Unconventional Partnerships

The key to talent attraction and retention 

By: Allie Shane, Communications Specialist 
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Earlier this month, MMAC and Visit Milwaukee hosted the second-annual Milwaukee Talent Summit at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. Event attendees listened as local professionals shared their perspectives on topics relevant to talent attraction and expansion in the Milwaukee area.  
 
A panel discussion led by Marquette Assistant Professor Alisa Nagle leaned into the concept of partnerships, emphasizing how creative and even ‘unconventional’ partnerships often result in successful talent development.  
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At Marquette University, employer-student interactions go beyond one conversation at a career fair. Hannah Lubar is the Director of Marquette’s Business Career Center. She shared how the center engages a core group of employer partners who consistently promote their brands on campus, increasing employer recognition among students. For example, employers can teach courses as “co-educators.” In these courses students not only obtain necessary workplace skills, but they also foster a meaningful connection with the employer that surpasses one interaction.  
  
The number of interactions does matter. According to Ian Abston, the director of Hoan Group and co-founder of Forward48, the average time to follow up with someone per one meeting is 12 interactions. Abston’s leadership at both organizations has paved the way for increased professional interaction in Milwaukee and Madison. 
 
Forward48 is a premiere leadership program with a clear talent pipeline. Twice a year, a cohort of 75 talented individuals from around the state come together to network and glean professional insight. Partner organizations such as Professional Dimensions and AliveMKE feed into the program.  
 
Following each cohort’s completion of the program, the emerging leaders are offered MBA credits to use at Marquette. This arrangement benefits both parties. Forward48 works alongside a credible establishment, furthering its own credibility, and Marquette is handed an ideal group of young leaders.  

The Boldt Company is another organization that embraces unconventional partnerships. Allie Knautz, Boldt’s labor relations and workplace development manager, seeks partnership opportunities that encourage career pathways into the skilled trades. 
 
A recent example highlighted by Knautz, was a collaboration between Boldt and Oak Creek High School. The two groups worked together on a stadium renovation project. Students received direct commercial construction experience and exposure to career pathways in the construction industry. The project was also a meaningful way for both parties to give back to the community. 
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