“It produces results for us.” That’s Tom Wiederin’s simple answer for why Mike’s Express Carwash continues its partnership with the Kelley Career Planning Office (CPO).
Wiederin, human resources and recruiting manager for Mike’s, says Kelley Indianapolis is one of the company’s top campus resources—for part-time employees and candidates for its management training program. The firm’s tuition assistance plan draws interest from Kelley business students interested in working while they attend school or during the summer months. Wiederin admits the company needs both management trainees and part-time employees to fuel its growth and open new stores.
As a CPO corporate sponsor, Mike’s Express Carwash receives a variety of benefits, including speaking engagements for company leaders, invitations to CPO recruiting events and the opportunity to place recruiting messages on the school’s electronic display boards.
“We’ve found Kelley Indianapolis students to be extremely well-rounded. They are business savvy and understand the importance of customer service,” says Wiederin. “Even if a Mike’s job is their first, real employment opportunity, Kelley students just ‘get it’ because of what they’ve learned in class and through the CPO.”
Wiederin has had good experiences using the CPO’s online jobs database—KelleyCareers—to recruit students for part-time employment or management training.
“For businesses, it’s an effective, user-friendly tool,” says Wiederin. “We get good traffic coming through KelleyCareers.”
Founded nearly 65 years ago in Fort Wayne, Ind., Mike’s Express Carwash operates 42 locations in Indiana and Ohio and employs some 700 associates. The fourth largest car wash company in the nation, Mike’s is a private, family-owned business committed to quality performance and customer service.