Internship Academy 2026 · Back Office track

Intern Rotation
in Talent Acquisition

Every great team starts with a great hire. Come see how we make them.

In your first week you learn the 12 steps behind every Gradion hire. From your second, you help make them better, with AI and a fresh pair of eyes. By your last day, you hand over a project the TA team keeps using.

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Interns
Duong Vu, Trang Pham, Thu Nguyen, Minh Duong
Period
2 Nov 2026 – 31 Mar 2027
Track Leader
Rich Pham
Supervisor
Gam, scores your reviews
Mentors
Ngoc (Rachel), Nhi
Updated
2 Nov 2026
You won't be thrown in. You'll be walked in.You see how the team works first. Then you do it yourself, one step at a time.
Real support. Real deadlines.Your Trello board always holds your next task, and someone is always there to help with it.
You'll never wait to know where you stand.Written feedback every Friday. Nothing is saved up for the end.
A note from the TA team

Welcome to Talent Acquisition. For the next few weeks you'll sit where every Gradion story begins: the moment someone decides to join us.

We'll show you how we find people, how we judge fairly, and how we treat every candidate with care. From your second week you'll work on how Gradion hires, and you'll leave behind something we keep using.

Ask anything, early and often. We're glad you're here.

Gam, Ngoc (Rachel) and Nhi

What you'll leave with
  • A finished projectDemoed, handed over and in use by the TA team.
  • Real recruiting skillsLever, sourcing with Boolean search, and screening with SPARC.
  • A portfolio of your workYour assignments, a project brief, a demo and a handover note.
  • An honest picture of yourselfWritten feedback every week and a Rotation Review backed by evidence.
What Gradion looks for

You were chosen from more than 750 applicants. Here is what turns that into a full‑time role.

The Internship Academy exists to offer full-time roles. Gradion looks for three things, and your TA rotation gives you room to show all three.

1AI literacy, and delivering above expectations

Use the TA AI tools every day and always check what they give you. Deliver a project the TA Lead actually uses, and go past the brief where you can.

2Proactiveness

Own your work. Raise risks before Friday, solve problems before you are asked, and act on feedback without needing a reminder.

3Teamwork

Gradion is a company of about 250 people. Work with colleagues so everyone wins: help your pair, keep stakeholders informed, and hand over so the next person succeeds.

How you show all three, every week

Every assignment you submit ends with three short lines. AI: which tool you used, what you asked, and what you checked or corrected. Beyond the brief: one thing you did that was not asked for. Team: who you worked with or helped, and what they said.

Every dayEvery weekIn your assignments
AI literacy and above expectationsUses a TA AI tool where it fits and writes on the Trello card what was checked or corrected.Boolean strings tested on the top 20 results. Hiring post drafted with AI and edited by the intern. Weekly LinkedIn report beats its own target.The AI line and the beyond-the-brief line in every assignment; your demo shows one AI error you caught.
ProactivenessBlockers raised at standup the same day. Picks the next card without being told.Weekly report names risks before Friday and one thing done without being asked. Development goal acted on without reminders.Your Side Project Brief (A4) names risks and the scope cut before anyone asks; your AI Process Review & Mapping (A5) brings ideas nobody asked for, each with evidence.
TeamworkKeeps Trello current so others can see the work. Helps the pair or a recruiter when asked.Win of the week credits who helped. Pair feedback once per phase. Hiring post agreed with Marketing; stakeholders kept informed.Your Recruitment Process Map (A1) checked with a recruiter; your Side Project Brief (A4) agreed with the person who will use it; your demo credits who helped.

Feeling stuck? Talk to your buddy, your mentors, your supervisor or the Track Leader. Asking early is part of being proactive.

01 Rotation planner

Your rotation, week by week

Pick your name and enter the password your mentor gave you. Then open any week to see what you learn, what you do, what the team does alongside you, and why it matters.

WhyEach rotation runs to the end of its calendar month, so the dates line up with the Academy and nobody leaves halfway through a project.
02 A typical week

Mornings for TA work, afternoons for the project

From week two, every week has the same rhythm: mornings on TA work, afternoons on your project. Anything urgent still comes first.

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Morning
StandupTA workCards from Trello. Standup runs right after the TA team's own weekly meeting.
TA workAI process work and recurring tasks.
StandupTA workAI process work and recurring tasks.
TA workAI process work and recurring tasks.
StandupTA workAI process work. Weekly report on Trello.
Afternoon
TA workAI process work and recurring tasks.
Side projectFocused time on the brief.
Side projectFocused time on the brief.
Side projectFocused time on the brief.
ReviewSide projectThen the 15-minute Friday review and your win of the week. Sprint 1-1 every other Friday.
TA work: learning, AI process work, recurring tasks, about 60%Side project, about 40%Standup: Mon, Wed, Fri, 10–15 min
WhyA fixed rhythm keeps the intern busy without idle time and keeps mentor time predictable. The 60 / 40 split is the Academy rule agreed on 7 Sep. Interns do not join the TA weekly meeting because it carries confidential updates; the standup gives them what they need instead.
03 Work

Make hiring better with AI. One project that outlives your rotation.

