TeamKC Roundtable Recap | November 2023

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — and that includes planning for the next one. Look no further than the latest TeamKC Roundtable, hosted at Lockton, for ideas on how to add some spice to your talent attraction and retention strategies. 

Workforce Programs

Developing employees and sourcing talent are essential to staying ahead in the hiring game — workforce programs could be the next step to upping your strategy.

Establish the Goal 

In KC, workforce programs are aplenty, each offering different opportunities for companies in the region. Think about your hiring goals, narrow your focus and work backwards from there. Are you looking to develop relationships with students? Upskill current employees? Hire more veterans?

Benefit for All 

Many educational partners offer upskilling opportunities, and workforce partners offer support before talent hits the market. Several provide high school students with part-time internships to gain real world experience and learn about different working environments.

Partnering with the right workforce program can be mutually beneficial. For example, providing opportunities for employees to be intern supervisors gives them invaluable mentorship experience. 

Where to Start

Need some ideas? Here are a few workforce partners Lockton partners with to pipeline talent: 

PREP-KC — Established to help students in KC’s urban school districts get ahead with opportunities to engage with the region’s business community. 

Cristo Rey — The work study program at this career-prep high school allows a team of students to fill a full-time position in your company. 

Great Jobs KC — This organization provides job training for high-demand career fields, career coaching, placement assistance and more. 

Community Engagement

In a recent survey by Boston College, more than 80% of company respondents reported that community involvement helps improve the ability to recruit employees and reduce turnover.

The more your employees feel connected to their community and your company culture, the more likely they are to stick around. 

Find What Aligns 

Consider these factors when looking for engagement opportunities:

• What type of community engagement best aligns with your company’s purpose?

• What do your employees value most? Can your community impact support their personal and professional goals?

• How is your brand showing up in the community? Is your presence known, and impactful?

Make it Easy 

Provide a list of community engagement opportunities for your employees and keep it updated. Want to plan a volunteer activity? Bring activities to the workplace, executing during work hours or offering VTO (volunteer time off).

Looking for a new vendor or event venue? Think local first. Maybe you want to bring a community partner or vendor into the workplace — onsite shopping, networking and professional development are great ways to enhance your community and team engagement.

Start Today

These TeamKC tools can help your candidates and employees discover or reconnect with the KC community:

Belonging Guides — Created to help talent find their community in KC, these DEIB resources can be downloaded to print or share digitally.

KC Options — TeamKC’s annual magazine has something for everyone, telling the KC story from award-winning restaurateurs to emerging early career professionals. 

Event Toolkit — TeamKC’s one-stop-shop for resources that complement your employer-branded materials to help candidates fall in love with KC.

To start using these resources or for more information on other TeamKC tools, contact Danielle Hilton.

Thank you to TeamKC Advisory Board member Amy Lee Sewell and the team at Lockton for hosting the November Roundtable.