Dive Brief:

• Amazon has found a new avenue for its disruption: recruitment of top talent from America’s best schools — specifically MBA holders. With a goal to hire 1,000 MBA grads, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports, Amazon is now the top recruiter at the business schools of Carnegie Mellon University, Duke University, the University of California, Berkeley and others.
• In 2015, Amazon hired twice as many tech graduates as Microsoft did during the same time period, and the company has become the largest employer of tech grads from elite business schools in the country.
• As cities across the country vie to be chosen as the new location for Amazon’s second headquarters, or HQ2, the company plans to employ an additional 50,000 workers at that location, WSJ says.

Dive Insight:

Calling 2017 a big year for Amazon is like calling grass green, but the e-commerce giant's growth streak goes beyond its market share and high-profile acquisitions.

Hiring rates in the company's fulfillment centers have continued to surge, driven by an exceptionally aggressive strategy which included filling 50,000 full- and part-time U.S. positions in one day. Amazon is also reportedly looking to expand its AI talent pool for products like its Echo, and the company has also created apprenticeship programs for certain groups, including military veterans.

What's particularly interesting about the new part-time careers is their associated benefits, some of which are on par with those available to full-time workers. That includes time for flex work as well as remote work for certain new hires.

Part of Amazon's success can certainly be attributed to its employer brand. Observers have long observed that brands must market themselves effectively at job fairs and other such events. Building on-campus recognition has become crucial to attract emerging talent, as internship offers are made increasingly earlier in students' careers. Demonstrating a clear value proposition to candidates is just as relevant in this situation as any other.