From week two, most of your TA time goes into improving how Gradion hires, with AI and a fresh pair of eyes. The rest goes into one of the six projects the TA team has set, and your Supervisor tells you which.

From week 2, three tracks run in parallel1Enhance the recruitment process with AI2Weekly tasks: hiring poster (started in week 1), LinkedIn & Social Scan, Boolean strings3Your side project, on Tuesday to Friday afternoons

Enhance the recruitment process with AI

From week 2, most of your TA time goes here. It is an open brief: you decide how to tackle it, agree the approach with your mentor and back every idea with evidence. The work carries on from one rotation to the next, so each intern starts from the previous intern's handover.

1Candidate and newcomer experience

Walk the hiring process and the onboarding process the way a candidate and a newcomer live them. Where does it feel slow, unclear or impersonal? Where could AI make it faster, clearer or more personal?

A journey map from first contact to Day 60, with pain points and evidence.
2A fresh pair of eyes

You are new to TA, and that is an advantage. If you were a recruiter, what would you do differently? Bring new ideas, each with the problem it solves and how you would test it.

An idea list, ranked by impact and effort.
3Connect the agents from A to Z

TA already has AI tools for many hiring steps. Find out which ones exist and what each does, map them onto the 12 hiring steps and onboarding, spot the gaps and hand-offs, and design how the agents could work together as one workflow, with the points where a person checks.

An AI tool inventory, a step-by-step map and a workflow design.

How the relay works. The first rotation maps and inventories. Each later rotation picks up from the handover and goes further, from a map to a workflow design to a tested connection. Every handover says what is done, what is next and what was learned.

Start with the TA Playbook (Recruitment Process, Newcomer Onboarding, AI Projects page), the TA team, recent hires and the previous intern's handover. Candidate data stays inside TA, and nothing changes in a live tool without TA's approval.

Every week, every rotation

Hiring poster and content

From week 1: one every 2 weeks, on a role TA is hiring for. TA approves the text and the design.

Daily LinkedIn & Social Scan

Every day from week 2: look for Open to Work and strong candidates for TA's open roles and log them in a simple sheet. Grow your LinkedIn network. Report findings and network growth every week.

Boolean strings

From week 2: research and test strings for the roles Gradion hires most often, and add them to a shared library.

WhyYou are new to TA, so you see what the team no longer notices. Gradion is AI-first, and improving the hiring process with AI is real work with real impact. A mentor approves every message before it reaches a candidate; offers, pay, hiring decisions and client contact stay with TA.

Your side project

  • Your Supervisor sets your large project in week 1 and walks you through it.
  • Scope it in your Side Project Brief (A4) in week 2: size it to the time you really have: about 10 afternoons in a 1-month rotation, about 25 in a 2-month rotation.
  • Finish it, demo it and hand it over before you leave. Cut scope, never quality.
  • Projects #1, #2, #4, #5 and #6 run 7 weeks (week 2 to 8), so they are for 2-month rotations. #3 runs 3 weeks (week 2 to 4).
  • In a pair, each intern leads one of the two projects the Supervisor sets, and you build both together.
  • Later interns start from the earlier intern's finished result and handover note.

[ The bar: would the TA Lead actually use it? ]

