The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance (SSGA) is hosting a workshop, “Talking Talent: Tools for Attracting and Retaining Qualified and Quality Employees,” on Tuesday, May 2, from 1:30-3 p.m. The program is designed to help local HR leaders identify tools and resources available to them and connect with other HR professionals who can help find and/or train quality applicants for their organization.
The event will take place at LRS, Building 9, located at 2401 W. Monroe St. in Springfield.
“We know today’s job market is extremely competitive and finding and retaining quality talent can be a tremendous challenge,” said SSGA CEO Ryan McCrady. “We also know that Springfield is home to a wide variety of local, national and even international businesses in a variety of sectors that all need qualified employees and we want to help make that process easier for them. This workshop will be an opportunity for HR professionals to grow their own network and learn about community resources they may not be aware of.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, SSGA unveiled several new web-based tools it developed to assist businesses in retaining top talent and helping those searching for employment find the right opportunities. The new features, which can be found on SSGA’s website at thriveinspi.org/work include a public job search tool, called Find A Job, with local job listings and a web-based portal called Inside Track that is designed for HR professionals.
Inside Track is a resource recruiting professionals can utilize to help connect the spouses, partners or significant others and/or other family members of new recruits moving to the area with job opportunities. The portal provides a centralized resource tool which allows businesses to post the resumes and experiences of individuals that may be relocating due to someone in their family considering a job in Springfield and Sangamon County. The Inside Track portal can only be accessed by registered users from local businesses and is designed to help connect those individuals who may be moving to Springfield with career opportunities in the area.
“We’re very excited to revive our HR Sector Partners workshops and reintroduce these tools to the community,” said McCrady. “This was an idea we developed in 2020 right before the COVID-19 pandemic began, which understandably put a halt to a lot of networking and group events. We feel like now is the perfect time to re-engage with our HR professionals about tools we can offer and create an opportunity for them to hear from other experts in their field.”
The workshop will include presentations from:
- Sarah Graham, IL Work Net Center
- Josh Collins, Lincoln Land Community College
- Leah Tiner, Springfield Urban League
- Robert Ferriell, Capital Area Career Center
- Katherine Battee-Freeman, UIS Career Development Center
- Russ Stoup, UIS Continuing and Professional Education
