Where have all the people gone?
That’s one of the key questions to be reviewed during a new Quad Cities business forum designed to take a look at the region’s workforce shortages.
The Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce will present the Talent Business Forum on Thursday, Jan. 20, at the Rhythm City Casino Resort, Davenport.
Registration and breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. followed by the program from 8-10:30 a.m. The fee is $50 for chamber members, $100 for non-members.
During the forum, a group of local, state and national experts will share their views on the causes of the current workforce shortage. They also will discuss innovative ways to attract and keep workers.
The scheduled keynote speaker will be Jim Morgan, vice president at Business Development & Workforce Strategies. Mr. Morgan will present “Solutions 2022: Surviving the Great Sansdemic.” (The word “sansdemic” means without people.)
“The talent shortage is real, not only skills but bodies, and it is crippling business growth. And yesterday’s recruitment and retention practices simply won’t work anymore,” the chamber said.
The presentation will focus on:
- The numbers behind the talent shortage: What are the underlying factors causing the great sansdemic?
- Effective approaches to a positive candidate experience: How have employers changed their candidate experience to be faster, on brand and candidate friendly?
- A winning onboarding experience: What are companies doing to re-engineer their onboarding process to ensure positive first, second and third impressions?
- An engaging employee experience: Having secured people, how are companies changing the employee experience to keep them engaged and motivated at work?
- Top Ten talent attraction strategies: Where in the world are businesses going to find talent?
In addition to Mr. Morgan, there will be a panel made up of:
- Julio Rodriguez, deputy director, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. He leads the management and oversight of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a U.S. Department of Labor program administered by the State of Illinois.
- Beth Townsend, director of Iowa Workforce Development. She has supervised various workforce services at Iowa Workforce Development.
- Lura McBride, president & CEO, Van Meter Inc. Van Meter’s purpose is to create lasting value for their customers and their employee-owners.
Masks are required at the chamber-sponsored events. Once seated, attendees may remove the masks for food and drink service.
For more information or to register, contact Terri Smith, the chamber’s event coordinator, at 563-823-2694 or tsmith@quadcitieschamber.com.
