Category: Workforce Development

Power Up Your Workforce: How Educated Employees Drive Business Success

by dream2career, posted in HR Professionals, Solving the Work-Learn Problem, Staffing, Trending, Workforce Development

In today’s competitive market, finding qualified employees is just half the battle. Businesses need motivated, well-trained individuals who can hit the ground running. But where do you find these unicorns? The answer lies in partnering with a staffing agency that prioritizes employee education.  We invite innovative staffing agencies to parter with Dream2Career to give your clients the motivated, growth minded workforce they require. 

The Dream2Career Advantage: Micro-Learning for a Macro Impact

Imagine a world where your new hires arrive at your client’s door not only possessing the necessary skills, but also brimming with enthusiasm and a strong work ethic. That’s the reality offered by Dream2Career’s innovative Micro-Drip learning program. These bite-sized, gamified courses, just 15 minutes a day, cover essential topics like cybersecurity, teamwork, and compliance. The result? Employees who are:

  • Ready to contribute: With a solid foundation in key areas, they can start adding value immediately.
  • Highly motivated: The engaging format fosters a love of learning and a desire to excel.
  • Team players: The emphasis on collaboration prepares them to seamlessly integrate into your existing team.

Beyond Skills: The Value of a Culture of Learning

The benefits extend far beyond immediate productivity gains. By offering your clients the option of offering education as a benefit through your staffing firm, you are sending a powerful message:

  • We invest in our people: You demonstrate a commitment to employee growth and development which increase retention 10-fold. 
  • We value a culture of learning: You foster a continuous learning environment that fuels innovation and collaboration. 
  • We attract top talent: Employees seeking growth opportunities are drawn to companies that prioritize their personal and professional growth.
  • We create a Learning Community: Employees will invite their friends to come along and participate in this exciting workspace. 

The Bottom Line: A Win-Win for Everyone

The impact? Increased employee satisfaction, reduced onboarding time, and a more skilled, adaptable workforce. This translates to:

  • Improved efficiency: Less time spent training translates to higher productivity.
  • Reduced costs: Lower onboarding expenses and a decrease in turnover lead to significant savings.
  • Enhanced competitive edge: A highly skilled and motivated workforce gives you a leg up in the market.

Don’t settle for just filling open positions. Partner with Dream2Career and offer your clients the option of Education as a Benefit.

Contact us today and unlock the power of a truly empowered workforce!

The Upskilling Imperative: A New Admissions Process for Working Adults

by dream2career, posted in Admissions Professionals, Businesses Work-Learn Insights, HR Professionals, Workforce Development

Millions of adults lack the credentials needed for in-demand jobs, while employers struggle to fill open positions with motivated workers. The traditional college admissions process, designed for recent high school graduates, isn’t equipped to address this current dynamic. We have an opportunity to bridge this gap by creating a new admissions process specifically for working adults so they find passion through learning and they want to work hard to succeed. 

The Urgent Need for Upskilling

  • Talent Shortage: 40% of employers can’t find qualified candidates, costing companies an average of $4,129 per hire.
  • High Turnover: With an 18% average job turnover rate, businesses constantly need to fill open positions.
  • Underutilized Benefits: Companies offer tuition assistance programs, but only 2-5% of eligible employees participate.

Unveiling the Potential

Over 40 million Americans lack a college degree or relevant credential. Tuition assistance programs and a new admissions process can transform this untapped potential into a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

Why Upskilling Benefits Everyone

  • Reduced Costs: Research from Accenture shows companies save through higher retention and internal promotions.Discover Financial Services and Cigna each saved money through tuition reimbursement, while employees saw substantial wage increases.
  • Increased Motivation: Investing in employees’ education boosts confidence, motivation, and job satisfaction.

A New Admissions Model for Working Adults

The traditional model separates programs into college vs. vocational or skills-based training. This disjointed system offers over 60,000 learning providers and 1 million credential programs, making quality and outcomes difficult to assess.

Furthermore, education, a right for every American, isn’t equally accessible. The current process doesn’t simplify admissions or help employees envision their success path. Many lack passion for learning, focusing solely on advancement. This can lead to disengagement at work and a lack of overall career satisfaction. Dream2Career uses HIF Logic to ignite learner passion through inspiring content. We then guide them towards best-fit learning programs that align with their interests and goals.

