In an unprecedented time of people working remotely, there are new opportunities to engage both the current and future workforce. "Now more than ever employees are taking the time to look within to determine who they are and what is important to them. A crisis naturally has folks pause and look within," said Margaret Graziano, High-Performance Culture Strategist, KeenAlignment.

According to Keen Alignment and Forbes ^[1] , career switches are just around the corner. Not only are the temporarily out-of-work looking for something new, but those who have remained working during the pandemic may realize that their companies don’t have their best interest. "For those employers who have not been willing to adjust work schedules or offer support to their employees dealing with childcare issues, or family health issues the employees will take note, and when job opening confidence is up these employees will begin the process of looking elsewhere," said Graziano.  

Across industry, workers are going to become job seekers. There’s no better way to meet job seekers than online, considering how much time Americans are spending working remotely and on devices. Candidates are looking to be met where they’re at. ^[2]

If talent attraction and retention sounds like a tough task or something you’ve already been pushing for within your HR department, you are not alone. In this battle for talent, we at the Amarillo EDC hear from local employers how challenging it is to fill the pipeline and get quality applicants. We are here to be a resource for all of your workforce needs. We’ve created the Workforce Resources page for you to stay up-to-date with the multiple employer resources the Amarillo EDC has to offer.

Cost of Living Infographic – This was a highly-requested piece from employers in order to show current and future employees that while living in larger metro areas may provide a higher salary, it does not usually equate to a higher quality of life because of a major factor: cost of living. This is a free downloadable resource for employers.

Take Root In Amarillo Job Board & Manual - As a one-stop hub for all things Amarillo, TakeRootInAmarillo.com helps you recruit new talent to our area and ease the process of acclimating to a new city! The site allows employers to highlight hard-to-find, high-skilled, living wage jobs and internship opportunities as well as showcase different aspects of daily life in Amarillo including housing, education, cultural happenings, and how to get plugged in, which will ultimately help with employee retention. To make this easy to integrate into your hiring process, we’ve created a free, downloadable manual for TakeRootInAmarillo.com.

Amarillo Intern Experience - Many interns from out of town struggle to get acclimated and make friends outside of the company they're interning for. So we decided to get them together and show off our community. By meeting up with outside interns, experiencing different parts of Amarillo, and connecting with the Elevate Amarillo young professionals, our future workforce begins to put down roots right here. Learn more about this opportunity on the Workforce Resources page and sign up your organization to participate in this summer’s 2020 Amarillo Intern Experience!

Build Your Talent Toolbox - These biannual events are designed for your HR professionals and business owners to recruit, retain, and engage both their current and future workforce. Topics include creating a work culture, engaging high school students, and hiring right the first time.

#HelloAmarillo - This citizen-driven hashtag is a great way to see what life really looks like in Amarillo. This is content posted by real Amarilloans showing off their favorite brunch spots, hiking with their friends, or attending a Sod Poodles game with their kids. See what our Amarillo folks are passionate about!

All of these resources are available to you to help better recruit, retain and engage both your current and future workforce. You can also sign up for email updates and see the latest with our newly created Workforce Resources page.