Q.INSIGHTs & INTUITION

“What resources do you use to find talented job applicants?”

Central Region Director of Employment HDR Austin, Texas (but recruits for the Dakotas)

In the current market, it is vital that we connect with applicants quickly to share information about our company and our open positions. To do that, HDR continues to use several resources when looking for job applicants. They range from LinkedIn, job boards and college career fairs.

In addition, our employee referral program is key to our success in recruiting talent. In 2021, our employees referred over 1,850 individuals for positions available at HDR.

JLG Architects finds talent through several avenues – updating our website, holding open houses, attending career fairs and networking events, maximizing social media, and posting on job boards. We lead an aggressive employee referral program and hire external recruiters as needed to assist. Our application process is easy for candidates.

In filling near-term demands, it’s important to consider annual and long-range planning and forecasting; scanning potential candidates for opportunities beyond the positions applied for. We also continue to expand our collegiate recruitment efforts to increase our entry-level applicant candidate pool.

The key to securing talent starts with a good reputation, which we leverage with our culture. As an ESOP with a collaborative and transparent culture, we demonstrate value to our employee-owners by openly sharing the firm’s financial information, consistently obtaining employee insight, and identifying ways to make adjustments based on that feedback. Employee stock ownership is a major draw and helps us stay competitive with our compensation and benefits, assisting individuals with building wealth while providing stability.

Being a great place to work to recruit top talent is a never-ending effort. It requires consistently staying connected to staff to understand concerns, scanning the current marketplace, and evolving, which goes a long way to recruit talented job applicants.

Angela Bolonchuk Director of HR JLG Architects Grand Forks, N.D.

At Gate City Bank, we’re honored to be consistently recognized as a top place to work with culture and benefits second to none. It’s no surprise that one of our best sources for finding talent comes from our very own team members, encouraging others to come work at a place they love. Roughly one-third of our new hires come from team member referrals! In this job market, it’s important to be proactive and always on the lookout for talent before positions open. Since giving back is such a big part of our culture, we stay actively connected with our communities and network at a wide variety of local events. Recently we also created “Join Our Team” business cards, so whenever we see talent or excellent customer service, we can give individuals a card right on the spot and encourage them to apply.

We are also involved with many colleges and high schools within our footprint through networking and volunteering. We attend job fairs throughout the year and post jobs on “Handshake” to connect with college students, as well as enjoy speaking to classes about Gate City Bank and conducting mock interviews. We love connecting with students and helping them find a career that fits, fulfills and inspires them.

Member FDIC

Betsy Alberty

AVP, Senior Human Resources Generalist Gate City Bank Fargo, N.D.

Brent Burgard Director of Finance/ Human Resources Ackerman-Estvold Minot, N.D.

We use a hybrid of traditional and innovative methods to find the next member of the AE family, using word of mouth, networking, radio, employee referrals, social media, and recruitment partnerships. As we continue to grow geographically it is important to assess each market to ensure we are using resources to find the best candidates for us.

One of the most effective ways we can stand out as an employer of choice is investing in staff from before they walk through our doors. We pride ourselves on building strong community relationships and ties to high schools and universities throughout the region, allowing us to recruit and hire top-notch interns. Our program is built around gaining real-life experience and taking learning beyond the classroom. Competitive labor markets and talent shortage requires us to be an employer attractive to applicants with competitive salaries, benefits, and growth potential. The second step is following through as an employer with a culture created with intention. We provide our employees with challenging and gratifying work and solid team support willing to jump in to assist and celebrate successes together.

Health Care Practitioners

Health care practitioners and technical occupations had employment of 8.8 million in May 2021, according to recent findings as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number represents 6.2% of total national employment.

Unemployment Rate

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 431,000 in March, and the unemployment rate declined to 3.6%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported recently. Notable job gains continued in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, retail trade, and manufacturing. In March, 10% of employed persons teleworked because of the coronavirus pandemic, down from 13% in the prior month. These data refer to employed persons who teleworked or worked at home for pay at some point in the four weeks preceding the survey specifically because of the pandemic.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Average Number Of Jobs

People born in 1980–84 held an average of 8.6 jobs from ages 18 through 34. Women held an average of 8.7 jobs, and men held an average of 8.5 jobs. Women with higher levels of education held more jobs than women with lower levels. Women with a bachelor’s degree or more education held 9.1 jobs from ages 18 through 34, compared with 6.8 jobs for female high school dropouts. Men held a similar number of jobs regardless of their level of education.

Consumer Price Index

The Consumer Price Index increased 8.5% for the year ended March 2022, following a rise of 7.9% from February 2021 to February 2022. The 8.5% increase in March was the largest 12-month advance since December 1981. Consumer prices for food increased 8.8% in March 2022, the largest 12-month advance since May 1981. Within food, prices for food at home rose 10% and prices for food away from home rose 6.9%.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Coming in June ... CONSTRUCTION

Prairie Business Magazine will share trends, projections and leaders working in the construction industry, as well as some of the major projects underway in our coverage area.

Advertising Deadline: May 13, 2022

For advertising information please contact our account manager:

NICHOLE ERTMAN

701-780-1162 nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

NOMINATIONS for Prairie Business’ annual Leaders & Legacies awards are now being accepted.

The magazine’s Leaders & Legacies awards recognize executives “for the great things they have done in business, whether in recent years (Leaders) or over a lifetime (Legacies),” said Publisher Korrie Wenzel.

PRAIRIEBUSINESS202 2

Prairie Business is looking for business executives in North Dakota, South Dakota and western Minnesota whose high-level achievements make them truly stand out. Each nomination must include key details of candidate’s business accomplishments, civic leadership and career history.

The nomination form is available on the magazine’s website, prairiebusinessmagazine.com

Nominations will close on Monday, May 9, 2022

Recipients of this year’s award will be announced in the July 2022 edition of Prairie Business Magazine.