Case Study: Roth Staffing + HBCU Connect - Building Long-Term Recruitment Pipelines Through Scholarships

Challenge

Employers often struggle to build sustainable, diverse talent pipelines. Traditional recruiting (career fairs, job boards) produces short-term results but doesn’t address underrepresentation in the long run.

Solution

Roth Staffing partnered with HBCU Connect to establish a program awarding two scholarships annually to HBCU students, alumni, or their children. The program funds tuition or professional development, emphasizes community leadership and belonging, and publicly celebrates winners to boost employer brand visibility.

Impact

• Trust & Brand Awareness: Consistent investment signals authenticity to underrepresented communities.
• Talent Pipeline: Early engagement creates pathways for future hires and referrals.
• Community Goodwill: Demonstrates values beyond profit, building credibility with candidates and partners.
• Recruitment ROI: A modest investment can yield multi-fold returns through new hires, referrals, and reduced recruitment costs.
• Exposure: A scholarship offers more than financial support—providing access to future employers, résumé strength, and networking opportunities that can shape a career.

Keys to Success

• Consistency → Commit to multi-year funding
• Visibility → Promote winners and their stories widely
• Next Steps → Pair scholarships with internships, mentoring, or job opportunities
• Measurement → Track applicants, winners, and eventual hires

Lessons for Employers

• Go upstream – Engage students before graduation.
• Build authenticity – Sustained action is more impactful than one-time gestures.
• Leverage partnerships – Work with HBCU Connect or similar networks.
• Think beyond the scholarship – Create clear career pathways.
• Track ROI – Monitor conversions to hires and long-term retention.

Conclusion

Roth Staffing’s scholarship model shows that small, consistent investments can create big, lasting impact—strengthening recruitment, brand reputation, and community trust. For employers seeking to diversify their workforce, scholarships offer an effective, replicable strategy to build long-term pipelines.