Adult learners face unique challenges, including recovery, re-entry, immigration status, childcare, and transportation. Dream2Career’s Adult admissions process overcomes these complications and effectively guides all groups to relevant resources while creating a sense of belonging among this newly formed community of learners that is diverse and committed to helping their classmates succeed. 

Dream2Career’s Adult Admissions Model – Operation Dream Landing 

Collaboration for Success

By working together, we are able to create a flexible and accessible college admissions process for working adults.This creates a win-win-win for businesses, learning providers and communities. 

  • Employees: Gain access to education and inspiring career advancement opportunities.
  • Employers: Build a more qualified happy workforce and reduce turnover costs.
  • Educators: Expand access to education onramps and serve a growing student population.

The future of American competitiveness hinges on reimagining education so the system works for everyone. Let’s embrace the opportunity to create a new educational pathway for working adults, ensuring a skilled, motivated, workforce and thriving local economies.

Dream2Career Logo

Seeking PA – ESG Businesses to pilot Dream2Career’s Micro-Drip Learning talent strategy

by dream2career, posted in HR Professionals, Marketing Professionals, Workforce Development

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – May 20, 2024

Dream2Career, LLC is seeking environmentally and socially conscious (ESG-minded) businesses in Pennsylvania to participate in a pilot program designed to revolutionize workforce development. Our program, Operation Dream Landing (ODL), utilizes our innovative HIF Logic framework and Micro-Drip Learning system to empower employees, boost productivity, and decrease costs.

ODL: A Collaborative Learning Initiative

Operation Dream Landing offers a gamified and structured approach to general employee education. This program fosters a shared learning environment, improving communication and collaboration between the workforce and educational resources. By establishing a common language, ODL simplifies the often-complex educational process for both employees and employers.

The HIF Logic Framework

Dream2Career is introducing HIF Logic, a standardized workforce development infrastructure designed to enhance business productivity and reduce costs. HIF stands for Horizontal Industry Framework, encompassing six key areas:Maven, Specialist, Visionary, Naturalist, Processor, and Protector. These factions represent the various job functions within a company and contribute to the overall work-learn experience. HIF Logic fosters continuous development and ignites interest in personal and professional growth, ultimately creating a more valuable and engaged workforce.

Micro-Drip Learning: Building Confidence and Competence

Our Micro-Drip Learning platform leverages HIF Logic to deliver educational content in a gamified and predictable manner. This approach fosters shared learning experiences and builds confidence among employees, encouraging collaboration and a sense of hope for the future. The platform boasts a library of over 250 micro-courses, all developed by subject matter experts and utilized by more than 70,000 businesses. These courses address critical workforce needs,including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, root cause analysis, process improvement techniques, safety, and work ethic. The gamified design keeps workers engaged without feeling pressured, while completion data can be used to identify high performers. Additionally, learning milestones can be integrated into employee rewards programs to further incentivize success. ODL can be implemented for existing employees or incorporated into the onboarding process for new hires. This program is also ideally suited to support employment initiatives for recovering individuals, re-entrants to the workforce, immigrants, and disadvantaged workers.

Predictable HIF Communications: A Community Approach

Similar to how holidays provide businesses with opportunities to collectively promote products and services,Dream2Career utilizes a HIF Logic-based media schedule to celebrate work-learn projects and developments within the local workforce and educational provider landscape. This approach ensures that all stakeholders, not just those prioritized by social media algorithms, have access to information about available work-learn programs, events, and experiences.

Revolutionizing Talent Development: Dr. Kathleen Houlihan’s Vision

Dr. Kathleen Houlihan, CEO and Founder of Dream2Career and the creator of HIF Logic, firmly believes that Micro-Drip Learning combined with the HIF Media schedule offers an effective solution to the work-learn challenge. By establishing a common work-learn language, HIF Logic fosters standardization and enhances employee motivation and engagement in performing meaningful work. Operation Dream Landing represents a revolutionary ed-tech solution that reimagines talent development for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Building a Motivated Workforce with ODL

Operation Dream Landing empowers business communities to cultivate a motivated workforce that is prepared to learn,work, and thrive.

Join the Movement

If you are part of a Pennsylvania workforce development community, a learning provider, or an employer interested in participating in ODL, please book a meeting using the information below. We also welcome inquiries from outside of Pennsylvania; businesses with the ability to organize local participation are encouraged to contact us at 570.779.9359.

