Insight on Business

August 2015

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32 | I NSIGH T • A u g u s t 2 0 15 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m I N S I G H T O N H R / R E C R U I T I N G B y S e a n P. J o h n s o n J amie Cartwright never anticipated he would become a key cog in Weidert Group's efforts to recruit young professionals to Northeast Wisconsin. In fact, he's not even your typical marketing professional. But when Weidert President Greg Linnemanstons first exchanged emails about an internship with Cartwright — an anthropology major returning to school aer a project in Africa — he sensed a talent he didn't want to risk slipping away to a competitor or another state. Aer his internship, Cartwright joined the Appleton-based marketing firm full time and serves as both an example for, and important link to, other young professionals. "One of the important lessons we have learned is the importance of the links of our current young professionals to securing other young professionals," says Linnemanstons, whose company recently won a "Bubbler Award", presented by the group NEWaukee, which recognizes efforts on the part of Wisconsin companies to attract and retain young talent. "Interns have been an incredibly important part of that process for us," he says. "We know our internship program Talent search Company leaders put out the welcome mat for young professionals has helped us build strong relationships with the universities." It's a network that has attracted additional young talent to Weidert Group, including former interns who connected to the company through Cartwright, who were impressed by the experience he had doing "real work," and wanted a similar experience. No need to go to Chicago or New York for that "great experience," when it can be had right here in Northeast Wisconsin. "Weidert Group was really open and willing to accept new ideas from me at the first staff meeting," he says. "I felt valuable; that I could contribute immediately. I'm not sure I would have had that experience elsewhere." Weidert Group's experience in the past few years recruiting and retaining young talent also caught the attention of Reggie Newson, secretary of the Department of Workforce Development, who visited the company to discuss its strategies and successes. For his part, with millennials and GenX now the majority of the workforce — a group oen more interested in where they work and they lifestyle they will lead than who they work for — recruiting and retaining this group has become a top priority. Newson has spent months "One of the important lessons we have learned is the importance of the links of our current young professionals to securing other young professionals." – G re g L i n n e m a n s to n s, We i d e r t p re s i d e nt

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