Top four takeaways from Chicago Inno’s Talent Meet-Up

Peanut Butter participated in Chicago Inno’s Talent Inno Meetup Showcase held last Thursday which fostered a great dialogue around the best ways to build, sustain, and scale an all-star team. The meetup featured a fantastic panel with HR and Talent executives who provided key insights into the state of talent acquisition and retention in today’s world. Here are our four biggest takeaways from the conversation:

1. Be Data Driven

When asked how individuals can suggest strategy to executives in a way that will get them to make moves, Aimee Schuster, VP of Marketing at Yello, very simply said to bring data to the conversation. It’s important to cite studies like the Millennial Benefits Preferences Study or the 2016 Yello Recruiting Study to further our understanding of the behaviors of our talent pool and make a compelling suggestion.

2. Know the Power of Referrals

According to that study conducted by Yello, 94 percent of Millennials would recommend their workplace to their friends. Referral hiring is becoming increasingly popular because when employees help build the team, it makes for an an inherently collaborative culture. It’s smart talent acquisition, but it only works if your current employees are proud of the workplace you’ve created. 

3. Think About Diversity

If referral hiring is growing, is this hindering diverse teams? A diverse team has shown to be invaluable when it comes to innovation, problem solving, and the overall success of a company. It’s important to supplement your talent acquisition efforts with strategies that invite diversity. The Millennial Benefits Preferences study has found that women and minorities prefer student loan repayment contributions more than their peers. The first step to building a strong, diverse team is deciding to be proactive about attracting diverse individuals.

4. Ask Your Employees

“Ask your employees,” said Randi Jakubowitz, COO of Hunt Club, “You’re going to be spending a lot of money on benefits anyway, they might as well be what your employees actually want.” It’s a simple, brilliant concept that is often overlooked. Many executives ask themselves what their employees ‘probably want’ rather than asking the employees directly. We’ve found that Millennials prefer student loan repayment 2X as much as 401k and healthcare programs. Is your company adding value with its current benefit offerings? Ask away.

There you have it – our four biggest takeaways from this month’s State of Innovation Meetup hosted at Brad’s Deals. Check out more of the conversations that took place with #ChiSOI!