Media Contact

Dream2Career 570.779.9359 https://dream2career.org/

Source: Dream2Career, LLC

Education is NOT a Dirty Word

by dream2career, posted in HR Professionals, Work-Learn Solutions for Businesses, Workforce Development

It is very concerning that we have doors falling off planes, bridges collapsing, and trains derailing as society continues to believe workers don’t need education. This is a ridiculous notion. Everyone needs an education and from the latest data, we need lots more of it. There are manufacturers who complain their workers don’t understand root cause analysis, well that is because we are teaching humans to just make the widget without providing the why. Workers don’t have passion for their work; they are just there for the paycheck.  They don’t understand where they fit in or why their position is important. For them, they are just going through the motions of life. This is why we’ve seen an increase in malfunctioning products and services; education and passion are lacking. Workers just don’t care because this is what they are taught as members of our current society.

Having knowledge of other points of view, those that exist in worlds beyond one’s profession, are helpful to workers’ personal and professional growth. We need to get rid of the idea that one type of learning is better or worse than another. The training one receives should match their interests and aspirational goals, not the views of pundits who are for, or against other methods of learning. Most people have no idea who they want to become so exposing everyone to various frames and concepts is necessary for social, emotional, academic, and operational wellbeing. Without education we cannot have a productive, motivated workforce or a flourishing society.

It’s important to not just understand the how, but also the why. In the past, general education was provided by colleges and even high schools. I personally had courses in wood shop, metal shop, drafting, cooking, and music, as well as, access to an honors curriculum with calculus, physics, and anatomy.  Having this variety provided diverse perspectives that allowed me to become the person I am today. This ‘jack of all trades’ educational method of the past allowed learners, and eventual workers, to be able to solve the world’s problems.

Today, jobs are the main function of the educational system, we’ve stripped schools and academic programs, particularly in the arts, and began focusing on workforce instead of humanity. There is research to support the idea that someone with music skills might have higher abilities in math. Also, music provides a means of communication for someone who struggles with words, music provides another avenue for self-expression. All these courses that were removed had value which the “prepare people for work” leaders failed to recognize.

Not only have we taken the academic programs apart, but we’ve taken all the rigor and all the challenges out of the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to push students through the system, they are instructed to not make waves or challenge students because they will quit college or the administration will need to deal with the parents in high school. Students are given their “participation trophy”, their diploma or degree that they didn’t earn. They don’t value the education and they are not prepared or excited about the future because they never worked for anything in their entire life.

Now we have a world full of people who can’t deal with stressors of any kind. They feel entitled to say or do anything they want; hurt people however they want and there are no consequences. No one tries or values anything which leads to fear, depression, and helplessness. We go through the process of checking boxes, not having a passion for learning or living. We are mesmerized by the scroll. Students are afraid and they spend too much time alone; feelings of isolation were further compromised during the pandemic. For many, agoraphobia makes life outside of the home difficult or impossible.

If you want to understand why there is so much sadness, loneliness, and division, look no further than changes in education. Online education lacks quality and doesn’t provide shared learning experiences. The only shared learning society gets comes from the news and we know how that is a mistake. Imagine if communities had access to information that was supported by researchers and included innovation from businesses. Having a daily dose of this kind of information would be very helpful and interesting. It might serve to inspire new ideas, shine a light on new leaders, and provide opportunities for collaboration to advance society. This educational media solution would help life feel more exciting and it would give workers hope for a better tomorrow.

We at Dream2Career are optimistic that the educational system is fixable, but it will take a team of leaders from all industries and schools working together to reimagine education, so the system works for everyone. Our Operation Dream Landing project provides a Six-Sigma style framework for talent development. Using our HIF Logic, workers and learners find passion and direction that makes them happy and productive in learning and in life. If you’d like to learn more about this project schedule some time with us and let’s make the world a better place by providing a community of learning and a society that thrives.

Resilience Training for Employee Retention

by dream2career, posted in Admissions Professionals, HR Professionals, Work-Learn Solutions for Businesses, Workforce Development

Resilience training programs are designed to equip workers with tools and strategies to navigate difficult situations. These programs can help:

  • Develop a more positive outlook
  • Effectively manage stress
  • Build problem-solving skills
  • Foster healthy coping mechanisms
  • Strengthen support networks

Who Can Benefit from Resilience Training?