#1TA Playbook in TA DashboardHow can we make TA knowledge, processes and working guidelines easier to access, understand and apply through the TA Dashboard?Priority: MediumEffort: Medium7 weeks (Week 2–8)Open the full brief
Why it matters to Gradion
TA team members rely on different documents, guidelines and internal resources to perform their daily recruitment activities. When information is scattered, outdated or difficult to navigate, it can create unnecessary effort, inconsistent practices and dependency on other team members for basic information. This project explores how existing TA knowledge and resources can be better organized and made more accessible through the TA Dashboard.
Project scope
Explore the current TA Dashboard, existing recruitment documentation and the way TA team members access information. Identify opportunities to improve the structure, accessibility, usability or content of the TA Playbook within the Dashboard. You may explore areas such as documentation structure, information gaps, navigation, content consistency or user experience. These are starting points for exploration, not predefined tasks. You are encouraged to identify other areas that may create greater value for the TA team.
Expected outcomes
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the current TA Dashboard and its existing resources.
  • Identify relevant usability, content or information-management challenges.
  • Propose an improvement approach supported by observations and user needs.
  • Deliver tangible outcomes that can improve how TA knowledge is accessed or applied.
  • Present findings, decisions, results and recommendations to the TA team.
The specific deliverables will be proposed by you and agreed with your mentor during Week 2.
How to approach it
  1. Week 2 · Explore & Define Understand how the TA team currently uses the Dashboard and accesses recruitment resources. Explore the existing Playbook, documentation and information structure. Identify potential challenges, missing information or opportunities for improvement. Discuss your observations with the TA mentor and relevant stakeholders. Develop and present your project proposal, including the problem or opportunity, proposed approach, expected outcomes and timeline. Align with your mentor on the project scope before proceeding.
  2. Weeks 3–6 · Execute & Learn Take ownership of the approved project direction and manage your execution plan. Review, organize, develop or prototype the proposed improvements. Seek feedback from TA users and relevant stakeholders. Validate whether the proposed changes address the identified needs. Track progress, document challenges and adjust your approach based on feedback.
  3. Weeks 7–8 · Deliver & Reflect Finalize the agreed project outcomes and supporting evidence. Evaluate the usability and practical value of the improvements. Present the approach, key decisions, findings and results. Share recommendations and hand over relevant materials for future use. Reflect on what worked, what could be improved and what you learned throughout the project.
Using AI well
Explore how AI can support information organization, document review, content structuring and knowledge retrieval. Validate all AI-generated information against approved internal sources. Do not upload confidential company information to unapproved AI tools.
Definition of success
  • Initiative: Proactively explores how TA team members use existing resources and identifies improvement opportunities.
  • Critical Thinking: Evaluates information structure and usability based on actual user needs.
  • Ownership: Independently proposes and executes an approved improvement approach.
  • Practical Value: Delivers improvements that make TA knowledge easier to access or apply.
  • Communication: Clearly presents findings, decisions and outcomes.
Getting started
Start by exploring the TA Dashboard and asking team members how they currently find and use recruitment guidelines. Understand what works, what creates friction and what information they frequently need. There is no single predefined solution. The goal is to identify an opportunity worth pursuing and turn it into a meaningful improvement for the TA team.
#2CV Upload ImprovementsHow can we improve the CV upload experience and ensure candidate information is captured accurately and efficiently in our recruitment system?Priority: MediumEffort: Medium7 weeks (Week 2–8)Open the full brief
Why it matters to Gradion
CV submission is one of the first steps in the recruitment process. Problems during CV upload or information extraction can affect candidate experience, create incomplete candidate profiles and increase manual work for the TA team. Understanding where these issues occur and how they affect recruitment operations can help the team identify opportunities to improve the process.
Project scope
Explore the current CV upload experience and related candidate data-handling process from both the candidate and TA perspectives. Investigate potential challenges involving file formats, upload steps, information extraction, data accuracy, usability and process efficiency. These are starting points for exploration, not predefined tasks. You are encouraged to investigate the actual problems before proposing improvements.
Expected outcomes
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the current CV upload process.
  • Identify key issues or friction points supported by observations or testing.
  • Assess how identified issues affect candidates and TA operations.
  • Propose a practical improvement approach based on the findings.
  • Deliver tangible outputs that can support future improvements.
  • Present findings, decisions, results and recommendations to relevant stakeholders.
The specific deliverables will be proposed by you and agreed with your mentor during Week 2.
How to approach it
  1. Week 2 · Explore & Define Understand the current CV upload workflow and the systems involved. Explore the process from the perspective of a candidate and a TA user. Investigate potential issues using approved test cases and sample CVs. Identify where errors, incomplete information or unnecessary manual steps may occur. Discuss findings with the TA mentor and relevant technical stakeholders. Develop and present your project proposal, including the problem or opportunity, proposed approach, expected outcomes and timeline. Align with your mentor on the project scope before proceeding.
  2. Weeks 3–6 · Execute & Learn Conduct further testing or analysis based on the approved scope. Document issues and assess their frequency, impact or severity where data is available. Explore possible solutions or improvement opportunities. Validate findings and proposed solutions with relevant stakeholders. Develop or test the agreed improvement approach where feasible. Track progress and refine your approach based on evidence and feedback.
  3. Weeks 7–8 · Deliver & Reflect Finalize the findings and proposed improvements. Present supporting evidence, potential impact and implementation considerations. Share recommendations with TA and relevant technical stakeholders. Hand over documentation, test cases, prototypes or other agreed materials. Reflect on the project approach, challenges and lessons learned.
Using AI well
Explore how AI can support test-case creation, CV data analysis and issue classification. Use only approved sample or anonymized data. Never upload real candidate CVs or personal information to unapproved AI tools.
Definition of success
  • Initiative: Actively investigates the CV upload experience and identifies relevant issues.
  • Critical Thinking: Distinguishes actual problems from assumptions and evaluates their impact.
  • Ownership: Takes responsibility for testing, analysis and proposed improvements.
  • Practical Value: Provides actionable findings that TA and technical stakeholders can use to improve the process.
  • Communication: Clearly explains the issues, evidence and proposed solutions.
Getting started
Start by understanding the existing CV upload workflow. Ask TA and relevant technical stakeholders about known issues, review available documentation and use approved test cases to explore the experience. The goal is not simply to identify technical issues, but to understand how the process can work better for both candidates and the TA team.
#3Candidate Experience & Recruitment Content ImprovementDuong Vu's project · Nov 2026How can we improve the way Gradion attracts, engages and communicates with potential candidates throughout the recruitment journey?Priority: MediumEffort: Medium3 weeks (Week 2–4)Open the full brief
Why it matters to Gradion
