16 Apr Employers, you’ve got the who, what; we’ve got the when, where, why
Are you a recruiter or hiring manager who has multiple positions to fill? Yes? Then this story is for you!
Did you know that each of Charlotte’s three NCWorks Career Centers has space and staff to host an information session or recruiting or hiring event for you? No? Then this story is definitely for you!
Approximately 30 companies ranging from Sealed Air to Onin Staffing to The Fresh Market to Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated (CCBCC) have held events at the Centers in the last year.
Companies new to the Charlotte region typically host information sessions, says Business Services Project Manager Beth Lefevre (W. Morehead Street). “They may know the types of positions and talent they need, but not yet have set requistions,” she says. “They share culture and other things that are not on a job description. Information sessions are about networking, meeting-and-greeting and branding.”
Recruiting or hiring events, on the other hand, are just that: held for companies that have immediate openings that need to be filled right away.
Some even focus on hiring veterans, notes Bill Dodgen, veteran services supervisor (Executive Center Drive), whether those events are exclusive to veterans or open to veteran applicants only before opening to the general public.
Alexander Aycock interviews with Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated Sales and Distribution Manager Tammy Caplan at a recruiting event at Charlotte Works’ Employer Engagement Center on Dec. 17.
CCBCC has hosted two hiring events at the NCWorks Career Center – W. Morehead Street since September 2014. From those events, the company extended 43 offers to candidates for a variety of positions, including in its Customer Care Center.
“It’s been a great experience in a professional atmosphere. The layout and flow have been smooth – I can’t imagine doing this anywhere else,” says Gregory Sharpe, talent acquisition manager. “It’s truly a partnership. You can’t go anywhere in the city and find this service at this professional level and with these professional people. Plus, there’s that one word that employers love to hear: no-cost!”
Sharpe and his team will return to W. Morehead Street in May to recruit full-time delivery route drivers and part-time merchandisersstockers.
Employers learn about the NCWorks Career Centers’ event coordination services in a variety of ways: as part of a conversation with a center manager or employment services consultant for help in posting a job order in NCWorks Online; from partner agencies; or through word-of-mouth from peers who’ve hosted successful events.
“One of the advantages is that we have the space to host an event that allows them to place a face with the job-seeker. It’s like pre-screening for them,” says Career Center Manager Stephanie Lattimore (Forest Point Boulevard).
“We do all the work for them – they just show up,” Lefevre points out. “We fill the room with candidates that match the skill sets they’re seeking. We take care of registration and other logistics. And many of the talent that shows up have attended our workshops or met with one of our career coaches and are prepared with a resume and an elevator speech.”
“It keeps their operation from being overrun with a lot of people – especially if it’s a small business without a lot of HR [human resources] people. We can help with the people flow,” Dodgen says. “It also helps them recruit in a different part of town.”
“We’ve got a varied pool of candidates, and here, we’ve got people who are required to be here to receive unemployment insurance, so [the employer] has an eager workforce,” says George Anton, employment services consultant (Executive Center Drive).
“It’s a great opportunity for employers to scout out and grab talent, and an excellent chance for people who may have been out of work for a while to get back into the workforce and contribute to the community,” agrees Travoris Tyson, RIS site manager, Randstad In House Services.
He hosted a March 17 recruiting event at the NCWorks Career Center – Executive Center Drive to fill as many of 600 open data entry operator, mail clerk and mail machinery operator positions as he could. Tyson says that during his two-hour event, he spoke with approximately 40 candidates, interviewed most of them within two days and hired at least 15.
Lefevre, Lattimore and Anton say employers should give Center staff a minimum two-week lead time to allow for proper preparation and recruiting to ensure a successful event. The three also suggest employers have the following information in hand when contacting them to discuss hosting an information session or recruiting or hiring event:
- Tantamount is a good job description. By “good,” they mean a clear, complete picture of the position’s roles and responsibilities. (“This is something we can help with,” notes Lefevre.)
- The number of roles to be filled.
- Salary or rate of pay.
- The hiring timeline.
- Pre-screening preferences (certifications, specific skills or attributes, etc.).
- Recruitment methods already used to fill the position.
And “especially in this tight market, employers need to be able to explain their differentiators and the benefits of working for their company,” Lefevre says. “What makes them different from their competitors?”
Interested in hosting an information session or recruiting or hiring event at any of our three NCWorks Career Centers? Let us know your timeline and how we can help!
To host an event at WMS, contact Beth Lefevre at 704.206.1352.
To host an event at ECD, contact George Anton at 704.566.2870, ext. 212.
To host an event at FPB, contact Stephanie Lattimore at 704.565.6865, ext .212.
To host a veterans event at any of our centers, contact Bill Dodgen at 704.566.2840, ext. 246.
Our services to employers are available free-of-charge.
In the photo above, AIG Property Casualty Americas IT Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President Tony Skipper shares the company’s long history with hopeful candidates at a May 2014 recruiting event at the NCWorks Career Center – W. Morehead Street.