KANSAS CITY, Mo. – April 7, 2020 – More than 40 Kansas City companies have listed thousands of open positions on KC Career Network to help those displaced by coronavirus. TeamKC, a talent attraction initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC), is leveraging KC Career Network to list more than 5,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal positions available in industries including technology, professional services and health care.
Employers listing jobs through KC Career Network include: Amazon, CVS Health, Federal Reserve Bank of KC, H&R Block, Lowe’s, SelectQuote, United Health Group, United States Postal Service, UPS, Walgreens, Walmart and Whole Foods, among others. Employment opportunities include IT/software, data analysis, finance, logistics/delivery, security, administrative and facilities management, health care/nursing, food preparation and more.
Positions range from an $8-per-hour grocery store packer to an operations manager salaried at $165,000, among other corporate and professional roles. The resource is free to use for both companies and job seekers.
“For the 300 companies in our network, TeamKC is a trusted resource. This puts us in a unique position to help those that have lost their jobs to find work with Kansas City’s regional and national employers,” said Jessica Palm, vice president and lead executive of TeamKC at the Kansas City Area Development Council. “Our team is actively identifying and tracking new positions that range from permanent corporate roles, to temporary work in areas deemed essential.”
TeamKC mobilized quickly to transform KC Career Network, its resume-sharing tool originally launched in 2014, into a job-listing site in the wake of abrupt layoffs and furloughs caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 160,000 people in Kansas and Missouri filed new unemployment claims in the final week of March.
Since it began publishing available jobs in mid-March, the KC Career Network has seen a 3,600 percent spike in traffic and an immediate surge in employment inquiries, along with positive feedback from the community. In fact, Palm noted that both individuals and area businesses are praising the KC Career Network as a way to highlight ongoing operations and eliminate some of the time-consuming steps of a job search.
“The KC Career Network is a valuable outlet for both employers and individuals seeking to respond to the widespread effects of the coronavirus,” said Anthony Fasl, Vice President at insurance distribution platform SelectQuote, which plans to hire more than 1,000 new employees. “We’re working closely with TeamKC to heighten the visibility of our job openings, as we continue to assist millions of families with their insurance needs.”
Staffing firms, local job boards and state workforce efforts across the Kansas City region are also working to connect individuals with job opportunities, including high-volume roles in response to COVID-19. These opportunities can also be found on the Career Network page.
“We have a large office in Kansas City and are fond of the restaurant community there. It pains us to see so many people in our industry out of work right now,” said Chris Webb, CEO of ChowNow, an online ordering service for restaurants that has 20 open positions listed on the KC Career Network, and has already hired more than 20 temporary workers. “We’re hiring as many people as we can from the restaurant industry. These people know us, they know our products and they can relate to our other clients, so it benefits everyone.”
Accompanying the webpage, TeamKC also created a deeper resource portal for individuals in need of tips and tutorials on the hiring process. TeamKC manages an active blog – including content on resume polishing – and has linked to general employment information about the region, a comprehensive employer database and a self-assessment used to identify strengths and motivations.
For more information about the KC Career Network, visit: http://teamkc.thinkkc.com/talent-recruitment/portfolio/kc-career-network/kccn-special-edition.
About Team KC
TeamKC is an initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) and guided by an advisory board of 20 of the area’s employers including Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell, Dimensional Innovations, Garmin International, Honeywell, Children’s Mercy Hospital, H&R Block, Hallmark, and Sprint. TeamKC currently serves a network of more than 1,000 talent acquisition leaders and 300 KC area employers. The initiative works to create a competitive advantage by fostering collaboration among the region’s HR professionals to amplify Kansas City’s livability assets to potential employees, making the region a top lifestyle and career destination. TeamKC.com.
About Greater Kansas City
Home to 2.5 million people, Kansas City is a vibrant metro in the heart of the U.S., known as "KC Heartland.” KC is a center for technology, entrepreneurship and artistry, ranking first in the nation for its startup growth rate. Visit KC.org and follow @KCHeartland for more details.