The candidate experience starts long before an applicant submits their CV and continues throughout every interaction with TA. The way Gradion presents job opportunities, communicates with potential candidates and manages recruitment touchpoints can influence how candidates perceive the company and whether they choose to apply or continue with the recruitment process. This project gives you an opportunity to explore the current candidate experience, identify potential challenges and discover how the TA team could improve the way we attract and engage candidates.
Project scope
Explore Gradion's candidate-facing recruitment activities and identify opportunities to improve the candidate experience and recruitment effectiveness. You may explore areas such as recruitment content, job descriptions, candidate communication, recruitment channels, employer branding or other relevant touchpoints. These are starting points for exploration, not predefined tasks. You are encouraged to identify other areas that may create greater value for the TA team.
Expected outcomes
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the problem or opportunity you choose to address.
  • Identify relevant findings supported by observations, research or evidence.
  • Propose and execute a practical approach to address the identified opportunity.
  • Deliver tangible outcomes that can bring value to the TA team.
  • Present your findings, decisions, results and recommendations.
The specific deliverables will be proposed by you and agreed with your mentor during Week 2.
How to approach it
  1. Week 2 · Explore & Define Start by understanding Gradion's recruitment activities, current hiring priorities and candidate-facing touchpoints. Explore the candidate journey from a potential applicant's perspective. Identify challenges, gaps or opportunities that you believe are worth exploring. Discuss your initial observations with the TA mentor, ask questions and challenge existing assumptions. Develop and present your own project proposal, including the problem you want to address, your proposed approach, expected outcomes and timeline. Align with your mentor on the project scope before proceeding.
  2. Week 3 · Execute & Learn Take ownership of the approved project direction and manage your own execution plan. Explore, research, experiment or develop solutions based on your chosen approach. Seek feedback from relevant stakeholders when needed. Evaluate your progress, validate your assumptions and adjust your approach based on findings.
  3. Week 4 · Deliver & Reflect Finalize your project outcomes and supporting evidence. Evaluate the relevance and potential value of your work to the TA team. Present your approach, key decisions, findings and results. Share recommendations and hand over any relevant materials for future use. Reflect on what worked, what could be improved and what you learned throughout the project.
Using AI well
You are encouraged to explore how AI can support your research, analysis, brainstorming and execution. Use AI thoughtfully, validate its outputs and apply your own judgment rather than relying on AI-generated conclusions. Never upload confidential company information or personal candidate data to unapproved AI tools.
Definition of success
  • Initiative: Actively explores the problem, asks meaningful questions and identifies opportunities without waiting for predefined instructions.
  • Critical Thinking: Evaluates information, challenges assumptions and makes decisions based on evidence.
  • Ownership: Takes responsibility for planning, execution and project outcomes.
  • Practical Value: Produces relevant findings or tangible outputs that the TA team can use or further develop.
  • Communication: Clearly explains the project direction, decisions, progress and final outcomes.
Getting started
Start by exploring the current recruitment activities and understanding how the TA team works. Talk to your mentor, ask questions and observe the candidate journey from the perspective of a potential applicant. There is no single predefined solution. The goal is to discover an opportunity worth pursuing and demonstrate how you can turn your ideas into meaningful outcomes for the team.
#4Team & Project Information RepositoryHow can TA access and use reliable team and project information to better understand hiring needs and communicate opportunities to candidates?Priority: MediumEffort: Medium7 weeks (Week 2–8)Open the full brief
Why it matters to Gradion
To recruit effectively, TA needs to understand more than the job description. Knowledge of Gradion's teams, projects, technologies, working environments and client contexts helps recruiters explain opportunities accurately and assess candidate fit more effectively. However, this information may be spread across different sources or depend on individual team members' knowledge. A more accessible and reliable information source could help TA prepare for recruitment conversations and respond to candidate questions with greater confidence.
Project scope
Explore how TA currently accesses information about Gradion's teams, projects and working environments. Identify information gaps, challenges in accessing or maintaining information, and opportunities to make relevant knowledge more useful for recruitment activities. The project may explore the structure, content, ownership, accessibility or maintenance of a team and project information repository. These are starting points for exploration, not predefined tasks. You are encouraged to identify other opportunities that could create greater value for TA.
Expected outcomes
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of TA's current information needs.
  • Identify relevant information gaps and accessibility challenges.
  • Propose an approach to organizing or improving team and project information.
  • Deliver tangible outputs that help TA access and use relevant information more effectively.
  • Present findings, decisions, results and recommendations to the TA team.
The specific deliverables will be proposed by you and agreed with your mentor during Week 2.
How to approach it
  1. Week 2 · Explore & Define Understand how TA currently gathers information about teams, projects and technical environments. Explore existing information sources and available internal documentation. Discuss with TA what information is most useful during sourcing, screening and candidate conversations. Identify information gaps, duplication or challenges in maintaining accurate information. Develop and present your project proposal, including the problem or opportunity, proposed approach, expected outcomes and timeline. Align with your mentor and relevant stakeholders before proceeding.
  2. Weeks 3–6 · Execute & Learn Develop the approved approach to collecting, structuring or organizing information. Work with relevant stakeholders to validate the accuracy of information. Explore how the information could support daily TA activities. Gather feedback from potential users and refine the proposed structure or materials. Track progress and document any remaining information gaps or challenges.
  3. Weeks 7–8 · Deliver & Reflect Finalize the agreed repository structure or other deliverables. Present how TA can access and use the information. Document information sources, ownership and potential maintenance requirements. Hand over the materials and recommendations to the TA team. Reflect on the project approach, challenges and lessons learned.
Using AI well
Explore how AI can support information summarization, content structuring and knowledge organization. Always validate project, team and technology information with the relevant internal owners. Do not use AI-generated information as a source of truth or upload confidential project details to unapproved tools.
Definition of success
  • Initiative: Identifies what information TA needs and proactively explores available sources.
  • Critical Thinking: Distinguishes useful recruitment information from unnecessary or outdated details.
  • Ownership: Takes responsibility for gathering, organizing and validating information.
  • Practical Value: Produces a resource that helps TA understand teams and projects more effectively.
  • Communication: Clearly explains the repository structure, information sources and maintenance considerations.
Getting started
Start by asking TA team members what they usually need to know about a team or project before recruiting for a role. Explore existing information sources and identify where relevant knowledge is currently stored. The goal is to discover how this information can become a practical resource for the TA team, rather than simply creating another documentation folder.
#5Sourcing Guide for Hard-to-Fill RolesHow can we improve our sourcing approach to identify and engage relevant candidates for hard-to-fill positions?Priority: HighEffort: Medium7 weeks (Week 2–8)Open the full brief
