We celebrate Boss’ Day and Administrative Professionals Day, but what about YOUR day?
Did you know that Labor Day was instituted to celebrate YOU? According to the United States Department of Labor, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”
All of that to say, Happy Labor Day!
We each contribute to society in different ways but each person plays an important role. Here is a closer look at how some of DirectEmployers’ employees utilize their talents to strengthen the Association:
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Jason Sole
Role within Product Development
Director of Production – I am the scrum master and user experience lead. It is my job to keep the current development sprint on task and running smoothly by coordinating the efforts of our development team. In addition, I am responsible for the overall user experience of our products.
How my work impacts Members
Our products, used everyday by Members, facilitate their record keeping to support their hiring and outreach efforts.
Tips for Members
Make sure you are communicating with your Member Services Rep when you have ideas for new functionality or frustrations with the system. We love to get feedback from Members and use it to improve our software.
My favorite things to do outside of work
I enjoy riding my bike, hiking, and spending time with my family.
My first job
Mowing grass for my grandmother when I was 13.
Kyle Totten
Role within Product Development
Director of Technology – I am the team director / leader.
How my work impacts Members
I oversee and develop technology that provides comprehensive compliance solutions, extensive job syndication & posting capabilities, and several other integral online recruitment products for our Members.
Tips for Members
Get involved in our Member-only online community, http://voice.DirectEmployers.org.
My favorite things to do outside of work
Watch movies and play fantasy football.
My first job
Worked in the restaurant at the Country Club of Indianapolis (the same place we have our office holiday parties).
Edwin Marshall
Role within Product Development
Software Developer – Most recently, I authored the back-end and a portion of the front-end for the Partner Relationship Manager (PRM) Reporting Tool. A large part of my time goes into improving PRM, with minor contributions being made to the microsites platform.
How my work impacts Members
The code I write makes Member outreach efforts easier to monitor. The Partner Library allows them to quickly find partners and incorporate them in their outreach efforts. The reporting tool allows them to aggregate data from their various efforts and visualize them, which could help employers quickly recognize deficiencies in their processes as well as recognize successes.
Tips for Members
1. Take advantage of the tagging features across the different PRM tools. They are invaluable when it is time to pull reports.
2. If something feels inconvenient or nonintuitive, let us know. Last week, we implemented changes to the address form to make it less confusing for users.
3. Use multiple locations when you need them. We have noticed that some users are putting multiple locations in a single address field. PRM has, since last fall, had the ability to associate multiple distinct locations to a contact. In addition to being easier to manage, using the multiple locations feature will make the reporting tool more useful by recognizing each of those distinct locations.
My favorite things to do outside of work
I spend a lot of time playing tabletop games, exploring new nature trails, and contributing to various open source projects.
My first job
Sonic Drive-In when I was 16.
MARKETING
Jaime Costilow
How my work impacts Members
Public Relations Manager – I help communicate the initiatives of the Association–including new products and services, educational opportunities and partnerships. While some see DirectEmployers as just an OFCCP compliance solution, we actually provide much more than job distribution and part of my job is making Members aware of the additional benefits their membership provides. Another part of my job is helping to build awareness for the Association through speaking engagements and media outreach.
Tips for Members
DirectEmployers has so many resources to help employers and we are happy to help in any way we can – no question is silly and never hesitate to reach out to us!
My favorite things to do outside of work
Kacie, also on the marketing team, and I have a fashion blog and enjoy taking outfit photos and providing beauty tips and fashion advice to anyone in the blogosphere. Check it out, http://www.regallysoled.com!
My first job
My very first job was a sales associate at a children’s designer clothing store. I’ve always had an interest in fashion from a young age and this job was so perfect for me. Not only did I learn how to sell, I also learned about communication and what a valuable skill that is to have in life. My favorite part of that job was going to market in Chicago and ordering the next season’s clothing. Such a cool experience!
