Evaluating Employer Suitability
Evaluation criteria and methods employed by service providers to assess employer suitability, ensuring that partnerships align with the organization’s mission and goals and meet eligibility requirements.
Business Career Services Illinois
- Employers are assessed based on responsiveness, compliance with program rules, and commitment to partnerships.
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 assessed for alignment with Cara’s mission and candidate needs by evaluating company culture, career advancement opportunities, and recruitment goals.
- Employer suitability is assessed by the employer’s capacity to accommodate Cara’s high-touch engagement model, which involves personalized interactions, frequent communication, and hands-on support throughout the hiring and onboarding process.
- Cara evaluates whether employers are willing to address barriers such as background checks, educational requirements, and transportation limitations to support inclusive hiring practices.
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
- When employers initially contact The Partnership, a BRED Specialist who is focused on the employer’s industry is assigned to the inquiry. That Specialist handles large, complex requests that require coordination handled by that Specialist. Simpler, more straightforward requests are referred to delegate agencies.
- When working with employers, BRED Specialists typically begin by assessing the needs of the employer’s organization and gaining an understanding of what the employer is seeking to achieve within the workforce ecosystem. This can lead to collaboration with other workforce partners and increased cohesion within the ecosystem.
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
The process for evaluating employer suitability is relatively informal. Some factors that are considered when determining whether an employer will be a good fit are how beneficial the opportunity will be for students, the volume of available positions, and the connection to the mission and brand of the City Colleges of Chicago.
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
- DFSS assesses employers through structured onboarding and Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs).
- Suitability is assessed informally during initial conversations based on alignment with delegate agencies’ capabilities, youth needs, employers flexibility, and populations served.
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
- Suitability is primarily determined by confirming location eligibility and assessing the alignment of training needs with available program offerings.
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
- Suitability is assessed programmatically, such as in the Good Jobs Challenge, where employers are onboarded and required to make specific commitments.
- The needs assessment identifies whether employers are equipped to integrate structured training solutions and their readiness to partner on workforce initiatives.
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
- Employers interested in joining the Fair Chance Hiring Cohort must demonstrate a genuine commitment to fair chance hiring. Companies that only want to observe or “explore” the concept without implementing changes are not encouraged to join.
- Leadership buy-in is a key requirement. Companies must have decision-makers with the authority to drive policy changes participating in the cohort to ensure sustainability beyond individual employees.
- Cohort participants are expected to actively engage in discussions and attend sessions consistently. Sporadic participation is discouraged as the program is designed for organizations committed to making concrete changes.
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
- Harper College assesses employer suitability based on their ability to hire and support apprentices. Apprenticeships require employer-driven participation.
- Employers with a track record of investing in employee training and development are prioritized. Those employers are more likely to sustain successful apprenticeship programs.
- Partnerships are aligned with Harper College’s workforce goals by ensuring they provide meaningful opportunities for job seekers and align with in-demand industry sectors.
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
- Interest in disability inclusion and willingness to accommodate are assessed for potential partnerships.
- Tools like the Disability Equality Index, which rates companies on their disability inclusion policies and practices, are used to identify inclusive employers.
- On-site accessibility and willingness to provide accommodations are evaluated during employer visits.
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
- Employers are evaluated based on alignment with the MOPD’s goals and their commitment to inclusive hiring practices.
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
- Employers are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Representatives examine the employer’s size, sector, and location to make initial recommendations. Some employers are referred to other organizations, such as the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, to access additional grants or funding opportunities.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Matt Weiss in 2024 and 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Northern Illinois University Workforce Policy Lab
- Employers that primarily offer low-wage, high-turnover jobs are deprioritized in apprenticeship development, as the focus is on long-term, career-oriented programs that provide growth opportunities for workers.
- Apprenticeship Specialists use O*NET, a national occupational database, to compare employer pay rates with regional industry standards. If an employer’s wages are significantly below the regional median, specialists may discuss wage competitiveness as a factor in workforce retention.
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
- Employer suitability is assessed informally during conversations, focusing on alignment with candidate skill sets, organizational goals, and culture.
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
- Suitability is assessed based on the employer’s willingness to provide accommodations and align with the organization’s mission.
- Employers are evaluated on their retention rates and feedback from previous collaborations.
- Pyramid Partnerships uses a scoring system to prioritize employers who demonstrate strong alignment with their values.
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 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.
scaleLIT
- Suitability is often assessed informally based on employer needs and alignment with organizational goals.
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
- Employers that demonstrate a willingness to engage in workforce initiatives, such as internships or job shadowing, are prioritized for deeper engagement. If an employer is hesitant or unresponsive, they may be placed on a lower-priority follow-up list.
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.
- Each organization approaches the evaluation of employer suitability differently, typically starting by assessing the alignment between the employer’s goals and the organization’s mission and target population.
- To sustain partnerships, some organizations require significant employer engagement. Organizations regularly evaluate employers’ responsiveness and compliance with program and funding requirements to determine suitability.
- Some organizations rely on a formal evaluation process, often incorporating assessment tools, while others conduct informal evaluations based on criteria determined internally.