Why it matters to Gradion
Some recruitment positions require specific combinations of technical expertise, seniority, industry experience or market exposure, making suitable candidates difficult to identify through conventional sourcing approaches. A better understanding of target talent pools, search strategies and candidate engagement opportunities can help TA improve sourcing effectiveness and reduce time spent on irrelevant profiles.
Project scope
Explore one or more hard-to-fill roles selected with the TA mentor. Investigate the target candidate profiles, relevant talent pools, sourcing channels, search techniques and potential barriers to identifying suitable candidates. You are encouraged to challenge existing search approaches and propose alternative ways to reach relevant talent. These are starting points for exploration, not predefined tasks.
Expected outcomes
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the selected role and its target candidate profile.
  • Identify relevant talent pools and sourcing opportunities through research or practical testing.
  • Propose a sourcing approach supported by evidence and observations.
  • Deliver tangible outputs that can support future sourcing activities.
  • Present findings, decisions, results and recommendations to the TA team.
The specific roles, deliverables and evaluation criteria will be agreed with your mentor during Week 2.
How to approach it
  1. Week 2 · Understand & Explore Understand the selected role, its requirements and hiring challenges. Discuss the target candidate profile with the TA mentor or relevant recruiter. Explore potential talent pools, relevant companies, communities and sourcing channels. Review existing sourcing approaches and identify possible gaps. Develop and present your project proposal, including the problem or opportunity, proposed approach, expected outcomes and timeline. Align on the project scope and evaluation criteria before execution.
  2. Weeks 3–6 · Test & Learn Execute the approved sourcing approach using permitted tools and channels. Experiment with different search techniques or candidate discovery methods. Review the relevance of identified profiles against the agreed candidate criteria. Document search results, observations and challenges. Evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches based on available evidence. Adjust and refine the sourcing strategy based on findings and mentor feedback.
  3. Weeks 7–8 · Deliver & Reflect Consolidate sourcing findings and evaluate the effectiveness of the tested approaches. Present relevant talent pool insights and sourcing recommendations. Document reusable search strategies or other agreed resources. Share findings and hand over materials to the TA team. Reflect on the approaches tested, challenges encountered and lessons learned.
Using AI well
Explore how AI can support role analysis, keyword identification, search-string development and candidate profile comparison. Validate all search suggestions and candidate assessments against the actual job requirements. Do not upload personal candidate information to unapproved AI tools.
Definition of success
  • Initiative: Proactively explores alternative ways to identify relevant talent.
  • Critical Thinking: Understands role requirements and evaluates candidate relevance rather than focusing on search volume.
  • Ownership: Independently plans and conducts approved sourcing experiments.
  • Practical Value: Produces sourcing insights or reusable approaches that can support future recruitment.
  • Communication: Clearly presents findings, search decisions and recommendations.
Getting started
Start by discussing current hard-to-fill roles with the TA mentor. Understand why these positions are challenging to recruit for and what has already been tried before proposing your own approach. The goal is to identify and test a more effective way to reach relevant talent, not simply to collect a large number of candidate profiles.
#6Market Research: Companies in Gradion's SegmentWhat can we learn from companies operating in Gradion's market, and how can these insights help TA better understand the talent market and position our opportunities?Priority: MediumEffort: Medium7 weeks (Week 2–8)Open the full brief
Why it matters to Gradion
Understanding the market helps TA make better recruitment decisions. Knowledge of companies operating in similar segments, their business focus, technology environments, talent profiles and hiring activities can provide useful context when sourcing and evaluating candidates. Market insights can also help TA understand where relevant talent may come from and how Gradion's opportunities compare with other employers from a candidate's perspective.
Project scope
Explore companies operating in Gradion's relevant market segments and identify insights that could support TA's recruitment activities. Potential areas of exploration include company profiles, business models, technology focus, talent pools, hiring patterns, role requirements and employer positioning. These are starting points for exploration, not predefined research requirements. You are encouraged to identify the market information that would be most useful to the TA team.
Expected outcomes
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the selected market segment and research scope.
  • Develop a structured overview of relevant companies supported by reliable sources.
  • Identify market patterns or insights relevant to TA.
  • Propose practical implications or recommendations for sourcing, candidate assessment or recruitment positioning.
  • Present findings, decisions, results and recommendations to the TA team.
The specific companies, research criteria and deliverables will be proposed by you and agreed with your mentor during Week 2.
How to approach it
  1. Week 2 · Explore & Define Understand Gradion's business model, service offerings and relevant market segments. Discuss with the TA mentor which market insights would be most useful for current or future recruitment activities. Explore potential companies and define relevant selection criteria. Identify reliable sources and determine what information is available. Develop and present your project proposal, including the research question, proposed approach, expected outcomes and timeline. Align with your mentor before proceeding.
  2. Weeks 3–6 · Research & Analyze Conduct research on the selected companies using reliable public sources. Gather and organize relevant information based on the approved research criteria. Compare company profiles, business focus, technology environments or talent-related insights. Identify patterns, differences and potential implications for Gradion's recruitment activities. Validate findings and refine the research based on feedback. Explore how the insights could be applied in actual TA activities.
  3. Weeks 7–8 · Deliver & Reflect Finalize the company research and key findings. Highlight insights that may support TA's sourcing and recruitment decisions. Present practical recommendations and potential applications. Organize research sources and hand over the materials to the TA team. Reflect on the research approach, findings and lessons learned.
Using AI well
Use AI to support company research, information organization, comparison and insight generation. Verify important information against original and reliable sources. Distinguish confirmed facts from assumptions or AI-generated interpretations. Do not use AI-generated market figures or salary data without checking their sources and methodology.
Definition of success
  • Initiative: Proactively identifies relevant companies and research directions.
  • Critical Thinking: Evaluates information quality, compares companies meaningfully and avoids unsupported conclusions.
  • Ownership: Independently manages the research scope, progress and deliverables.
  • Practical Value: Produces market insights that can inform TA's sourcing and recruitment activities.
  • Communication: Presents research findings clearly, with reliable sources and relevant implications.
Getting started
Start by understanding Gradion's business and the types of clients, projects and talent profiles relevant to the company. Discuss with the TA mentor what market knowledge would be most useful before defining your research direction. The goal is not just to build a list of competitors, but to translate market research into insights that can support better recruitment decisions.
WhyOne finished project is worth more than several half-done ones. The next intern builds only on finished work, so nothing is left hanging when a rotation ends.
04 What good looks like

