No matter what industry you’re in, you and your fellow founders are probably talking about how hard it is to find the employees you need.
You might be one of those employers whose talent flow feels like it’s trickling to a stop. Or, for a very young company, you might be wondering if you’ll be able to build the team you need now that you’re ready for growth.
Well, we don’t have all the answers. (If we did, we’d be spinning up another startup right this minute.) But we do offer you the following list of resources and ideas to help you reach the people you need. We believe “team” does not always mean “employees,” so we’re also including places to connect with folks who can help you achieve your goals on a temporary or part-time basis. Why slow down if you don’t have to?
Charleston Digital Corridor University
Charleston Digital Corridor University (CDCu) is a series of business and technical seminars and workshops presented by Charleston-area experts and leaders. While the seminars are a great source of general business advice, don’t miss the chance to find talent, too. For example,
if you’re looking for expertise in areas such as animation, augmented reality, and the metaverse, register for the upcoming AR/VR meetup. Or you can sign up to get notified for other events by and for people with specific tech expertise.
https://www.charlestondigitalc...;
Charleston Young Professionals
The types of people who participate in chamber young professionals programs are often the career-oriented types who make an impact wherever they go. They’re thinking long-term. The Charleston Chamber created CYP “to attract, retain and develop young professionals in the Charleston region.” With more than 1,000 members, they make a significant group with whom to start building relationships. Sponsorship and mentorship are a couple of ways to get started.
https://www.charlestonchamber.org/charleston-young-professionals/
ReadySC
ReadySC focuses on filling the talent pipeline for organizations that, for the most part, make stuff. If your company is focused on areas such as automotive, food and food processing, textiles, or chemicals, ReadySC is a resource worth looking into. For these industries and more, they can help you find the people you need, but also up-skill the team you’re already working with. You can also access a job board where you can list individual positions or link to your existing careers page. While it’s listed as “tech jobs” the positions cover a much broader spectrum than that.
Apprenticeship Carolina
Don’t skip this one. Many people think of apprenticeships in industrial fields or hand-crafted goods, but that’s the old school version. Apprenticeship Carolina helps employees build staff in areas such as tourism, healthcare, and IT, in addition to advanced manufacturing, energy, transportation, and logistics. And there are many more. On-the-job training might be just the way to help groom prospects into the talent you need, so consider engaging people earlier in their careers. Plus, tax credits and reduced turnover are just a few of the additional reasons to check out the program.
https://www.apprenticeshipcarolina.com
Tech After Five
Okay, it’s a monthly networking event, but it’s actually a good one. In fact, it’s a great one for anybody looking for IT and other tech talent. Picture name tags that tastefully let everyone know who’s hiring and who’s looking to be hired. And even before the event, you can find out who will be in the room and begin making connections. With well over 600 events under their belts, Tech After Five has built a fun and efficient operation highly focused on building community and helping people make as many meaningful connections as possible before heading home.
College of Charleston Career Center
You know Charleston is crawling with young, educated people. While you could just grab your next great employee off King Street on a Friday night, a better track is to connect with the recruiting program at College of Charleston. You can list your company on two online job boards. Handshake is where CofC students and alumni look for jobs, schedule interviews, and register for recruiting events. The Alumni Career Center serves more experienced alumni job seekers.
Another important recruiting tool is the annual Fall Career & Internship Fair + Grad School Expo, where you can get in front of 500 or so potential candidates. They even have outreach support services through email and other tools if you’re too busy for in-person recruitment, as well as several other opportunities.
https://careercenter.cofc.edu/Employers/index.php
Incumbent Worker Training Program
If you can’t find new employees, you can develop talent among your current staff. You can apply for IWTP through SC Works Trident centers in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties. Through their portal, you’ll access this state-funded program to help cover the costs of training existing employees on new technology, roles, products, or services within your company.
And while you’re at it, click around and explore more employment help than you probably knew was available. For instance, you can access WorkKeys skills assessments for free rather than paying about $100 a pop for this nationally recognized standard. There’s a motherload more, but every week there are multiple SC Works training sessions where you get your feet wet virtually or in person.
