CGXperience Internship
Fostering Future PR Professionals Through an Engaging Recruitment Strategy
The Communications Group created the CGXperience Internship to attract and develop the next generation of public relations professionals. By building strong relationships with professors and leveraging targeted outreach, the program generated awareness, drove applications, and established a reliable pipeline of top-tier candidates.
History
ComGroup launched the CGXperience Internship to develop aspiring public relations professionals and prepare them for successful careers in the field. However, attracting qualified applicants required a focused strategy to generate awareness and motivate college juniors and seniors to apply. By identifying key influencers and crafting a comprehensive recruitment plan, ComGroup successfully created an internship pipeline that has become one of the most visited sections on the company website.
The Challenge
Despite its potential to provide hands-on experience, the internship program faced challenges in reaching and motivating prospective applicants. The primary challenge was finding a way to stand out among competing programs and ensuring consistent interest across each application cycle.
The Solution
ComGroup implemented a research-driven strategy that focused on leveraging professors as primary influencers in the recruitment process. This involved:
Engaging Professors: Building direct relationships with college professors and PRSSA chapter advisors across Arkansas to encourage them to recommend the CGXperience to their best students.
Simplifying the Application Process: Creating a frictionless digital application process that was easy to access and share.
Driving Awareness: Using email and social media posts targeted at both professors and potential applicants to maintain top-of-mind awareness.
Promoting Unique Benefits: Highlighting the internship’s focus on long-term projects and mentorship to differentiate it from competitors.
The strategy was supported by consistent communication and promotion across email, social media, and personal outreach.
The Results
The CGXperience campaign exceeded all expectations, delivering consistent engagement and measurable results. Over the course of each application cycle, the program averaged more than 10 qualified applications, ensuring a robust pool of candidates. The internship page consistently ranked among the top 10 most visited pages on ComGroup’s website throughout the year, reflecting the effectiveness of the campaign’s outreach strategies. Additionally, the Fall 2022 intern was hired full-time following her graduation, demonstrating the program’s success in fostering long-term talent development. By combining targeted communication, engaging outreach, and a frictionless application process, the CGXperience became a cornerstone of the agency’s recruitment strategy.
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