OUR STORY
Strategic Consulting. Elevated.
With over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition and campus recruitment, Ascend brings both strategic insight and hands-on expertise to help organizations build sustainable talent pipelines. We've partnered with organizations across diverse industries to design, launch, and enhance early talent programs that align with business goals and deliver lasting results.
THE CHALLENGE
Building a talent pipeline shouldn’t be an afterthought.
When early talent sits alongside competing recruitment priorities, it can be difficult to give it the strategy, structure and attention it needs to deliver long-term value.
Common challenges include:
Building a consistent pipeline of high-potential talent
Operating reactively instead of strategically
Delivering inconsistent programs across teams and managers
Balancing early talent initiatives with limited recruitment capacity
Losing high potential talent after internships and co-op placements
Converting too few students into full time hires
You know early talent is important - but between competing priorities and day-to-day hiring demands, building a sustainable program often falls to the bottom of the list.
WHO WE HELP
Designed for organizations that:
Are building their first early talent program
Require strategic HR support without increasing headcount
Want to strengthen or scale an existing program
Are expanding access to diverse talent
Without a clear strategy, organizations can find themselves reacting to immediate hiring needs instead of developing a reliable pipeline of future talent.
Hi, I'm Kimberley, Founder and Principal Consultant at Ascend Early Talent.
With more than 20 years in recruitment, HR, employer branding and early talent, I've spent my career helping organizations find, attract and develop the people they need to grow.
I've built early talent and campus recruitment programs from the ground up, led initiatives that hired hundreds of students and new graduates each year, and worked across industries where finding the right talent can be critical to business success.
Along the way, I learned that great early talent programs don't happen by chance. They take strategy, thoughtful planning, strong partnerships and a clear understanding of what an organization actually needs.
That's why I founded Ascend Early Talent.
I wanted to create a consultancy that helps organizations move beyond reactive hiring and build early talent strategies that are practical, scalable and built to last.
Kimberley Wagner · Founder & Principal Consultant
OUR MISSION
At Ascend Early Talent, our mission is to help organizations build thoughtful, scalable early talent programs that strengthen recruitment, develop future leaders, and create sustainable talent pipelines.
We believe investing in emerging talent isn't just about filling today's roles - it's about building the workforce of tomorrow.
We believe the best solutions are built together.
Partnership
Every recommendation begins with understanding your organization, your people, and your goals.
Strategy
Build emerging talent today. Strengthen your workforce tomorrow.
Growth
Our success is measured by creating stronger talent pipelines and sustainable programs, that deliver value long after our work is done.