How to Build a Talent-Ready Workforce | 2-Minute Video

When you hire, the ideal candidate would be talent-ready.

Even if new hires didn’t have all the skills and experience you need to fill each role, having them more prepared to take on the job would help.

What’s Up in This Episode: Tips to Build a Talent-Ready

That’s why in this episode of HRMorning’s 3-Point, we introduce you to an organization that has built a talent-ready workforce — and helped many organizations in its community do the same. H. Louis Burrell, the CHRO at Dallas College, explains how they’ve partnered with other organizations to build pipelines of well-trained job candidates and employees.

Click, watch and listen for more details on creating a talent-ready workforce.

Transcript (edited for clarity):

Do you ever wish job candidates came to you already trained to do the job? Or at least, more prepared to step into the job? Your hiring managers probably do. And in this episode of the 3-Point, we’re going to help you get there with a cool case study that goes full circle.

Here’s where it starts from company to college …

H. Louis Burrell, CHRO, Dallas College: “We have one of their practitioners, who is in our classroom, actually telling us, or maybe telling or teaching, or they may be facilitating a session. But they have helped us design what the actual lab looks like. And, no, they’re not sending someone in to just say, ‘Hey, I need you to get some training.’ We’re training on the front end, so when they get to Baylor, Scott and White, they’re ready. And we use their staff. And sometimes their staff may be adjunct professors.”

So, Louis Burrell is with Dallas College, and Baylor, Scott and White is a medical provider. And he’s talking specifically here about a radiologic technologist program. But that’s just one of dozens of programs that the local college and businesses have partnered on to bolster readiness. The businesses provide teaching staff and ideas on the curriculum.  The schools provide eager learners, plus …

Burrell: “I wanted to make sure how my students were getting connected to job opportunities – and not just, ‘Hey, we’re always hiring.’ But how do we make it so that it’s easy to facilitate, to always be notified around career opportunities?” 

Part of that is informal. After all, practitioners are in the classroom. They can tell students about internships, training opportunities and job openings. The business and school also use job platforms that allow students to stay on top of jobs.  And do they get those jobs? The number is astounding …

Burrell: “That may be in a variety of ways. They may be folks who come in who need continuous education and they get a certificate or credit. Or they’re a new student coming into the pipeline. So there are various ways that may happen, but yes, 52% of the staff have a touch to Dallas College.”

So, if you want to bolster your job candidate readiness and talent pipeline:

• Partner with education. It doesn’t have to be a local college. Think tech or high school, community college – whatever fits your business needs.
• Offer support. As much as you can, offer – and pay – your staff to teach the students. Help build the curriculum.
• Complete the circle. Hire the talent you supported – then support them to continue the cycle.

We’d love to hear more success stories like this from HRMorning readers and viewers. If you have something to share, go ahead and email me at mmgovern@HRMorning.com. Thanks for coming along for this episode.