Many employers regularly offer internships, but the role of these internships in long-term hiring strategies can be pretty tenuous. So what happens when a company puts internships at the centre of its hiring strategy and proactively leverages this to build long-term pipelines of valuable talent?

My guest this week is Leah Bourdon, Vice President of Talent at staffing and consulting firm ALKU. For several years, ALKU has made internships the heart of its resourcing strategy. In our conversation, Leah shares precisely how they do this and the considerable benefits and value it drives.

In the interview, we discuss:

• The market for recruiting recruiters

• Having a unique focus on entry-level talent

• The employer brand of a career in recruiting

• Training interns during the school year

• Faster ramp-ups and higher retention rates

• Talent spotting

• How are the skills needed to be a recruiter changing

• Training interns in the same way as full-time employees

• How will recruiting change over the next five years

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