Anyone can benefit from resilience training! It’s valuable for:

Individuals: Looking to improve mental well-being, manage stress, and bounce back from setbacks.
Employees: Seeking to cope with workplace pressures, adapt to change, and maintain focus under pressure.
Organizations: Aiming to create a more positive and productive work environment, reduce employee burnout, increase employee retention, and improve the overall working environment.

Finding the Right Resilience Training Program

There’s a range of resilience training programs available, from in-person workshops to online courses. As part of your Operation Dream Landing project, Dream2Career developed a site-based solution. This solution uses the HIF Logic framework which is emerging as the most effective learning infrastructure.

Here are some factors to consider when choosing a resilience program:

Format: Do your employees prefer in-person interaction, the flexibility of online learning, or a blended approach?
Focus: Is there sufficient academic content to justify the program expense?
Integration: Will the program integrate and enhance our current training solution?
Qualifications: Look for programs led by experienced professionals with a proven record of success.

Building a More Resilient Workforce

Investing in resilience training is an investment in your team. By developing your team’s ability to cope with challenges, they’ll be better equipped to navigate life’s ups and downs, achieve performance goals, and exceed expectations in the workplace.

If you’d like to bring resilience training to your organization reach out to Dream2Career and see if you qualify to implement the Operation Dream Landing program for free.

About Dream2Career:

Dream2Career (D2C), a women-owned business, uses education to attract, retain, and inspire the workforce of tomorrow.

No One is Qualified to Perform Their Job

by dream2career, posted in HR Professionals, Solving the Work-Learn Problem, Workforce Development

We need to accept the fact that no one is qualified to be doing their job. We just experienced the great resignation. That means company knowledge has been drained from every company and the few knowledgeable workers you have left are contemplating leaving because you pile more work onto their very capable hands to make up for short falls in others throughout your team. According to a 2023 Gallup Poll 60% of people are emotionally detached at work and 19% are miserable.­­­­

A more alarming trend is that we’ve turned our back on traditional forms of education for fast and dirty online learning platforms with the hope that these quick fixes will be able to get your organization staffed and ready to meet your ever-growing production goals. Most of these degree mills don’t teach anything and your employees are going through the motions with their learning just like they do on the job. They earn meaningless credentials and they keep searching for work that inspires them when in fact they have no idea who they are or what they want out of their life.

The only solution is to go back to the basics and begin to trust in traditional non-profit learning institutions that offer face-to-face learning and that teach liberal arts education. These non-profit institutions focus on individualized education first. This kind of immersive learning environment provides students with the opportunity to try concepts and careers on. It helps them to understand problems from different perspectives.  Liberal arts learning teaches future employees how to work, communicate, be creative, and see beauty in the world, which inspires the concept of personal and professional growth. Non-profit schools teach your future employees critical thinking, the idea that learning is living, and that finding the answer often takes more than just checking the right box.  A person who has created the habit of learning is much more valuable than someone who doesn’t have an interest in doing anything for your organization except collecting a paycheck.

Online learning has created a world where people feel entitled and want a fast track to career success. All these programs do is create employees who never had to work for anything because now they have ChatGPT. Their learning is transactional and so is their life. You will never be able to teach them to work hard or achieve anything because they don’t know the meaning of hard work because they were never challenged. If someone tries to challenge them they will quit, call mom, start bullying, or throw a temper tantrum. These are our “qualified employees” who we are forced to hire because they are the only candidates with the “credentials”. This dysfunctional hiring practice is only going to get worse as more non-profits go out of business. Our workforce is unqualified and these workers do not know how to work as a team, or support others, or to believe in anything. The only people they’ve ever engaged with are one dimensional and very likely over-animated because otherwise they will not be significant enough to keep the employee’s attention for longer than five minutes.

Businesses should consider using local education providers to up-skill their workforce and to stop trying to catch lightning in a bottle with online programs that promise the world and deliver candidates that have the credentials but none of the skills your company actually needs to be successful. There is a human aspect to learning that has been lost and online learning has morally bankrupt our communities.

Businesses that want to learn more about how to use local, traditional, education programs as a strategic advantage to attract, retain, and inspire the best workforce, are welcome to contact Dream2Career.  The solutions we provide are low cost and, in some cases, can be implemented for free through tax incentives. Businesses report up to a 125% ROI when using education-based talent solutions as an employee benefit. It’s time to start building the strong, educated, human, workforce of tomorrow because the unqualified workforce of today will never provide the answer.

