to how we live and work. The same should be true for how we hire and look for employment. [...] A skills-based approach helps companies, job seekers, and the broader communities that rely on critical roles being filled with the best talent.’”

From reducing unconscious bias in the hiring process, to accessing new talent pools, the benefits of skills-based hiring are many (we’ve even written about them at length.) A new report by McKinsey & Company further spells out these benefits and provides next steps for implementing a skills-first strategy. Check out this article for commentary on the report. 

Related reading: How Skills-First Hiring Supports DEI

The Job: Priming the Pump - Paul Fain

“These resources and micro-internships experiences will help make Kansas students more aware of the high-demand and sustaining wage fields available to them throughout the state. This greater awareness will lead to a better prepared workforce and match between students, employers, and careers that will benefit not only them but the state’s overall economy.”

Our Kansas Micro-Internship program got a shoutout last week in Paul Fain’s The Job newsletter. Read more about our program, declining college enrollment rates, and the Biden-Harris’ higher ed spending plan in last week’s edition. 

Should Candidates Be Rejected for Typos? Or Resume Gaps? Or Leaving Their Resumes at Home? - LinkedIn Talent Blog

“To avoid missing out on exceptional talent, focus on screening candidates in when you’re faced with tough hiring decisions, rather than looking for small reasons to screen them out.”

What happens when a stellar candidate has a less-than-stellar resume? Does a perfect resume really equate to a perfect job performance? (Hint: No.) This blog post takes a look at why employers should seek out a more holistic candidate profile—and how focusing on small errors ultimately perpetuates inequality in the hiring process.

Related reading: A better way to hire

For more stories and insights on HR, recruiting, and diversity, click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter Hire Learnings.