You'll always know what great looks like

Every phase has one clear goal. Every score is tied to behaviour you can see. You get the bar on day one, so nothing about scoring is ever a surprise.

One goal per phase

Week 1 · Learn

Explain how Gradion hires from request to Day 60, and work safely in Lever with candidate data.

Week 2 · Get started

Pass the Lever test and start looking at TA's process with fresh eyes.

Week 3 · Map and ideate

Map how candidates, newcomers and AI tools move through TA's process, and bring the first ideas.

Week 4 · Mid-point (2-month)

Show progress against the brief and reset the plan for the second half.

Weeks 5–8 · Own it (2-month)

Turn the maps and ideas into a workflow the agents can run, and lead the project to its milestones.

Final week · Deliver

Finish, prove the value with evidence, and hand everything over cleanly.

TA core competencies

The 40% block of every Sprint 1-1. Scores run from 1 to 5 in half steps; 2 and 4 sit between the anchors below.

1 Not yet2 Partly there3 Meets the bar4 Above the bar, needs a concrete example5 Role model, needs a concrete example
Competency1 · Not yet3 · Meets the bar5 · Role model
Process and SPARCSprint 1-1 · 40% blockCannot yet explain the steps or who owns them; levels are guesses.Explains the 12 steps and owners; places most CVs at the right level with a reason; maps where each step can improve.Spots where a step loses time or candidates and backs it with evidence.
Lever and data hygieneSprint 1-1 · 40% blockStages, tags or archive reasons missing; needs reminders.Stages updated the same day; one archive reason with an evidence note; tags in [Stack] [Level] format; no new tags.Clean record in every spot check; finds and fixes others' data issues once TA approves.
Sourcing and researchSprint 1-1 · 40% blockSearches return mostly unrelated profiles; claims have no source.Boolean strings where most of the top 20 results are relevant; leads added with the right source; every claim backed by data.Finds channels or candidates TA did not have; research changes a decision.
AI and process improvementSprint 1-1 · 40% blockIdeas without evidence; AI tools used without checking the output.Maps the journey and the AI tools accurately; each idea names the problem and how to test it.Designs a workflow TA adopts or tests; catches where AI or the process lets candidates down.
Work disciplineSprint 1-1 · 40% blockTrello out of date; blockers raised late.Trello current before standup; weekly report on time; blockers raised the same day.Plans the week ahead; flags risks before they become blockers.