Build a Motivated Workforce

by dream2career, posted in HR Professionals, Trending, Workforce Development

Stop looking beyond your town and use local resources to grow the workforce that meets your employment needs. Invest in workers, pay them well, but also help them develop personally and professionally. The best way to do this is to develop and USE an educational reimbursement program (ERPs).

Many companies have ERPs, however, less than 7% of employees use the benefit. Consequently, those that do use the benefit are 80% more likely to stay with the company and to feel valued by the organization. These worker-learners are also more likely to refer a friend to the company which can help to alleviate the employee shortage problem that most organizations are facing.

Fully online learning programs should not be the mission of businesses or learning providers. Businesses should fight the urge to simplify their training portfolio and institute guardrails around the usage of online learning that includes, at a minimum, a hybrid approach. Students who attend face-to-face classes gain access to networks and experiences that they do not effectively get online.

The online learner has no allegiance to the online learning provider, and, in many cases, the student is simply going through the motions to complete the course, not because they are curious or engaged, but because they feel the need to just get through the course. We’ve made a world of exceptional test takers who lack humility, collaboration, critical thinking, or a passion for learning. They know how to check boxes, but they have zero understanding of the who, what, why, or how, which are vital to the brain’s ability to understand and recall information when needed.

Local colleges and technical schools are struggling, and this is tragic, because they can be businesses’ greatest asset when it comes to attracting, retaining, and motivating workers. Online job boards and large employment agencies may be able to offer businesses access to 10 million resumes, but, small-town America, guess what? You’re lucky if these services have 3 prospects, from your location, that will be useful to your search.

Site-based learning providers offer work-learn options like apprenticeships and internships that are effective at upskilling workers. However, the motivation problem often still exists because most students have no idea what they want to do for a career. They don’t have enough input or experience to know what is available to them and when they enroll in work-based learning they are, again, just going through the motions to get the job and they rarely consider if it matches who they are or what they like to do. These work-learn solutions, use education to grow employees, may still lead to disengagement and high dropout rates because the employees miss the purpose and understanding of how they are valued within the organization.

To reimagine the work-learn problem, Dream2Career developed what is called Micro-Drip Learning to help employees understand their value to the organization, so they know who they are and what they bring to their employer. Through the consumption of daily 15-min microcourses, users gain confidence, interest, and hope through learning and gamification.

These courses are designed to help users to understand their strengths, and weaknesses, and the strengths of our differences. Through these shared experiences, users find like-minded people, engage in local events, and they learn about educational opportunities that help them develop personally and professionally.

Imagine having employees that love to come to work every day because they are working in or towards their dream career. They become inspired to participate and contribute because you are helping them to learn and grow and you’re giving them access to opportunities that make life worth living.

If you’d like to learn more about Micro-Drip Learning and how to integrated it in with your current Educational Reimbursement Program, or if you’d like to design a new ERP and use education as a benefit, with significant tax breaks, contact Dream2Career.

Contact Kathy Houlihan at khoulihan@dream2career.org

Gratitude: One Nation Under God

by dream2career, posted in Advice for Workers and Career Seekers, Processors, Protectors, Solving the Work-Learn Problem, Trending, Work-Learn Solutions for Businesses, Workforce Development

Our country is divided it is true, but we must know how lucky we are to live in a country that is not at war with anyone but ourselves. We have hours to spend doing what we wish. It is unfortunate that so many choose to waste their time streaming social media instead of living and learning.

There are so many beautiful places to visit, even in your hometown. Open your eyes, put down your devices and start looking for the answers outside your doors. If you walk through your neighborhood and there is trash on the ground, pick it up. Make your world, with a small “w” a better place first. This will make you feel happier and in control of your life.

If someone is hurting someone else with words or actions, try to deescalate the situation or if it’s dangerous, call the police. In fact, get trained and become a police officer. We need good people focusing our our personal safety online and in our communities. Learn how to protect your community and how to defuse hate and violence in your town.

No matter what your political views are, we all want to live in peace. That means being the bigger person and biting your tongue when someone has a different opinion. No one has all the facts and there is truth in what both sides are saying, and most people agree with what is rational. Somewhere in the middle is the truth. It is these loudmouth pundits, on both sides, who are fighting for your attention and destroying civility in America.

