One for the Books: A 2022 Recap, Part Two

In part one of our 2022 recap, we summarized the first half of the year and the many exciting happenings that took place, from awards and rebrands to new content launches and more. But, there’s more to this story – LOTS more! Let’s dive in to part two to see even more of the exciting things our family of brands were able to accomplish over the last twelve months.

Sponsored & Exhibited at the NILG 2022 National Conference

Taking place in Boston this past summer, our team pulled out all the stops for the DirectEmployers booth complete with a coffee trike serving handcrafted beverages, a photo wall for selfies, and free DE-branded swag – compliance coffee mugs, anyone? We had a blast visiting with attendees and dishing about our products and services. We can’t wait to see everyone at the NILG 2023 National Conference in Phoenix!

Kicked Off Season 4 of the DE Talk Podcast

The great conversations continued in the second half of the year when we launched Season Four of the DE Talk Podcast. With episodes centered on employment branding tactics, OFCCP audit tips and tricks, hidden benefits of remote work, fostering workplace inclusion through Vocational Rehabilitation, Native American veterans and inclusive holidays. With episodes on a variety of topics, there’s truly something to spark every interest. Stay tuned for new episodes in the New Year!

 Did you know DE Talk can be found on your favorite podcast provider? Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and more!

Held a Staff Outing at an Indianapolis Indians Game – Our First Staff Event Since 2019!

Since the pandemic began, our staffers have been working hard from the convenience of home, but we still enjoy a little togetherness from time to time! This year we held our first in-person staff event since 2019 at an Indianapolis Indians game complete with food, drink, and lots of fun. Not only was this many of our staffers’ first time seeing each other in more than two years, but it was also the first time we met some of our newer colleagues. What a fun day we shared!

Sponsored a Number of Fall Events, Both Locally and Nationally

First up was the National Organization on Disability’s 40th Anniversary Forum in Washington D.C. for an open discussion on disability inclusion and accessibility in the workplace in the past and the innovations to take it further in the future.

We also collaborated with Work to Include to host the Indianapolis Disability Talent Showcase at our home office. During this event, employers, job seekers with disabilities, and employment service providers joined together for a conversation on how to better help create, develop, and foster relationships amongst one another for an improved experience for individuals with disabilities.

Always a joy to support and attend, we also sponsored Bosma Enterprises Annual Dining in the Dark. Here, attendees are asked to eat an entire meal in the dark, while also blindfolded, to get an idea of the blind and visually impaired individual’s daily experience. Truly an enlightening opportunity!

Finally, we sponsored and attended the trueU Operationalizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in the Workplace Workshop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During this event, representatives from all of our family of brands were able to listen in as speakers shared tips for making DEI&B a priority at work.

Our Family of Brands Continued to Thrive

Recruit Rooster continued to develop and fully launch its Talent Community, doubling sales of the proprietary product designed with OFCCP compliance in mind. This year they added new feature enhancements including text/SMS recruitment, automated email campaigns, candidate segmentation, and form creation. In addition, they were nominated for a Talent Impact Award in the 2022 Techpoint Mira Awards, which recognizes initiatives and programs that are influencing critical recruiting, attracting, and hiring pipelines as well as training and retaining efforts. Congratulations, team!

Outside of developing new products and features for DE and Recruit Rooster’s suite of products, RocketBuild maintained their reputation as a leading application developer for SaaS companies and enterprises alike. Throughout 2022, they launched exciting software products for higher-ed institutions, legal tech and health tech startups, and community organizations — successfully launching 10+ substantial technology projects!

Held a Staff Volunteer Day at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana

Earlier this fall our staff gathered once more, this time to volunteer at Gleaner’s Food Bank of Indianapolis. Split into two shifts – one morning, and one afternoon – our teams helped provide a total of 5,151 meals for our community! Take a look at the photos to see our team at work.

Hosted 21 Days of Thanks During 2022 Member Appreciation

In celebration of our wonderful Members, and our 21^st Anniversary, we kicked off 21 Days of Thanks! During this three-week period, our Members simply completed a form with their mailing address and each day we drew as many as twenty-one random winners for various prizes ranging from Beats earbuds and Ember Mugs to gift cards and more! In addition, participants were sent a soft and cozy DE blanket as a token of our appreciation and the warm fuzzy feelings they give us every day!

Hosted Fall Donation Drive

As you can see, we love to give back! This fall we asked our staffers to donate to their favorite charities, and in turn, DirectEmployers would match up to $25 of each in a donation to Gleaner’s Food Bank of Indiana. In the end, our team donated $1,099 to various organizations both local and national, resulting in a $325 match for the food bank!

Got Festive During a Holiday Party for Staff at Our Indianapolis Office

While holiday staff parties have historically been an annual occurrence for us, this year’s party was the first since before the pandemic and our staffers were certainly ready for some festive fun! Hosted at our headquarters in Indianapolis, this holiday party featured lots of goodies and activities including cookie decorating, holiday movies, live music, and more. As always, there were elements of giving woven in. At one station, our staffers designed holiday cards that were given to a local assisted living facility to pass out to its residents during the holidays. In addition, we asked staffers to donate items to be compiled into homeless care kits, which were assembled during the party and then donated to Wheeler Mission, a local social services organization providing support to Central and South Central Indiana. In all, our team compiled 85 care kits, with many additional items left over to donate. Nice work!

And last but not least…

We Reached ONE THOUSAND Members!

Just a few weeks ago, we reached a very special milestone – one thousand Members! We couldn’t be more thankful for our Members, and for our dedicated staff who work tirelessly to provide the products and support that allow our membership to continue growing. What a way to close out the year!

As a trade association, the membership lies with the company rather than the individual. With that said, imagine how many individuals make up our membership and are available to you for networking and peer-to-peer crowdsourcing! Sign in to DE Connect to make connections and get involved.

That’s a wrap on 2022. What a great year! We look forward to the next twelve months and the many accomplishments and milestones we reach together. Want more great news from the DirectEmployers Family of Brands? Sign up to receive our emails to be alerted of the latest news and happenings in the New Year!