Hire Local

HIRE LOCAL STEP BY STEP

Target Functions

Employee recruitment retention and development

GOAL

Increase the number of jobs in the institution or with the institution’s vendors held by local residents using a targeted recruiting and hiring project including customized training -through-placement job training, along with a community-accessible adult education program

WHO'S AT THE TABLE

Internal Staff

Top-level leadership, including the CFO
Leadership in the human resources division
Implementation staff: a member of HR or a supervisor in a department with high turnover
Professional staff in community outreach and engagement

External Partners

Internal Staff Top-level leadership, including the CFO Leadership in the human resources division Implementation staff: a member of HR or a supervisor in a department with high turnover Professional staff in community outreach and engagement External Partners City, state, or regional workforce body, or philanthropic partner, for support in securing wage reimbursements
A workforce access and training partner who can facilitate any customized job training, with experience in the community
A regional and well regarded adult literacy and GED completion training agency

Get Started

The first step in a local hire strategy is to understand some of the employment-related metrics characterizing the community you are partnering with.

Put the Data to Work

A Hire Local strategy calls for tracking data from two angles: your institution’s human capital data, and data about the applicant pool.

Create Employee Training

How to create an on-the-job cohort-based employee training program

Vendor Relationship Building

Implement intentional vendor relationship building

Evaluating and Reporting

Know who your stakeholders are. Establish and share a dashboard.

Adult Education Programming

Establishing a program that helps adults gain digital access and literacy skills, and provides an opportunity for high school diploma or GED completion increases the number of residents who can be eligible for jobs in the institution and with its major service vendors.

Partner with Vendors

Many large anchor institutions establish contracts with major vendors for functions like food, custodial, and security services, and this may represent a large swath of jobs that are inaccessible to local residents unless you have an agreement with the vendors for local hiring.

Profile A my Ballard

With a background in social work, Ballard has always enjoyed working with adult learners and focuses on the important impacts that adult education has on families and communities.

Profile Courtney Claiborne

“Every day is as diverse as the people.” So says Courtney Claiborne of workday encounters in her role connecting Drexel community neighbors to opportunities for training, resources, and jobs.

Profile Derek Holmes

Derek Holmes really enjoys the work he does, and he loves the interaction he has with doctors, residents, and patients as they come through Drexel Medicine’s Department of Dermatology.

Profile Soneyet Muhammad

With a range of experiences in her background, a commitment to supporting income stability and wealth development has been a constant.

Profile Sheila Ireland

Sheila Ireland recently made a new move in a distinguished career leading innovative workforce programming.

Profile Sarah Steltz

While she was Director of Workforce & Economic Inclusion for the Office of University and Community Partnerships, Sarah Steltz took the lead in developing and implementing strategies, programs, and policies that shift university culture, increase efficiency, and result in positive community impact.

Profile Terri Ballard

Terri Ballard is a West Philadelphia resident who took a trip to visit Drexel’s Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships in the midst of her job search several years ago.