SPARC for interns

The other 60% of every Sprint 1-1, 15% each.

Competency1 · Not yet3 · Meets the bar5 · Role model
Growth MindsetSprint 1-1 · 15%Repeats the same mistake after feedback.Applies feedback by the following week.Asks for feedback unprompted and improves week on week.
Critical ThinkingSprint 1-1 · 15%Makes calls without evidence.Ties every call to evidence from the CV, the JD or the data.Flags risks TA missed, with evidence.
Communication & CollaborationSprint 1-1 · 15%Messages unclear; people have to ask again.Clear and complete; people get what they need the first time.Adapts to the audience and updates people before they ask.
AI LiteracySprint 1-1 · 15%Copies AI output without checking it.Uses the right TA tool for the task and checks the output.Picks the right tool unprompted and catches AI errors.
WhyThe Academy decides on attitude at its gates, and an intern can only be judged fairly if the bar was stated out loud before any work was handed over. Behaviour anchors also keep three mentors scoring the same way.
05 Tracking and evaluation

Progress you can see, every day

Daily work lives on Trello. You submit assignments in the TA Intern group, and the Supervisor scores them. Feedback is written down every week.

How a card moves

1 · Day oneAll your cards are on the board, grouped by list, each assignment with a due date and a checklist.
2 · You startMove a card to Doing (max 3 at a time) and tick its checklist as you go.
3 · You hand inAttach the link to your output, add the three lines and move the card to Review and feedback.
4 · Mentor closesReviews, writes feedback on the card, moves it to Done or back to Doing.

The board

Each assignment is one card with its objective, instructions, Definition of Done and checklist. Every Friday you copy the weekly report into a comment on the Weekly Performance Review card, and your mentor's feedback comes back on the same card.

Start Here & Resources

How this board works
Onboarding Materials & Syllabus
AI-Native Habits & SPARC Framework

Checkpoint: Reports & Feedback

Weekly Performance ReviewEvery Friday
Assignment Review & Sign-off
Final Performance Evaluation

Syllabus Assignments

[A5] AI Process Review & MappingFri, week 3
[A6] Final Demo & HandoverWeek 4

Side Projects (60/40 Rule)

Your side project

Recurring Tasks & Rituals

Daily LinkedIn & Social Sourcing ScanReport every Friday
Hiring Poster & Recruitment Content
Boolean Search Strings Experimentation

Doing max 3

[A4] Side Project Brief5/10 done
[A2] Lever System TestBlocked: raise at standup

Review and feedback

[A3] Newcomer Onboarding, Countries & BenefitsLink attached

Done

[A1] Recruitment Process MapFeedback on the card
KnowledgeSide projectOn-jobBlocked waiting on someone

Example cards. One board per rotation, named TA Intern Tracking Board: your name. In a pair, each card carries one name.

WhyYou always see what is due, what to do now and what TA said about it. Feedback written on the cards becomes the evidence behind every score: a 4 or above needs a concrete example.

Your assignments

You submit six assignments in a 1-month rotation and seven in a 2-month rotation. Each one has a name and a number (A1 to A7); this plan uses the name, with the number in brackets.

AssignmentWhat you submitDue
Recruitment Process Map (A1)A map of the hiring process, a guide to candidate levels, and three real cases solved with the PlaybookFriday, week 1
Lever System Test (A2)A test job run end to end in Lever: create, upload, move stages, archive with reasonsTuesday, week 2
Newcomer Onboarding, Countries & Benefits (A3)An onboarding timeline for one newcomer, from offer acceptance to Day 60, with owners, the TA onboarding SLAs and the common mistakes; a one-page countries benefits cheat sheet; three candidate questions answered from the PlaybookTo be set
Side Project Brief (A4)Your side project brief: goal, output, 'done when', weekly milestones, who will use itFriday, week 2
AI Process Review & Mapping (A5)Your candidate and newcomer journey maps, the AI tools mapped to each hiring step, and your top ideas to improve themFriday, week 3
Final Demo & Handover / Mid-point Demo (A6)1-month rotation: final demo and handover. 2-month rotation: mid-point demoWeek 4
Final Demo & Handover (A7)2-month rotation: final demo and handover noteFinal week

How interns are scored

Scores run from 1 to 5 in half steps. Gam, your Supervisor, scores, with written notes from the mentors.

Sprint 1-1

Every two weeks, scored by the Supervisor.

TA core competencies: process and SPARC, Lever, sourcing, AI and process improvement, work discipline.

