Here’s the reality of current early-talent recruiting:

• Over half of recent graduates quit their first job in the first year because its a “bad fit”
• Companies spend around $4,129 to hire an entry-level employee
• Attending a single campus career fair sets an employer back by up to $5,000

And all of that doesn’t even begin to account for lost productivity during transition periods.

We get it. Entry-level recruiting is hard. So hard, that even when all the stars align and a new hire signs on that dotted line, there are no guarantees they’re going to stick around in the long run.

That’s because it’s nearly impossible for both employers and future employees to accurately judge compatibility based on a few hours of interviews and a series of bullet points on a resume. Entry-level professionals are particularly hard to lock down since, understandably, they’re only just beginning to discover what careers they enjoy and what work environments will help them thrive.

Maybe one day companies will have the resources and budgets to assess thousands of potential candidates on real work before offering them a role. 

Maybe one day all candidates will be given the chance to test-drive careers before committing to full-time jobs. 

We’re here to tell you that it can happen, today. 

The Power of the Paragon One Externship

We developed the Paragon One Externship to be a game-changer in early-career recruiting. It addresses every single one of the challenges faced by early-talent recruiters laid out above. It’s a cost-effective and time-efficient way to identify and nurture top performing young talent. It helps equitably assess candidates on merit and engage them with a company in a meaningful way. This actively promotes long-term retention.

Through remote, project-based work experiences, the Externship empowers Gen Z students with real-world skills and connects them with leading companies. By engaging with students through Externships, companies can significantly reduce the financial burden of turnover and talent loss. 

But what is the Externship, anyway?

The Externship is a remote work-based learning experience that expands and streamlines recruiting, market insight generation, and DEI initiatives. Paragon One partners with employers to understand bottlenecks in their talent pipeline. We then leverage our vast university and student group partnerships to source diverse talent traditionally left out of a company's hiring process.

Real Data Supporting the Externship's Success

• 95% of Fortune 1000 employee volunteers participating in the externships found the students they spoke to as potential hiring candidates. 
• Externships allow businesses to support and engage 500X more students with 80% less employee time.
• Externships make students more employable! 70% of Externs get hired within 12 months of completing our program

Maximizing Early Recruitment Budgets

By leveraging the Externship, employers have reported significant reductions in recruitment costs. Unlike traditional methods, the Externship eliminates the need for costly on-campus visits and prolonged interview processes. Moreover, the program's remote set-up enables you to reach a diverse talent pool without geographical limitations, broadening your candidate pool considerably. 

Enhanced Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are cornerstones of a successful organization. A study by McKinsey & Company found that companies in the top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity in management are 36% more likely to have above-average financial returns.

The Externship's focus on making early career work experiences more accessible to students from underrepresented backgrounds, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), makes it an impactful way for companies to achieve their DEI goals.

And with a strong, diverse pipeline, companies are better positioned to outperform industry peers, even in the long term. A study by Boston Consulting Group revealed, companies with diverse management teams have 19% higher revenue than peers due to innovation.

In a world where attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for organizational success, the Remote Externship is a strategic and impactful tool for recruiters to leverage. 

‍Learn more about how your company can partner with Paragon One to run a fully-managed Externship that engages hundreds of diverse students.