Is Early Talent Recruiting Broken? Lessons from Fall Recruiting That Are Shaping 2026

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19  |  2PM ET

Early career and internship programs are complex. Leadership expectations are high, hiring timelines are tight, and you’re being asked to deliver measurable results with limited budgets and bandwidth. Candidates are struggling to find jobs as well, with some companies reducing hiring efforts. 

These pressures, while real, have helped fuel a growing narrative that campus recruiting is broken. This narrative is part of why so many teams are re-examining their approach in 2026. While challenges certainly exist, it’s difficult to know how widespread they really are, and which ones actually require a fundamental change in strategy.

As you plan for 2026, you’re probably pressure-testing assumptions around how early career hiring is evolving, what rising application volume actually means for your team, how ROI expectations are influencing decisions and tactics, and where AI needs to fit into your strategy.

This conversation is designed to help you make sense of those dynamics. 

During the session, early talent leaders will reflect on their fall recruiting experience and share the lessons shaping how they’re planning for 2026. You’ll hear how teams evolved their thinking during the season, what challenges had the biggest impact, and how those insights are guiding their strategies moving forward.