COMPLIANCE & PARTNERSHIPS
Christy Merriman
Role within Compliance & Partnerships
Operations Manager, National Labor Exchange (NLX) – I work on a daily basis with the National Association of State Workforces Agencies (NASWA). NASWA’s members are the state workforce agencies that run the state job banks. We are partnered with all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico and Guam, with signed participation agreements.
How my work impacts Members
Our team ensures a smooth daily exchange of job files between DirectEmployers (DE) and all states and territories. I work with a dedicated DE developer that monitors all of the details pertaining to all state job files, making sure Members’ jobs process properly into the job banks for their recruitment efforts. State workforce staff is educated on how employers recruit, why they utilize an ATS, virtual jobs, evergreen jobs and much more. There is a strong relationship with each state, which benefits DirectEmployers Members when there is a need.
Tips for Members
Members have many resources available in the Member online community, but here are some that I think will be helpful: http://voice.directemployers.org/compliance,
OFCCP Audit State Workforce Contact, and State Workforce Outreach Contacts List
Each list contains a contact for all states and territories to assist you in your outreach, relationship building and OFCCP audits.
Don’t forget our own Candee Chambers, VP of Compliance and Partnerships, has a wealth of knowledge you may tap into during an audit.
My favorite things to do outside of work
I am an outdoor person, my favorite hobby is sailing on my boat, but kayaking is also very nice when there is no wind for my sails! I also enjoy a variety of live music shows, particularly outdoor concerts. During winter months, I like to find a beach to warm up.
My first job
My first job was with Deluxe Check Printers in Customer Service. My career spanned 17 years and included training of new staff and in-house seminars and training for financial institution employees.
Shannon Offord
Role within Compliance & Partnerships
Manager of Strategic Partnerships – I manage and build DirectEmployers’ partnerships and alliances with diversity, disability, and veteran organizations. I also build our relationships with online recruitment vendors, Applicant Tracking Systems, recruitment advertising agencies, and other associations.
How my work impacts Members
In several ways, including but not limited to, where their jobs are syndicated via the alliance list, providing contacts for outreach to veteran, disability, and diversity organizations, giving advice on different online recruitment vendors, and obtaining discounts/additional services for DE members with vendors.
Tips for Members
If you have organizations you would like to see as a DE partner, please feel free to reach out to me at Shannon@DirectEmployers.org.
My favorite things to do outside of work
CrossFit, sporting events, collecting watches.
My first job
I was an umpire for little league baseball games.
DIGITAL STRATEGY
Drew Palmer
Role within Digital Strategy
Digital Strategy Support Representative – I have the great opportunity of supporting the Digital Strategy team here at DirectEmployers Association. I help with the design and implementation of the Recruitment Marketing sites and supply our team with a variety of visual aids, allowing them to effectively promote our brand and help achieve our business goals.
How my work impacts Members
I often create mockups for Members considering an upgrade of their Member site to a more robust Recruitment Marketing Solution. I take pride in utilizing only the marketing materials they already possess, allowing them to realize the full potential of their site.
Tips for Members
Start a collection of marketing materials that can be used to represent your employment brand at the drop of a hat. We find that most companies do not have an adequate amount of quality photographs at their disposal. If you collect them over an extended period of time, you will have plenty of unique, authentic images at your fingertips when you need them.
My favorite things to do outside of work
I love backpacking. My wife and I just got back from a week-long trip hiking through Yosemite National Valley. When I am not backpacking, I am working on our tiny house. We are about halfway through our build and looking forward to the perks of living tiny.
My first job
My first job was Shake Boy at the Leland Country Club. Duties included: Making shakes, washing dishes, being awesome.
To learn more about other employees at DirectEmployers, visit our staff page.
Happy Labor Day!
- Labor Day is About You - September 4, 2015
- Working Parents: Making the Most of Your Time Away from Work - July 8, 2015
- I Can Because of Veterans: New Series From DirectEmployers Association - November 1, 2014
