RiseKit
RiseKit is a technology company. Learn more at www.risekit.co.
Introductory Conversations and Assessment
How organizations conduct initial needs assessment with employers, introduce workforce development in general as well as their own organization’s programs, and gauge whether an employer could benefit from workforce development programs.
Learning About Employers' Needs
- 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.
Introducing Your Organization
- Account Executives generally conduct a 30-minute discovery session with an employer to gather information about their hiring needs and another 30-minute session to demonstrate the RiseKit platform.
- RiseKit presents its mission in different ways, depending on the audience. When working with nonprofit, philanthropic, or government organizations, Risekit emphasizes its ability to help these organizations achieve their objectives of connecting talent with quality jobs, which can lead to increased funding opportunities and improved community outcomes. For employers, RiseKit differentiates itself from traditional staffing agencies and instead demonstrates how the organization is a resource for an employer’s talent acquisition team by providing access to hard-to-reach talent.
- To establish credibility with employers, RiseKit presents case studies of successful placements.
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.
Evaluating Employer Suitability
- RiseKit is intentional about the organizations it includes in its targeted outreach efforts. To ensure that employers will find success on the platform, information about open roles, position requirements, and job locations is gathered to ensure fit and alignment. Accessibility to public transportation and proximity to workforce provider locations are two factors that are considered.
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.
Establishing Employer Relationships
Ways that organizations follow up or otherwise build relationships with potential employer partners. How do organizations keep employers’ interest and stay top of mind, despite how busy they may be?
Following Up via Phone and/or Email
- Immediately following an initial discussion or discovery session with an employer, an email is sent that highlights the topics discussed, the positions under recruitment, and the next steps.
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.
Service Provider Visits to Employer Workplace
When initially engaging with employees, RiseKit’s Employer Success team may visit an employer’s location to gain a deeper understanding of a position that is under recruitment and to further establish the relationship with the partner.
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.
Job Fairs and Hiring Events
- While RiseKit does not host hiring events, the organization does participate in events and allows job seekers to directly access the platform during and following a job fair or hiring event.
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.
Metrics and Financial Factors
How organizations collect and share information about expected outcomes and potential financial rewards and incentives.
Sharing Metrics and Return on Investment with Employers
- RiseKit shares metrics with employers to help them understand and improve placement outcomes. For example, employers receive reports that show the number of applications received per open role and the percentage that matches the applicant’s qualifications to the position requirements. RiseKit can then work with employers to develop strategies to increase the applicant pool or percentage of qualified applicants.
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.
Explaining Subsidies and Tax Credits
A component of RiseKit’s overall outreach strategy includes an email campaign that targets financial professionals at employer organizations and provides information about tax credits and subsidies that are available for employers.
Gathering Data to Track Employer Metrics
When employers complete information in the RiseKit software, the data is saved to HubSpot. This allows RiseKit to track detailed data about position needs and placement outcomes.
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.
Organizational Level Considerations
How organizations are set up to build partnerships with employers, and how they leverage relationships with other organizations for better outcomes.
Organizational Structure, Resourcing, and Staffing
- RiseKit has 5 – 6 team members in several roles throughout the organization who focus on initiating employer relationships. Matt Strauss, CEO and Founder of RiseKit, orchestrates many strategic employer partnerships. Two marketing expansion executives are responsible for recruiting employers in new markets. Marketing leaders focus on the markets in Chicago and Denver, as well as an account executive.
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.
Collaborating with Other Organizations
- The RiseKit platform was designed to encourage networking among all parties that use the system. It serves as a database of jobs, job training programs, wraparound services, and job seeker profiles. When employers use the system, they are encouraged to invite any workforce development providers that they are engaged with to use the platform. This continues to build the network and provide more value to all.
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.
Challenges
Common challenges and how organizations typically respond to them.
Workforce Development Jargon
- When a prospective employer has a representative on staff whose title indicates a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion or workforce development, RiseKit can introduce its services by emphasizing the “why” and the “how” behind community-based hiring and connecting the platform’s use to the employer’s goals.
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.
Handling Objections from Employers
- Employers may voice concerns about whether engaging with RiseKit will produce a high enough volume of qualified candidates. In response, RiseKit highlights its connection to the larger workforce development ecosystem, which has an abundance of ready-to-work candidates that are supported by organizations that are focused on skill development and retention.
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.
Handling Challenges
- Some employers that use the RiseKit platform integrate the system into their own applicant tracking system, which provides significant ease and encourages employers to post opportunities frequently. To receive even more value from the platform, employers would benefit from using the additional tools offered by the system, such as the chat feature that allows an employer to connect directly with job seekers or their caseworkers.
- Another tool that is underutilized on the RiseKit platform is the career pathways feature, which shows employers the number of applicants that are currently qualified for an open position and how that pool could increase by offering a training program or connecting with non-profit partners within the workforce development ecosystem.
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.
