Skills for Chicago
Skills for Chicago is a nonprofit organization. Learn more at skillsforchicago.org.
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.
Introducing Your Organization
- During an initial meeting with employers, Employer Services Managers highlight the core services that are available to them, including direct talent placement, consulting to remove hiring barriers, and connecting employers with specialized programs, such as apprenticeships.
- Recognizing that some employers have had challenging experiences with the broader workforce ecosystem, Skills for Chicago doesn’t present itself as just another part of that system. Instead, the organization highlights its unique role as a trusted partner with direct relationships with a wide network of community organizations.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Evaluating Employer Suitability
- Skills for Chicago uses several criteria to evaluate if an employer is a good partner for its programs. Jobs located at sites that are difficult for candidates to access are generally not a good fit. Employers that offer competitive wages that align with industry standards are preferable to those that do not.
- Representatives use their judgment to assess whether job requirements align with the skills and backgrounds of the candidates in Skills for Chicago’s talent pool. Representatives also monitor retention rates with an employer to ensure that they are not placing job seekers in high-turnover positions.
- An employer’s willingness to work with the organization to address hiring barriers can be an indicator of a good partnership.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
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
- Skills for Chicago representatives customize their follow-up procedures based on an employer’s specific needs. The standard next step is to initiate a pilot program to test the partnership.
- A pilot can last between 30 and 90 days and generally focuses on sourcing candidates for one to two open roles. During this time, the team meets with the employer weekly or bi-weekly to review data, discuss successes, and address any challenges.
- After a successful pilot, employers are asked to make a hiring commitment. The data and insights from the pilot are used to set clear goals and timelines for a long-term partnership with a broader scope of jobs.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Employer Visits to Service Provider Locations
- The organization no longer regularly invites employers to visit its physical location, as most collaboration is now done virtually. The main exception to this is when an employer has a request to visit. These on-site visits are rare, as most employers do not feel the need to visit.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Service Provider Visits to Employer Workplace
- Skills for Chicago arranges early site visits to an employer’s workplace on a case-by-case basis. These visits are most common for new industries, new companies, or employers in geographic areas the team is not as familiar with. The visits help the team understand the workplace environment and assess the commute and transportation options, which allows them to provide accurate information to candidates.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Job Fairs and Hiring Events
- Instead of traditional job fairs, Skills for Chicago hosts dedicated hiring events designed for direct engagement. At these events, attendees typically participate in on-site interviews or screenings for specific job openings. To ensure a productive experience for all, the organization pre-screens candidates and signs them up for specific interview slots. This approach creates a more efficient and valuable experience for both employers and job seekers.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
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
- Skills for Chicago is collaborating with the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab on a longitudinal study that will provide in-depth data, including return on investment metrics, to share with employers.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Gathering Data to Track Employer Metrics
- In 2024, Skills for Chicago implemented a customized Salesforce system to track all community partner information and the status of all referrals. The system is being expanded to allow community partners to access the system to view status reports instantly, which replaces the old manual process of sending monthly spreadsheets. Additionally, representatives use Tableau to visualize and analyze the employer metrics that are gathered.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
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
- The Employer Services team is led by a Vice President of Employer Services. This team is responsible for managing relationships with current employers and acquiring new ones. The team includes Employer Services Managers and Talent Acquisition Team Members.
- Employer Services Managers act as account representatives. Each manager handles a portfolio of existing employers and is also responsible for finding new partnerships, often through word-of-mouth referrals. They own the employer relationship from start to finish.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Collaborating with Other Organizations
- Skills for Chicago partners with 71 community organizations that refer candidates to job openings. Each partner uses a unique tracking link, which allows for the tracking of a candidate’s journey from the moment they apply. This system enables the organization to provide partners with data and status updates on their referrals. Additionally, all community partner referrals receive top priority and are automatically moved to the top of the applicant pool to be considered first.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Challenges
Common challenges and how organizations typically respond to them.
Workforce Development Jargon
- Skills for Chicago uses language that resonates with employers. For example, they use the term job requisitions instead of job description or candidates instead of job seekers or participants.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Ensuring Compliance with Progammatic and Funding Requirements
- Skills for Chicago ensures compliance by making the process as simple as possible for employers. Employers are required to submit employment and retention verification for all placements, using an automated process to reduce their administrative burden. When a job seeker is placed, an automatic email is sent to the employer. Employers can quickly and easily fill out the form, ensuring all necessary documentation is collected for both employment and retention verification.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Handling Objections from Employers
- A key challenge in initiating new employer partnerships is overcoming the perception that free or inexpensive workforce services are not worthwhile. Many employers view workforce organizations as charities rather than as valuable business partners.
- To overcome these misalignments, Skills for Chicago takes a proactive, data-driven approach. The team uses platforms like Lightcast to research an employer’s open roles before an initial meeting. This allows representatives to present a business-focused pitch that includes data on the employer’s own job openings and relevant metrics from similar companies. By reframing the conversation from one of social good to one of finding valuable solutions for their talent needs, Skills for Chicago builds a strong, mutually beneficial partnership.
- A challenge that employers have with the workforce ecosystem is receiving a steady supply of candidates who are ready for specific, open jobs. Many employers have interacted with providers that send candidates who are not well aligned with a role or outside of the hiring timeframe. From the employer’s perspective, this doesn’t meet the needs of a business that has an immediate requisition to fill. At Skills for Chicago, the organization works to overcome this common issue by responding to open positions, demonstrating that it can meet employers’ timing needs.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Bridget Altenburg in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
