Recruitment and retention in the Rockford Region

I’ve been in the HR profession for over 20 years, and while I don’t love aging myself in print, I think we’d all agree that the past five years have been the most dramatic in terms of change. Our need to adapt, stay resilient, and lead with empathy has never been greater.

Workplace challenges aren’t new. We’ve always had to hire great talent, navigate change, foster positive work environments, hold teams accountable, and develop leaders. That’s the course of doing business. What is new is the scale and speed of disruption—starting with the pandemic; followed by the Great Resignation; historic labor shortages; remote/hybrid work; heightened mental health concerns; social, economic, and political unrest; and now, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

At the national level, conversations around these challenges continue. I had the opportunity to attend the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) National Conferences in 2024 and 2025. Both carried similar themes: instability, incivility, worker displacement, and a powerful call to action to “Rise Up.” Keynotes and sessions focused on the future of work, AI’s integration with human intelligence (HI), inclusion, leadership, civility, and the need for HR to lead with courage, vision, and clarity.

Locally, we’ve felt the impact of these challenges, and in my experience, the Rockford Region has shown an amazing ability to adapt, shift, and keep our momentum. Our business community has stayed the course, supporting workforce development, embracing flexibility, and investing in our people.

Organizations like the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce, GoRockford, Rockford Promise, RAMP, Youth Build Rockford, RPS 205, Rockford University, NIU Rockford, Rock Valley College, Rockford Career College, Career Education Associates of North Central Illinois (CEANCI), Ogle County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC), The Workforce Connection, and countless others have come together—each in their own way—to invest in the current and future workforce. Together, these partnerships offer career readiness programs, internships, job fairs, upskilling opportunities, and a shared commitment to strengthening the talent pipeline from classroom to career.

As we move forward, we’re beginning to see stability in the labor market. Unemployment rates have improved and are now in close correlation with national rates; that is, as of July, 4.5 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively. Our community’s efforts to invest in the workforce are a testament to where we are today and have contributed to Rockford earning recognition as a great place to live, work, and play.

To maintain this momentum, it’s important to consider recruitment and retention strategies that align with your mission and business strategy.

Recruitment strategies
Align on strategy. Know your metrics and understand the state of the local workforce, with national trends as context. Identify your challenges and opportunities, and share your workforce story with leaders, board members, and key stakeholders to support recruitment strategies.

Act with urgency. If a candidate is the right fit, don’t wait. Top talent is hard to find and easy to lose, especially in today’s competitive labor market.

Embrace technology. AI is a powerful tool with amazing recruitment solutions and efficiencies to help streamline the hiring process. AI isn’t going to wait for us to catch up, so it’s important to understand its capabilities, use it wisely, and, if you haven’t, start now.

Build A-teams. I once had a veteran say to me, “The team is everything,” and he was absolutely right. Hire people who want the job, not those who just need one. Look for passion, energy, and trainability.

Tap into community resources. Get involved and be a part of the conversation and solutions. My mantra: “People matter; connections matter.” Stay engaged with community partners, schools, colleges, workforce agencies, and local vendors to enhance your talent strategies.

Hire for potential. Be willing to train candidates who align with your culture and mission, even if they don’t check every box on day one.

Retention Strategies
Upskill and invest. Grow and develop your talent from within. Offer job enrichment, cross-training, career pathing, mentorship, volunteer opportunities, stretch assignments, and formal onboarding.

Enhance employee experience. Create environments where employees want to stay. SHRM’s 2025 State of the Workplace report highlights key retention drivers: teamwork, purpose, fairness, and recognition—areas to prioritize when measuring engagement and satisfaction to guide continuous improvement.

Prioritize leadership development. Great leaders are essential and the backbone of a healthy culture. Equip your leaders to manage effectively and lead through change.

Stay market competitive. Know your industry’s trends in compensation, benefits, and total rewards. Provide value-added programs and act swiftly to keep pace with competitors in your sector and niche.

Promote flexibility. While remote work doesn’t fit every profession or sector (e.g., healthcare, manufacturing, retail, or service industries), creative scheduling and flexibility can still be part of your strategy.

The state of the workforce, both nationally and locally, will continue to shift and evolve, but the heart of workforce success remains the same—employees want to feel valued, challenged, and connected to purpose. Whether you’re leading a company, running a team, or guiding community-wide initiatives, we each play a role in shaping the kind of region that attracts and retains great talent.

With continued collaboration, strategic investment, and leadership that prioritizes people, the Rockford Region is well positioned to compete for talent and serve as a destination for lasting careers and strong business growth.

The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce.