Learning About Employers' Needs
The methods for gathering essential details from employers, including hiring needs, workforce challenges, and training goals.
Business Career Services Illinois
- Employers typically reach out through a “Get Started” form on the organization’s dedicated website.
- The team conducts research on employers before initial contact, such as checking their websites, press releases, and job postings.
- During intake meetings, the team asks targeted questions about employer needs, such as hiring plans, job descriptions, and any unique challenges.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Deb Lawrence in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Cara Collective
- Employers are asked detailed questions about hiring needs, including volume, key entry-level openings, required qualifications, and preferred communication methods for candidate recommendations. Additional inquiries cover frontline opportunities, company culture, hiring processes, job locations, specific skill requirements, and any potential red flags.
- Business Development gathers data on hiring pain points (e.g., turnover, onboarding challenges) to align Cara’s services with employer needs.
- Employer information is logged into Salesforce, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Tim Loeffler in 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership
- Employers complete an intake form. This document collects important employer information, including the FEIN number, company location, contact person, employee needs, the top three positions to be filled, and benefits details.
- BRED Specialists utilize a general checklist to track employer information to determine eligibility and for compliance purposes.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Claudia Cattouse and Tonya Cody-Robinson in 2024. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
City Colleges of Chicago
- When initiating contact with employers, general questions are asked to clarify the details of a partnership with Olive-Harvey College. Sample questions include:
- What is the size of the current workforce? Where is the company located? What positions are open? What are the requirements for all open roles? Does the employer have previous experience receiving workforce development funding? What is the organization hoping to achieve from a partnership with Olive-Harvey College?
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services
- Employer information is collected ad hoc through emails or conversations, sometimes using a checklist, primarily focusing on hiring needs, qualifications, and training requirements.
- Checklist questions cover hiring expectations, background check policies, supervision, and flexibility for youth challenges.
- Employers are categorized by geography, training programs, and demographic focus.
- During the partnership process, DFSS collects feedback from employers about their requirements, preferences, and working conditions.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Lisa Hampton, Chadra Lang, and Mark Sanders in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development
- Initial interactions confirm business location eligibility before further engagement.
- A training needs assessment is performed during the application process, focusing on required skills, credentials, and business goals.
- Employers are encouraged to think beyond immediate needs, identifying training opportunities that align with their growth plans.
- Information is tracked using spreadsheets before grant approval and moved to a database once the grant is awarded.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Lijia Evariz in 2024. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Cook County Bureau of Economic Development
- Through in-depth inquiry calls (e.g., under the Good Jobs Challenge), Cook County gathers detailed data about employers’ needs, such as required skill sets, credentials, and job volumes.
- The organization conducts training needs assessments to understand specific workforce challenges and training gaps. This includes identifying deficiencies in structured training processes, such as OJT (on-the-job training), and forecasting training needs by role and skill set.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Michael Thompson in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Corporate Coalition
- Initial employer conversations focus on understanding hiring challenges, talent strategy alignment, and employer interest in fair chance hiring.
- The Fair Chance Hiring Cohort uses a structured intake interview process to onboard participating companies, gathering details on their hiring practices, fair chance hiring priorities, and internal decision-making processes.
- A recruiting tracker in a shared Excel document records employer interactions, status updates, and key findings.
- Meeting notes, capturing detailed discussions and updates with employers, are stored in a shared drive, accessible to both the Corporate Coalition and Cara Plus.
- Employers are asked about their familiarity with fair chance hiring and their retention challenges before receiving information on the cohort program.
- The Fair Chance Hiring Cohort Pre-Survey collects data on employer hiring practices, the role of fair chance hiring in their strategy, and workforce demographics. It also assesses tracking metrics such as candidate sources, disqualification rates, and career outcomes, while evaluating employer preparedness in advocating for inclusive background checks, engaging fair chance talent, and implementing skills-based hiring.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Steph Dolan in 2025. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Harper College
- Employer outreach is primarily initiated through digital marketing, networking events, and business referrals, with marketing materials reinforcing program visibility.
- Employers typically first engage with Harper College through a website inquiry form, which generates an automatic email follow-up and scheduling link for an introductory meeting.
- During the first meeting, employers describe their workforce needs and hiring challenges, which inform discussions on program alignment.
- Harper College does not have a formal employer intake form or system for collecting employer information. Meeting notes and program details are recorded.
- Employer data is stored electronically in folders, including agreements, student progress reports, and program details.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Besa Sadiku in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Illinois Division of Rehabilitative Services
- The staff at DRS attend job fairs, network events, or connect via LinkedIn to initiate relationships and collect employer information, while documenting interactions in WebCM.
- It is common practice to research employers in advance to understand workforce needs, positions in demand, and workplace challenges, including turnover rates and inclusive practices.
- During meetings and on-site visits, staff collect information on open positions, required qualifications, application processes, benefits, and reasonable accommodations.
- Initial discussions may also include disability accommodations, employee retention, and reasons for voluntary or involuntary turnover. This information is documented in Excel spreadsheets.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Biswa Phuyal in 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
- There are introductory meetings (in person or virtual) to learn about employer hiring needs, culture, and processes.
- MOPD keeps ongoing communication with employers to stay updated on job openings.
- Employers share job postings directly with the Career Center on a regular basis.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Lauren Hooberman in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
National Able Network
National Able Network employs a structured approach to gathering employer information through their Business Account Executives (BAEs). These professionals conduct detailed discovery meetings with employers to understand their comprehensive needs and requirements.
During these discovery meetings, BAEs collect specific information about current hiring needs and the volume of positions available, as well as detailed requirements including qualifications, credentials, wage rates, and benefits. They also gather information about background check and drug testing requirements, training needs, and the employer’s willingness to provide on-the-job training. Geographic preferences for hiring are also documented.
For OJT opportunities specifically, National Able uses a formal pre-award document that captures essential business information including legal business name and FEIN, company history and years in operation, workers compensation information, payroll systems, record keeping practices, current employee count, and hiring projections.
Here is the information they collect:
Company Information:
- Company name
- Industry sector
- Number of employees
Current Workforce Needs:
- Most pressing workforce challenges
- Skills most needed for open roles today
Future Workforce Planning:
- Anticipated skills needed in next 2-5 years
- Planned expansions or changes affecting workforce needs
Training and Development:
- Most beneficial types of training programs and/or certifications/licenses
- Specific areas needing workforce development help (i.e., classroom training, on-the-job training, training reimbursement/funding, etc)
Recruitment:
- Most difficult positions to fill and why
- Desired qualities or qualifications in candidates for these roles
- Frequency of open entry-level positions
Partnerships:
- Desire to utilize OJT, or IWT for filling roles
- Interest in internship or apprenticeship programs to build talent
Feedback:
Suggestions for improving services
Past experience with workforce development programs
Northern Illinois University Workforce Policy Lab
- Employers contact the organization through www.apprenticeshipIllinois.com, referrals, or social media ads.
- Specialists conduct pre-meeting research on employers, including reviewing job postings and workforce needs.
- Employer data is entered into the Illinois WorkNet Navigator Tool, which integrates Dun & Bradstreet information.
- Initial conversations focus on gathering hiring needs, workforce challenges, and partnership interests before proposing solutions.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Jennifer Foil in 2025. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Per Scholas
- LinkedIn and personal outreach are primary methods for initial contact with employers.
- Employer information is gathered informally during initial conversations, focusing on:
- Promotion rates within the organization.
- Anticipated hiring needs for the upcoming year.
- Key technical and soft skills desired in candidates.
- Per Scholas uses Salesforce, a Client Relationship Management (CRM) platform, to keep track of and manage employer relationships, communication history, and relevant data.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Kelsey Briggs-Dineen in 2025. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Pyramid Partnership Inc
- Employer information is gathered through surveys distributed during initial outreach and follow-up meetings.
- Staff ask targeted questions about hiring needs, required qualifications, and common workforce challenges. Employers are also asked about their interest in long-term partnerships and any barriers they face in recruitment.
- Information on job volumes and required skill sets is documented in a centralized database for future use.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Kelly Brown in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
RiseKit
- RiseKit records employer information in HubSpot. Notes are maintained on position requirements and other details that help to qualify an employer. Associated folders are also maintained on Google Drive to store employer-related documents.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Josh Glantz in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
scaleLIT
- Practices for gathering employer information vary by partner and location.
- Employers may complete online forms.
- Information includes hiring needs, workforce challenges, and specific skill sets.
- The Airtable referrals system is used to track employer inquiries, which are then assigned to relevant service providers.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Becky Raymond in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
World Business Chicago
- The workforce team meets with employers to understand their hiring needs, onboarding processes, and talent pipeline.There is no formalized intake process across WBC. Different departments may use their own approaches.
- Initial employer meetings focus on gathering information about company mission, hiring practices, career pathways, credential requirements, and youth engagement programs. If relevant, follow-up site visits are scheduled.
- Employer data is primarily tracked using Google Docs. There is no centralized system for capturing engagement details across WBC. Efforts are underway to improve tracking and standardization.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Tana Francellno in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Points of alignment
This section provides an overview of practices that are similar across organizations.
- Many organizations have an intake form on their website that allows employers to request information and/or a meeting. This is a common tool that is used to collect employer information.
- Some organizations research employers in advance of an initial meeting to gain an understanding of an employer’s hiring practices and workforce needs.
- Checklists are a common tool used by many workforce professionals to ensure that pertinent employer information is collected.
- Whether in a meeting or through a needs assessment, employers are asked to provide detailed information about hiring needs, required qualifications, location, preferred communication methods for candidate recommendations, job descriptions, and more.
- Several organizations also gather information on workforce challenges, turnover rates, and training gaps to assess opportunities for improvement.