Rotation Review

On the last day of the rotation.

Growth comes automatically from the Sprint 1-1 scores.

Academy gates. Separate from scores, the Supervisor and the Track Leader decide at Gate 1 (end of month 2) and Gate 2 (week 2 of month 6) whether an intern continues, based on attitude: communicating, flagging problems early, asking for help, taking feedback. If an intern does not improve, the gap and a date go in writing at the Friday review, and Rich Pham hears it at the next Sprint 1-1.
WhyNo decision should come as a surprise. Feedback goes in writing every week, so an intern always knows where they stand long before a gate.
06 Templates

Start from a good page, not a blank one

Templates for every recurring piece of writing. Copy one into Trello or Drive and fill it in.

Side Project Brief (A4)Intern · Friday of week 2
PROJECT: 
LEAD:                      PAIR PARTNER (if any): 
MENTOR: 

THE PROBLEM
What is wrong or missing today, with one piece of evidence:

WHO WILL USE IT
Name or role, and how they will use it:

OUTPUT AND "DONE WHEN"
The output:
Done when:
- 
- 

SCOPE
In: 
Out: 

WEEKLY MILESTONES
Week 2: 
Week 3: 
Week 4: 
(2-month rotations continue to week 8)

WHAT I NEED
Materials, access, people:

RISKS
What could stop me, and what I will cut first if time runs short:

HOW I WILL USE AI, AND HOW I WILL CHECK IT

WHO I WILL WORK WITH, AND WHO WILL USE THE RESULT

MENTOR SIGN-OFF: ________  DATE: ________
Weekly reportIntern · as a comment on the Weekly Performance Review card on Trello, every Friday morning
WEEK __ · NAME

DONE THIS WEEK (with links)
- 

IN PROGRESS
- 

BLOCKED · who can help
- 

RISKS I SEE
- 

NEXT WEEK'S TOP 3
1. 
2. 
3. 

ONE THING I LEARNED

ONE THING I DID WITHOUT BEING ASKED

AI THIS WEEK · one time it helped, one time I corrected it

TEAM · who I helped, who helped me
Sprint 1-1 self-checkIntern · the day before each Sprint 1-1
FOR EACH COMPETENCY: my score (1-5) · my evidence · what I will do next

Growth Mindset: 
Critical Thinking: 
Communication & Collaboration: 
AI Literacy: 
Process and SPARC: 
Lever and data hygiene: 
Sourcing and research: 
AI and process improvement: 
Work discipline: 

THE THREE THINGS GRADION LOOKS FOR · one dated example each
AI literacy and above expectations: 
Proactiveness: 
Teamwork: 

WHAT I NEED FROM MY MENTORS
Project handover noteIntern · last working day
PROJECT:                 STATUS against "done when": 

WHERE EVERYTHING LIVES
(links to the handover folder, sheets, Lever searches)

HOW TO USE IT

DECISIONS MADE AND WHY

OPEN RECOMMENDATIONS (added to the TA backlog)
- 

WHO KNOWS WHAT
(stakeholders and contacts used)

IF I HAD ONE MORE WEEK, I WOULD
Retro questionsIntern with Rich Pham · end of rotation
1. What is the biggest thing you learned in TA?
2. What is the biggest gap you want to close in your next rotation?
3. Which moment in TA are you proudest of, and why?
4. What should the TA team change for the next intern?
15-minute demo outlineIntern · final week
2 min   THE PROBLEM · what was wrong and how we knew
4 min   WHAT I BUILT · show it, do not describe it
1 min   HOW I WORKED · AI used and checked, who helped
3 min   EVIDENCE IT WORKS · numbers, examples, who used it
3 min   RECOMMENDATION · what TA should do next
2 min   QUESTIONS
WhyThe same structure every week makes progress comparable across interns and mentors, and turns everyday writing into evidence for scoring.
07 Rules and access

Trusted with real data, protected by clear rules

Interns get

  • Trello board
  • Lever, Team Member role
  • LinkedIn
  • Shared Drive, limited
  • TA Intern group: a new group just for interns, reused for every rotation

Interns do not get

  • TA internal weekly meeting (standup instead)
  • Lever sensitive information
  • TA Asset Management and Salary Range Guide
  • Drive 07 Feedback & Offer, 13 SPARC Assessments, 14 Internship Academy
  • TA team groups (gradion-vietnam-ta-team, hiring-ai-process)
  • Finance, admin and client hiring channels
  • Confidential searches
Lever Team Member is the role the Playbook sets for coordinators, sourcers and interns: enough to do real work.
Pay, offers, SPARC records and fellow interns' data are sensitive, and an intern does not need them to learn or deliver.

Ground rules

  • Candidate data stays inside TA. No CVs on personal devices, nothing downloaded or forwarded outside Lever.
  • A mentor approves every message before it reaches a candidate.
  • Live Lever actions start once your Lever System Test (A2) is approved.
  • Never discuss pay or make promises to candidates. Benefits questions go to TA.
  • No contact with clients. That goes through Staffing or the hiring manager.