Let’s bring back civility, that family member, “friend,” or neighbor may have a different point of view on the situation, it’s not your responsibility to educate them. It’s your responsibility to live in peace and respect our collective differences. Right now, what is happening in Congress is gridlock and it’s because we are supporting these fools with our words and deeds instead of understanding that they are the people responsible for this mess.

Stop watching their outbursts. This behavior is called “Shockvertising” The term has been used in marketing for years. Shockvertising is when you say or do something that over the top to get people’s attention in advertising. It was always very effective for businesses and now politicians have learned to use it to push radical agendas.

Remember: Politicians are here to serve their constituents, the people who vote for them.  They are servant leaders which means they are supposed to help us fulfill our goals, not the other way around. They are not professors or teachers; they should be fighting for you and you don’t need to listen to their nonsense which they are using to get your votes.  Their radical behavior helps them get free airtime to push or “shock” their narratives directly down our throats until everyone is enraged and we are not thinking clearly. When we fight amongst ourselves, they have total control over the messages that we hear and they can be TV celebrities instead of creating laws that protect us, which is what we hired them to do.

My advice, turn off social media, 15-minutes per day is enough. Go play catch with your child, take a class, go for a walk, call a friend, eat an ice cream. Do something that makes you happy and disconnect from the nonsense. Nothing is as bad as the politicians want you to believe, especially in America.  You were born under some lucky stars in the United States, enjoy what we have by showing gratitude, not online, but in your hometown, with your families and the ones you love.

Earn-Learn Programs: Minimizing the Skills Gap

by Edu-Advisor, posted in HR Professionals, Workforce Development

In my 20+ years of experience working with workforce development and education, I’ve seen the use of work-learn solutions as the most effective model in reducing the skills gap. The outcomes far exceed the investment for the company, the mentee, the mentor, and the community.

Businesses and educators often look for someone to blame for the skills gap. Each entity wants to blame the other group instead of working together to solve the issue. Our philosophy at Dream2Career has always been don’t blame, collaborate! When business and education work together, like with internships or apprenticeships, both sides experience significant benefits.

When businesses spend a small amount of time and resources developing learn-earn programs, they get customized training that fits their specific needs it boosts company morale and increases employee retention.  When seasoned workers have the opportunity to teach another person about their job, they experience a greater sense of responsibility and importance to the company. This sense of achievement also helps to reduce stress and creates a sense of belonging.  The apprenticeship model has a net positive effect on the company culture and ultimately the bottom line.

Students also gain from the work-learn model because it so neatly helps students match the classroom lessons to related concepts they learned “on-the-job”. Now that math problem has context, which increases comprehension and interest in math. It also helps give student a sense of hope about their future and lets them discover a pathway forward.

I like to describe our current workforce system by giving students the opportunity to understand their personality using HIF Logic and then matching who they are to the work-learn onramp experiences that inspire and delight so they can see a future that is bright. It makes so much more sense to give students access to career pathways that match their interests and their aspirational goals so they can succeed in learning and in life. Workforce-related learning give students the opportunity to see the outcome and how they fit into the structure. By creating this work-learn connection, students have the opportunity to find a successful and rewarding career that they love.

If you would like to discuss internships, apprenticeships, or other educational reimbursement solutions that inspire and delight, contact Dream2Career.

About the Author:

Kathleen Houlihan, CEO of Dream2Career, is on a mission to help students and displaced workers find onramps to their dream careers. Kathy taught full-time at the university level for over 6 years and continues to teach as an adjunct while consulting for businesses and educational providers. She serves on several workforce development groups including the T3 Innovation Network and Midwest Credential Transparency Alliance and has a Ph.D. in Organizational Management, an MBA, and B.A. in Psychology.

Staffing Crisis: It’s Time to Get Back to the Basics

by Edu-Advisor, posted in HR Professionals, Workforce Development

Is your inability to find employees causing a crisis? Hiring managers, don’t panic, take a deep breath, and get back to the basics.  Here are 4 tips to get your staffing levels back to normal; simplify the application process, hire local, collaborate in the community, and retain employees through quality-of-life benefits.

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Tip #1 Simplify Don’t make the process any more difficult than it needs to be for the prospective employee. Jobseekers who are inquiring about a position, should not need all their transcripts, clearances, and background checks right out of the gate, specifically when you need entry-level workers. The process for onramp positions should be designed to be simpler and utilizing temp-to-hire positions is a great way to manage expectations. Another option is to start an internship program working with your local colleges.

