The Immersion Internship Program: Veterans United Home Loans Looks to the Future of a Diverse American Workforce – National Mortgage Professional…

As our community demographics are shifting, what are companies doing to keep up with the change and to better serve their customers with a workforce reflective of the communities they serve? In an industry lacking diversity, we need to do something different with our past employment processes, if we are wanting a more inclusive outcome.

At Veterans United, we identified the gap of our diverse borrower population and the candidate pipeline in the financial industry. We strategized and created a customized opportunity for students of color and student veterans to immerse themselves in the mortgage industry, our home office community in Columbia, Mo., and the values of the organization: Be passionate and have fun; Deliver results with integrity; and Enhance lives every day.

What we describe as a backwards means of recruitment, meaning instead of hiring students for open internships, we identify students before we identify the positions to place them in. At our headquartered location in Columbia, we have every component of a business needed for a company to function. This includes accounting, technology, operations, sales, human resources, marketing, etc. Through our internships, we are able to provide real work experience, with an opportunity for full-time employment upon graduation. Placement of interns is based off their education, experience, interests and aptitude.

To limit opportunities for individuals to enter your company based off their work history, companies unintentionally end up perpetuating the hiring practices and demographics of other organizations in their industry. These hiring practices include carrying over these companies biases. Just as natural as your current practices are, the more difficult it is and the more intentional you have to be to create change. Dont continue allowing other organizations in our industry to dictate the diversity at your company. Change the system in which you operate, and impact the trajectory of students you bring onboard.

To further add to their growth, interns participate in leadership development trainings specific to professionals of color (Hot Button Issues, Cultural Competence, Communication & Code Switching, etc.) and are provided real work experience and a better understanding of how they can fit into the financial industry, and our values driven company as well.

In any program created for underrepresented populations, there are many considerations that have to be addressed:

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The Immersion Internship Program: Veterans United Home Loans Looks to the Future of a Diverse American Workforce - National Mortgage Professional...