Inclusive Recruitment: Opening New Doors for New Talent

Careers don’t always start in the same way. Some begin in classrooms with clear paths ahead. Others take shape through persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to keep going, even when the route isn’t obvious.

Mahbir Thukral knows the second path well. Now a global Martech leader at IFF, his own career didn’t start with a perfect resumé or a ready-made network. That’s precisely what fueled his passion for envisioning IFF Future Marketeers, an initiative designed to help talented marketing students with limited access to traditional internships and provide them with opportunities to gain real-world experience in the field.

Future Marketeers is built around the simple idea that opportunity shouldn’t be limited by access. Through partnerships with vocational institutions, the program brought diverse, curious, creative young people into the heart of IFF’s marketing engine.

Expanding Talent Pipelines for Greater Success

Industries like food, fragrance, and biotech are shifting their perspectives on talent. There’s growing recognition that diverse teams bring new ideas and help businesses adapt. Research from McKinsey shows that companies with inclusive practices perform better and have more engaged employees.

Still, many organizations continue to rely on familiar hiring patterns. That can limit access for people who bring different perspectives. As highlighted in Harvard Business Review, expanding recruitment to include a broader range of backgrounds can lead to stronger, more creative teams. This shift is especially relevant now, as the workforce itself is changing. A new generation is stepping in with different expectations and ways of thinking. Gen Z, in particular, brings a strong sense of identity, digital fluency, and a desire to work for organizations that reflect their values.

But their influence doesn’t stop at the workplace. Gen Z is also reshaping consumer behavior, globally. Brands that involve them actively in co-creation and inclusive hiring are better positioned to anticipate shifting market trends. When companies embrace diversity in their workforce, they will build a dynamic, competitive, and forward-thinking future. 

This is where initiatives like Future Marketeers come into focus. They create space for new voices to be heard and for companies to stay connected to the people shaping tomorrow’s culture and economy.  

An Experiment in Equity and Learnings That Goes Both Ways

What makes this approach unique is the mutual exchange. Students learn to apply their creativity within a business structure. Companies, in turn, learn how to become more relevant, more resonant, and more human. It’s a highly effective feedback loop.

“The students show up with insights that are unique to them and their peers,” Mahbir says. “They’re plugged into Gen-Z culture, they have fresh takes, and they challenge us to think differently. We learn as much from them as they do from us.”

The students who joined the Future Marketeers weren’t looking to watch from the sidelines. They rolled up their sleeves and contributed to live projects, worked with real teams, experienced firsthand what it means to think and act like a marketer, and brought insights from communities that often go unheard in corporate boardrooms. The initiative is about giving and growing together. 

And it worked. Over 50 students joined the initiative, each bringing a new voice, a new story, and a new way of thinking. From local brands to global strategy, their input helped shape the work they were involved with and, potentially, will impact the future of marketing itself.

Yolanda’s Story: From Curiosity to Confidence

One of those voices belongs to Yolanda, a South African student who joined the initiative because of her love for marketing and hunger to learn. At first, the shift from classroom to corporate was eye-opening.

“I started to see how businesses really work. Sometimes a great idea isn’t enough. There’s more to it. There’s structure, timelines, feedback loops, and customer lenses. Every insight had to land. Every decision mattered.”
– Yolanda Nhlapo, IFF Intern, South Africa

Rather than being discouraged by the complexity, Yolanda leaned in. She asked questions, adapted quickly, and began to see the bigger picture. Her curiosity never left her, even when things got tough, and her thoroughness stood out. She was offered an internship with IFF, and became part of a marketing team, applying what she learned and learning even more each day.

“Now I understand the full picture,” she says. “Not just the what, but the why. The purpose, the process, and the people!”

It’s Time to Rethink What Potential Looks Like

Recruitment reflects values. Companies that scout qualified talent from a broad range of sources are well-positioned to embrace transformational and diverse voices. These voices often help drive holistic and positive impact on workplace culture and enhance products and services offered to customers and consumers. This is especially true for global companies – and which is why, at IFF, we believe there’s something here for everyone.

Mahbir sees initiatives like the Future Marketeers as a solid approach in a changing world. It’s a proof of concept for a broader conversation about access, support, and the generation that will shape the future of marketing and beyond.  Broadening the lens to reach talented and qualified potential employees from a variety of pathways is a smart way to ensure that some of the brightest and innovative minds are included in the future growth of companies worldwide.  

Curious about our global opportunities? Visit our careers site.