Designing a communication plan that is focused will yield better results. Most companies have positions for several industry sectors at the same time.  Prospects don’t understand your workforce jargon so keep it simple in the job description and stay away from posting on job boards. There are too many jobs listed on job boards and your best candidates are not going to be found there.

My first job, as a newspaper carrier, came from a referral from my sister; she asked me to come along with her and she showed me the route. It wasn’t until after I completed the work with her that I actually applied for the job. You may not want to encourage something this extreme, but it proves a point. Doing a job is about learning what is involved and seeing if it works for you. More companies could utilize job shadowing days so that prospective employees could see the job for themselves. BONUS: the current employees in the division will feel empowered to have input into the hiring process.

I was in a meeting yesterday with a government entity that is in dire straits, having almost 500 positions open and they were explaining the application process so we could help our clients to complete the application. The process was daunting and not user-friendly. Nothing turns candidates away, especially when there are jobs everywhere, than a long, complicated application process for a minimum wage entry-level position.

Tip #2 Check your surroundings I’ve said this before, your best workers are in your neighborhood. We’ve become so focused on the internet, job boards, and the pandemic that we forgot that we work in HUMAN resources. It is so easy to stay hidden away, especially if we have a cushy job that now allows work from home. Psychologically, the home is safe but it also limiting and not all positions can be completed from there. It is important that you set self-imposed rules to engage, in person, with other people at work. If you don’t force yourself to change, you will stop growing and then depression and loneliness will follow. If you don’t start today, tomorrow you might not be able to leave. The pandemic has created a nation of agoraphobics and we must fight this disease in ourselves if we want to get things back to normal. You will be happier in everything you do if you find reasons to connect face-to-face with the world around you.

In addition, not every position can be performed remotely which means looking in the neighborhood is advisable. Offering referral bonuses to current employees is smart, but also using local media to offer reasons for people to come to your business, not just to complete the application, will work too.

Tip #3 Find Allies

There are lots of ways to interest prospects. Leverage your marketing team and brainstorm ways to recruit prospective employees or develop a local communication strategy with other local businesses to create community-focused messaging like Operation Dream Landing. Don’t perceive other businesses as competition with regards to hiring, see them as collaborators. Activities like an industry scavenger hunt at several local businesses could be fun. Another idea is to have local awards programs for specific industries, make it open to the public, hire a local band, and really celebrate your employees. This will improve company morale and change the entire mindset around the worker experience. In Colorado, they have Server Appreciation Day, and all the local businesses participate together to celebrate those who work in the hospitality industry. These kinds of initiatives are underutilized, and we are working with the Champaign, IL community to improve collaboration and accelerate site-based hiring initiatives.

Tip # 4 Keep Employees Motivated

Do you have employees that show up late and when they get there, they offer nothing but bad karma–complaining and checking out mentally? One approach is to fire them, but you know that right now it’s difficult to replace them.  A preferred option is to inspire them, there is no question that there are bad people in the world, but most people are naturally positive, but lack motivation because of all of the sadness in the news and, today, they have no hope for the future. Instead of using discipline, offer quality-of-life benefits and rewards programs that will help employees navigate their options more effectively in life. Celebrate those who are outperforming in the workplace, provide promotions, and other pathways to success including educational reimbursement programs. There are countless options that will cost less to implement than onboarding new people. Bottom-Line: Motivated workers consistently exceed production goals and improve the working conditions for everyone. Try these steps and you’ll see that you have the workforce you always wanted.

If you would like to discuss community-focused recruitment strategies that inspire and retain quality workers, contact Dream2Career.

About the Author:

Kathleen Houlihan, CEO of Dream2Career, is on a mission to help students and displaced workers find onramps to their dream careers. Kathy taught full-time at the university level for over 6 years and continues to teach as an adjunct while consulting for businesses and educational providers. She serves on several workforce development groups including the T3 Innovation Network and Midwest Credential Transparency Alliance and has a Ph.D. in Organizational Management, an MBA, and B.A. in Psychology.

Dream2Career (D2C) is a women-owned agency that reimagines talent acquisition and optimizes the system for candidates and employers. D2C provides human-centric solutions that filter-in candidates who exceed expectations in the workplace.