We partnered with Microsoft M365 Core to create and scale a strategic change management program with multi-year engagement. How could we improve Microsoft’s employment brand across college campuses all over the country? After identifying areas of student inequality in the recruiting pipeline, we developed The New Technologists from inception to execution. Our goal was to address the gap of underrepresented minority students with large tech companies and doing so with the ability to scale.

Combining our program management, organizational change and recruiting expertise, we have systems in place to support the year-over-year growth of the program whose value is three fold. We started six years ago with just 6 students and now have 120+ students returning to campus this summer. In addition, we currently have 43 program graduates who are working or will be working full-time at Microsoft this fall.   

The program we developed and executed was a first-of-its-kind in many aspects. It broke through traditional recruiting cycle of students coming from Tier I colleges and paved a new avenue for students to be seen by Microsoft. It also shaped the culture at Microsoft to be more in line with diversity and equity, while improving employee engagement amongst Microsoft mentors/coaches. Cyborg Mobile led the talent recruiting, screening, hiring, onboarding, professional development, technical training, and the diversity and inclusion training for the Microsoft program staff.    

The program teaches students how to learn new programming languages to move through the product-life cycle, practical real world experience in app development, design skills to develop product concepts, and hands-on training from senior staff. ​ The TNT program has since expanded to run across subsequent summer opportunities.

Program success figures: ​  

• 93% of our program alumni complete their STEM degree​    

• 99% of our alumni land STEM jobs upon graduation ​  

• 100% of program participants are underrepresented talent​ who are helping to build the next generation of products   

Our goal going forward is to expand in outreach, number of participants and employer partners. We are committed to expanding our reach and helping more students across the world become competitive applicants in the high tech job market. In partnership with Microsoft, we have a structure for scale to amplify impact and have demonstrated the ability to do so as we ramp up for our seventh cohort this summer.