Human Resources Leaders Gather In Kansas City To Discuss Future Of Talent Attraction

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TeamKC, an initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) in partnership with 250 employers in the KC region, hosted its first annual talent leadership summit today. The TeamKC Training Camp was attended by more than 350 top recruiters and human resources professionals from companies including Hallmark, Garmin, Bank of America, Sprint, H&R Block, Dairy Farmers of America, Virgin Mobile USA, State Street, and Cerner Corporation.

"Over the last 12 years, TeamKC has become an essential resource for our region's largest employers," said Jessica Palm, managing director of TeamKC. "With a current unemployment rate of 3.2% in Kansas City, 2018 is the right time to establish an annual event that brings the industry together and inspires continuous improvement of our efforts to compete for top job candidates globally."

The Training Camp also featured interactive presentations from national talent leaders on the latest recruitment and engagement strategies including innovative sourcing and pipelining, development and inclusion strategies, company culture and employee engagement.

Best-selling author of "The Art of Change Leadership," Cheryl Cran, gave a keynote presentation focused on how HR leaders can adjust to fast change and technological innovation in the 21^st century.

"The future of work is rapidly changing —  demographics, technology and global realities are impacting the current and future reality of work," says Cran. "Leaders and teams need to be future ready now — the focus needs to be on building a future ready workplace that is attractive to multiple generations, multiple cultures and diverse workers. Today's workers are looking for dynamic communities, where they can work and live a fulfilling life."

Other speakers included HBO vice president of sales strategy and education, Carla Moore, who launched her book, Crash, during the event; Bank of America senior vice president and human resources executive Allyson Webster; Kansas City Royals general manager, Dayton Moore; and ShotTracker co-founder Davyeon Ross.

One main theme of the event focused on the need for increased regional diversity and inclusion. Ross, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, spoke about this in the context of a company's underlying culture:

"Diversity and inclusion has to be part of the core DNA of any company. This means a company's hiring practices, recruiting practices, culture, etc., all have to support diversity," said Ross.

TeamKC was created in 2006 to support KCADC's corporate members in attracting top talent to the Kansas City area. To help build an inclusive, enriched and welcoming Kansas City region, the TeamKC advisory board touts the area's low cost-of-living and diverse arts and cultural scene as top recruitment tools.

"With today's high-stakes competition for talent, economic development has gone through a significant shift in focus. More than ever, it's all about communicating KC's cultural, economic and business assets to talented professionals and companies all over the world," says Tim Cowden, president and CEO, KCADC. "KC area employers like Children's Mercy, Garmin and Hallmark say they're winning more recruits working with TeamKC and the new talent are now planting roots in the area."

The TeamKC Training Camp will be an annual event with plans already underway for 2019.

About Team KC
TeamKC is an initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) with guidance from an advisory board of 19 of the area's top companies including Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell, Garmin, Cerner Corporation, Children's Mercy Hospital, H&R Block, Hallmark, State Street, Virgin Mobile USA and Dairy Farmers of America. TeamKC currently serves a network of 750 talent acquisition leaders and 250 KC area employers. The initiative works to create a competitive advantage by fostering collaboration among the region's HR professionals to amplify Kansas City's livability assets to potential employees, making the region a top lifestyle and career destination. | TeamKC.com  

About Greater Kansas City
Home to 2.5 million people, the Kansas City region is recognized as "America's Creative Crossroads" as a center for technology and artistry. Kansas City was selected for the roll-out of Google's 1 Gigabit Google Fiber service, and for one of Cisco's most comprehensive Smart+Connected Cities programs. | ThinkKC.com 

SOURCE Kansas City Area Development Council