The competition for talent is fiercer than ever. Employers and employees, both, are reimagining the future of work. Recruiters accustomed to leading with competitive salary and benefit packages are finding that that is no longer enough to win over applicants.

Now there is another layer to the hiring process. Applicants want to know what their potential new employer is doing to protect the planet, field a diverse leadership team, prioritize work/life balance, push supply chain circularity and embrace social purpose. And that is just for starters. Talent acquisition has always been nuanced, but now it is even more multi-dimensional.
 
We have been thinking a lot about how the role of business in the global economy has evolved. Increasingly, customers, employees, policy makers and society as a whole demand proof that a company is doing more than just conducting business in a sustainable way and abiding by ethical business practices. And stakeholders expect companies to both have a purpose and contribute to the greater good.
 
As we both believe in setting a big table with as many stakeholders as possible, we recently invited several members from various industry sectors to share their workforce development needs, priorities and challenges. Our sole aim was listening to learn, so that we could bring more informed ideas on future Chamber programs to the membership.
 
For the first round of our listening tour, we focused on a few of our larger employers that are currently adding jobs. Members we spoke with include: Alden Anderson of CBRE, Inc.; Kim Barker Lee of IGT; Brian Britson of Amgen; Michele Cinquegrano of Verizon; Marc Crisafulli of Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort; Jeremy Crisp of Nail Communications; Rick Metters of Fidelity Investments; Lara Salamano of Infosys; Kevin Tracy of Bank of America; and Dr. Saul Weingart of Lifespan. 
 
Here are eight take-aways about where and how the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce will focus our workforce development efforts:

1. Our focus group embraced the concept of leaders learning from each other in an unfiltered peer-to-peer dialogue– including sharing best practices, building bridges with key partners to reach historically under-served communities, and driving specific types of training programs. 
2. Our approach to workforce development must be holistic — so that it is not only focused on the pipeline of the future but on ways to support the development and needs of today’s workers.  
3. If Rhode Islanders are to succeed in the entry-level positions that are available in our state today, they need access to cross-sector training programs that will help them develop soft skills like empathy, critical thinking, understanding and leadership.  
4. Sector-specific training is also needed, so we can be sure we are equipping workers with technical skills that are relevant to their roles within certain industries. To ensure this is sustainable, we will intensify our partnership with RI Department of Labor and Training and tap into federal stimulus dollars.
5. We reinforced that diversity, equity and inclusion are business imperatives. Members are interested in the Chamber helping them create both more inclusive workplaces and more diverse talent pipelines. Among the ideas put forth, launching a digital campaign with recognized influencers who will share their top picks for jobs of the future.
6. We will join with members of the blue economy work group to add context and resources to talent pipeline.
7. There’s strong interest in the Chamber partnering with state, local and other stakeholders on ways to keep more graduates of Rhode Island colleges and universities in state, using lessons from the Wavemaker program. 
8. We also need to consider how important access to reasonably priced childcare, affordable housing, and quality K-12 education are to today’s workers and to the talent we will need to meet future workforce needs. 

We will continue to work with the Board of Directors to discuss next steps in our talent development efforts. Additional focus groups with smaller and mid-size employers are coming up. If you have ideas, thoughts or needs before then, please reach out to us. Your feedback is always encouraged, and we always have space to listen. 
 
Dr. Meghan Hughes is chair of the Board of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and president of the Community College of Rhode Island.
 
Laurie White is president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.