One for the Books: A 2022 Recap, Part One

As another year comes to a close, we are left to reflect on the many successes and memories that 2022 encompassed for the DirectEmployers family of brands. From awards to our first staff events (and DEAMcon!) since before the pandemic began, the last twelve months have been a journey we wouldn’t have wanted to take with anyone else – our staff, our partners, and of course, our Members. We thank each and every one of you for making 2022 our best year yet. Take a look at these noteworthy happenings from the first half of the year and stay tuned for part two in the coming days!

Continued the DE Talk Podcast

Season Three of the DE Talk podcast continued into the New Year with episodes focusing on OFCCP compliance, an LGBTQ employee’s experience in the workplace, and how to shift from The Great Resignation to the Great Retention. Season Three brought a true diversification of topics to our podcast as we work to cover the most pertinent topics in our industry, with interesting and engaging guests. With Season Four underway, make sure you subscribe to be alerted of new episodes coming your way in 2023!

Reinvented the DE Masterclass Webinar Series

In 2021 we introduced the DE Masterclass Disability Roundtable Series where each month we hosted a conversation among experts, focused on one specific disability and how best to accommodate it within your workplace. This year, we reimagined the DE Masterclass as an Employment Law Roundtable. From January to November, we hosted a monthly roundtable focusing on a variety of employment law topics ranging from AAPs and DEI to Pay Disclosure Laws, AI, and beyond. Miss out? We’ve got you covered! Watch the recordings at your leisure and earn HRCI and SHRM credits in the process!

Launched the DE Under 3 Weekly Video Series

You may be familiar with our OFCCP Week in Review blog, but this year our experts took it one step further, launching a weekly video series that dives deeper into the top stories covered in that’s weeks WIR, in under three minutes. Hosted by Candee J. Chambers, John C. Fox, and the occasional guest, this series gives additional insight into the week’s highlights affecting federal contractors. See the episode archive here!

Relaunched USNLx with New Branding and User Interface

A partnership between DirectEmployers and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA), the NLx is the only nonprofit national online labor exchange system in the U.S. In January of this year, we launched new branding and an updated user interface at https://usnlx.com. Additionally, NLx job openings reached over 4 million per day further lending to the vision of improving labor exchange efficiency to better serve our nation’s diverse workforce.

Relaunched VetCentral with Updated Reporting Features

In March of this year, we relaunched VetCentral, our proprietary technology designed to deliver federal contractor jobs and provide priority veteran referrals, to local veterans’ employment representatives (LVERs) and disabled veteran outreach specialists (DVOPs), and Business Service Representatives. Updated branding and improved reporting features rounded out the update, making it more valuable than ever for our users! Don’t believe us? Hear straight from the vet reps themselves!

Named #1 in Government Contracting in JD Supra 2022 Readers Choice Awards

For the second year running, our OFCCP Week in Review team was awarded the top spot in the Government Contracting category of the JD Supra 2022 Readers Choice Awards, amongst the more than 65,000 authors who published to the platform! Read by tens of thousands of C-suite executives, in-house counsel, media, government officials, and other professionals across the country, this was a very deserving win! In addition, the team also received an honorable mention for the weekly blog series in the PR Daily Content Marketing Awards!

Hosted DEAMcon22 in San Diego, California – Our First In-Person Event Since 2019!

After a cancelled DEAMcon20 and a virtual DEAMcon21, we were more than ready to finally see everyone in-person this year – including our fellow staffers! Hosted at the breathtakingly beautiful Park Hyatt Aviara, our team put together our best conference yet with a diverse program, plenty of networking opportunities, and lots of fun. Check out the highlights in the video below and be sure to check out the Day One, Day Two, and Day Three recaps on the blog, authored by Cynthia L. Hackerott, who was added to the OFCCP Week In Review team in June!

Want in on the fun next year? Register to join us in Chicago next April for DEAMcon23!

Named A Winner of the Central Indiana Top Workplaces 2022 Award

For the second consecutive year, DirectEmployers Association was named a Top Workplace by the Indianapolis Star, woohoo! Based solely on employee feedback gathered via an anonymous survey that uniquely measures 15 cultural drivers, our people-first culture was found to be a winner. We couldn’t be prouder of our staff who continues to exceed expectations in a remote work setting. Keep up the good work!

So many things to celebrate this year and we’re only halfway through! Stay tuned for part two of our 2022 recap for details on more events we attended, staff outings, and additional milestones!