TalentFirst

The concept of "people expertise" extending beyond HR is critical in today's dynamic economy — with proven benefits to engagement and retention. However, transforming #HR into a cross-functional discipline — with collaboration across the organization and across the employment life cycle — can be easier said than done. In our recent blog post, Nelson Sanchez, Shea Hickman, and Shawn Barber share how RoMan Manufacturing leverages company-wide collaboration to drive robust learning and development opportunities. Learn more about RoMan's approach — and an opportunity for your organization to develop collaborative strategies to promote #engagement and #retention: https://lnkd.in/eYPgnMZy

One of the benefits of membership in our CEO Council is the opportunity for top executives to gather with peers and collaborate on solutions for their organizations and our entire region.   At our Fall CEO Council meeting this week, hosted by Gentex Corporation, we heard from:   ➡ TalentFirst President Kevin Stotts on the organization's vision to be the premier partner for West Michigan business leaders, delivering innovative and effective talent solutions to make the region a national leader in talent creation.   ➡ Jason A. Tyszko, senior VP for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, on the topic of Talent Pipeline Management and how this approach can provide an end-to-end solution for complex talent problems here in West Michigan.   ➡ Doug Schrock, Managing Partner of Artificial Intelligence for Crowe, on the need to prepare for the profound — and still unknown — impact that artificial intelligence will have on nearly every kind of job.   The CEO Council is an exclusive professional membership and networking group for CEOs, presidents, executive directors, and business owners in West Michigan. No other group is better positioned nor has greater insight and influence to drive solutions to the complex talent challenges we face.    Learn more about benefits of being part of this: https://lnkd.in/ebTRniVA

Everyone knows the ROI of employee engagement, right? But whose job is it? Who is responsible for promoting job satisfaction, loyalty and retention?   What if all people leaders worked together to promote #engagement and #retention throughout the employment life cycle? That's the idea behind our next Talent Solutions Series event, Rethink Engagement & Retention:   💡 Team up: The team approach is so important, we're offering a discount for organizations that register two or more team members. 💡 Forget the silos: The event is designed for everyone who leads people. If you're in HR, get an operational manager to join you. If you're a manager, recruit someone from HR to attend with you. 💡 Gain perspective: Our conversation will be led by two experts from Frontline Training Solutions with decades of experience on different sides of organizations — John Keuning, director of Manufacturing Training, and Jimmy A. Nelson, Ph.D., CPTD, SHRM-SCP, director of Leadership & Organizational Development. 💡 Sign up now: https://lnkd.in/eTQPPJqu

TEAMING UP FOR ENGAGEMENT: The key to employee retention is engagement. And the key to engagement is teamwork between HR and operations. We're exploring how to make this happen at our next Talent Solutions Series event, facilitated by John Keuning and Jimmy A. Nelson, Ph.D., CPTD, SHRM-SCP of Frontline Training Solutions. ❗ AND we're offering a discount for team registrations, because this session is designed for ALL people leaders at your organization — HR, operational managers, and anyone who plays a role in employee engagement and retention. Learn more, sign up today! https://lnkd.in/eTQPPJqu #HR #operations #engagement #retention

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IS A TEAM SPORT and the ROI is enormous. Employers with engaged workforces enjoy: ⬇ 78% decrease in absenteeism ⬇ 63% decrease in safety incidents ⬆ 23% increase in profitability ⬆ 68% increase in employee wellbeing That’s the good news in 2023 data from Gallup, which also notes the bad news: Despite clear benefits, only one-third of the U.S. workforce is engaged. We can do better. Our next Talent Solutions Series event, Rethink Engagement & Retention, takes a novel approach to boost engagement, by breaking down silos between HR & operations to support workers across the lifecycle of employment. The session will be facilitated by two experts from Frontline Training Solutions: John Keuning, director of manufacturing training, and Jimmy A. Nelson, Ph.D., CPTD, SHRM-SCP, director of leadership and organizational development. This session is designed for human resources leaders and practitioners as well as operations leaders. It's geared toward ALL people leaders — everyone who plays a key role in employee engagement and retention. AND in the spirit of teamwork required for engagement, we’re encouraging diverse leaders from organizations to attend together: When you register two or more team members together, you will receive a $25 discount per ticket. Sign up today to join us 9-11 a.m. on Nov. 19 at The Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville: https://lnkd.in/eTQPPJqu

🚨 REGISTER BY 12 PM TODAY 🚨 Don't miss out! Registration for this second chance hiring microcredential closes at 12 PM today, Friday, October 4th. https://lnkd.in/e-rGNcmm #talentacquisition #hiring #secondchancehiring #SHRM #talentsolutions

