For attendees at last week’s Technology Councils of North America’s Summer Conference, winning the war for tech talent was a hot topic.
Hosted by KCnext – The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City, the conference offered insight on various topics geared toward executives of technology associations from across the country and Canada.
TeamKC moderated a panel to help conference attendees “think like a recruiter,” and get a peek behind the curtain on why Kansas City companies excel in recruiting tech talent.
Panelists included Jennifer Schnack, director of talent acquisition at AMC Entertainment; Amy Simmons, director of recruitment and retention at Garmin International; and Julie Burkhart, talent acquisition manager of college and diversity programs at Sprint Corporation.
Check out top takeaways from the discussion:
- By 2025, millennials will account for 75 percent of the global workforce. Since this generation picks a lifestyle and city first, recruiters tell KC’s livability story alongside the company’s story for a competitive advantage.
- Hiring today requires recruiters to understand and reach the heart and passion of a candidate. Every recruiting experience is unique.
- Only 25 percent of tech employees are women. Companies have a strong focus on hiring diverse employees that represent its customers.
- Some career fairs are expensive and aren’t necessarily effective. For recruiters, it’s important to build relationships directly with educators.
- For many area companies, apprenticeship programs and non-traditional trainings are the “way of the future” for sourcing talent.
- Collaboration between companies in the KC region accelerates individual companies’ efforts to recruit top talent to the area.
To learn more about ways to get involved with TeamKC, contact me.