How community involvement can enhance recruiting

Jennifer Carman

There’s much more interest in your job postings when the potential workforce in your area knows about the products and services you deliver, the various types of work your employees do and what it’s like to work at your company. Businesses leaders who want to attract the right candidates must continuously engage potential talent, even when there isn’t an open position to fill.

Local community involvement remains one of the key avenues to let people know about your company and build a good reputation as an employer. Make your community familiar with the great things your company and your employees are doing. You’ll build interest over time, leading to more referrals and higher quality candidates when you do have job openings.

There are many ways to engage the potential talent in your community. Here are four tactics you can start using right away.

Attend community events. Cities and organizations throughout the Lincoln Trail region host festivals, parades, concerts, fundraisers and other events year-round. As a participant, or even a sponsor, these events give you an opportunity to have casual conversations about what your company does. It also gives your business an opportunity to support community causes and build goodwill.

Visit local schools. Both high schools and local college campuses are great places to build relationships with future workers. High schools throughout our region are very open to working with businesses to help students explore career paths, find mentors and learn about in-demand job skills. Offer to talk to students about your industry and your experiences.

Give your employees branded gear. Your employees will serve as ambassadors for your business when they wear a branded jacket, carry a branded tote bag, etc. This will build awareness in the community as people see your name and logo around town, but it will also serve as an icebreaker between your employees and people who are curious about your company.

Network with other businesses. Other professionals in your community can be a great source for referrals. Get to know them through your local chambers of commerce and professional organizations. Chambers of commerce provide countless opportunities to network with established professionals and many offer crowd-drawing expos where you can showcase your products, services, community involvement and talent needs.

Jennifer Carman is Workforce Development Specialist II at Kentucky Career Center – Lincoln Trail in Elizabethtown. She can be reached at (270) 234-5832 or Jennifer.carman@ky.gov.