EDUCATORS AND EMPLOYERS TAKE ACTION FOR EARLY LITERACY: For nearly two years, the CEO members of TalentFirst have been collaborating with West Michigan K-12 leaders on a focused effort to improve reading skills — the foundation for success in education and life. That hard work is paying off as we develop a regional target for improved 3rd grade reading proficiency — and a plan for getting there. These leaders have collaborated to identify the challenges schools face, along with strategies to overcome them and to reach our targets. Some of these strategies, such as TalentFirst's initiative to promote regular school attendance, are already in place. As we prepare to unveil our regional goals and full set of strategies, it's a good time to recognize those who have stepped forward to accept this critical assignment. This includes the superintendents of four intermediate school districts: Ron Gorman from Kent ISD Jason Jeffery of West Shore ESD Randy Lindquist of Muskegon Area ISD, and Kyle Mayer of Ottawa Area ISD. And these members of the TalentFirst K-12 Education Working Group: Leslie Brown, chairman of Metal Flow Corporation Jon DeWys, CEO of DeWys Metal Solutions Mike Jandernoa, chairman of 42 North Partners, LLC John Kennedy, president and CEO of Autocam Medical Park Kersman, president of Lorin Industries, Inc. More work remains, and the challenges are significant as Michigan continues to fall behind in reading proficiency. But this partnership has responded with urgency to take action and set West Michigan students up for success.

FINAL WEEK TO REGISTER: Don't miss this opportunity to discover the ROI of second-chance hiring — a practice that can connect you with loyal, productive, skilled workers. See why past participants have found the Hiring Formerly Incarcerated Individuals microcredential course so valuable: ✅ Learn at your own pace in a short online course designed to equip HR leaders, managers, and business owners with the knowledge and skills to implement second-chance hiring. ➕ This 2- to 4-hour commitment over a two-week period earns 2.5 SHRM professional development credits. ✅ Join your cohort on an optional field trip to a Michigan Department of Corrections Vocational Village to observe innovative training programs and meet with participants. ➕ This will be followed by lunch and a collaborative workshop to debrief and plan next steps. An additional 7 SHRM professional development credits are available for this part of the cohort. Register today! https://lnkd.in/e-rGNcmm

Kitchen-table calculations lead many Michigan families to turn down promotions, new jobs or better pay. The reasons are complicated, and the negative effects are widespread: families stuck in poverty, employers struggling to upskill workers and fill critical positions, slower economic growth. See how CEO-led initiatives of TalentFirst are driving solutions and partnerships to minimize the harm of the benefits cliff. https://lnkd.in/ecQxzFSJ

ONE WEEK TO GO: Our panelists are set and the list of organizations for our partner fair continues to grow for our Bridge the Talent Gap event. Sign up now ( https://lnkd.in/eufA7aNS )and get ready to Gain Insights + Meet Partners + Access Untapped Talent. The event is 2:30-4:30 p.m. Oct. 1 at Prince Conference Center & Hotel in Grand Rapids. Here's what to expect: ➡ KEYNOTE: Matthew Leger, MPA, co-author of Embracing Neurodiversity at Work: Unleashing America’s Largest Untapped Talent Pool, a report published by the American Enterprise Institute. ➡ PANEL DISCUSSION: Matthew will be joined by Laurel Buck, MPA, SHRM-CP, statewide employment advocacy leader with the Autism Alliance of Michigan; Nathan Clark, vocational services director Peckham, Inc., in Grand Rapids; and Heather Sneider, director of Transition and Empower U at Kent ISD. ➡ PARTNER FAIR: Connect with education institutions, talent agencies, nonprofits and other local providers of talent. The growing list of partners attending include: Autism Alliance of Michigan Axios HR Calvin University Cooper People Group Cornerstone University Davenport University Disability Advocates of Kent County DISHER Talent Solutions EG Workforce Solutions Express Employment Professionals - Grand Rapids, MI Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids Grand Rapids Community College Grand Valley State University Guiding Light Hello West Michigan Hispanic Center of Western Michigan Kent ISD Latin Americans United for Progress Literacy Center of West Michigan Manufacturing Growth Alliance (MGA) Michigan Dept. of Corrections Michigan Office of Sixty by 30 Michigan Works! West Central Mixed Staffing and Recruiting Employment Partners Montcalm Community College Muskegon Public Schools Peckham, Inc. The SOURCE West Michigan Construction Institute West Michigan Works! Western Michigan University Youth Solutions, Inc.