WNDE Recruits Top Level Talent On Campus

“White Nelson Diehl Evans’s fall on-campus recruitment is in full-swing” said Sandra Hague, WNDE’s talent acquisition and brand manager. She is visiting four local universities (Chapman University, California State University, Long Beach, California State University, Fullerton and University of California San Diego) in search of talented interns and full-time staff. “Although it’s always a challenge to find top talent that is a fit for the firm,” Sandra said, “We actively recruit at these campuses because they each have strong accounting programs and a large number of talented students who would be well qualified for positions with us.”
WNDE engages in a variety of recruitment activities at these campuses, including one-on-one interviews, career presentations and “office hours” on the campuses, which provide an opportunity to meet students informally. WNDE recruiters are looking for a variety of qualities in potential hires, including a strong GPA, good communication skills, experience with customer service in the accounting field and leadership and involvement in campus organizations. Sandra added, “We also want people with experience in leadership, who are team players and have a sincere interest in public accounting.”
Promising students are invited to work at the firm as interns during the tax season with a few openings reserved for entry-level graduates. Of those interning, some are offered full-time positions with WNDE upon graduation. WNDE’s goal for 2019 is to hire up to 16 college students from its internship program, which is a 45% increase over last year, Sandra noted.
The firm hosts two tours of its Irvine headquarters as part of the recruitment effort; one was held in September and the second October. A total of 65 Chapman, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Long Beach students are visiting and getting the opportunity to experience the firm and meet WNDE staff.
The reaction of the students to their exposure to WNDE has been positive. One Cal State Fullerton senior, for example, remarked, “After attending events such as the Accounting Expo, WNDE’s Speaker Meeting and Office Tour, I learned that WNDE truly cares about its clients and strives to provide the highest quality of accounting, tax and advisory services. The engaging conversations I had with tax [staff] and incoming interns reaffirmed my eagerness to become part of an amazing firm.”