Redefining Workforce Strategies
Through Collaboration
Synergy Workforce Solutions is workforce development consulting firm that assists companies in identifying the barriers to a successful recruitment and employee retention plan and offers solutions for long-term sustainability. We are not a staffing agency, temporary placement agency, or headhunting firm. These are what we call the “firefighters” -- they come in to help put out the fire - a reactionary approach - and they have their purpose. While we partner with these service providers for your short-term needs, at SWS, we think of our approach as “fireproofing”, whereas the client becomes proactive. These proactive measures lead to strong relationships, increased employee retention, and the development of talent pipelines, from which the client can rely on well into the future.
Our Approach
Often, workforce development is approached in silos. At Synergy Workforce Solutions (SWS) we believe in order to solve the workforce challenges of today, and the future, we must remove all silos and change the culture. This will take time and considerable effort. Done correctly, a shift in recruiting and retention and greater collaboration will occur.
SWS serves as the conduit that brings together all necessary stakeholders who have a vested interest in this paradigm shift and solving these workforce challenges. While many programs focus on the training aspect, SWS goes further to include career exploration and the entire throughput of Recruiting, Training, and Retention. Creating multiple pipelines to talent whilst properly matching the right personality with the right tasking and developing and/or enhancing skill-sets will not only reduce costs-to-hire, but also increase employee retention, and create a culture where there is a sense of fulfillment and synergy amongst employees working harmoniously towards a common goal.
Our approach is based on a simple, yet effective, three-pillar workforce framework:
Exploration - The goal or purpose of this pillar is not only to explore careers, but to also help job-seekers and current employees self-identify, with the intent to match their personality, interest, and abilities, to career opportunities. “You don’t know what you don’t know, and you can’t be what you can’t see.” If awareness is low, interest is low. “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” When job satisfaction is high, employee morale and retention are also high. It is imperative industry helps career explorers find opportunities that are a good fit with who they are and inspire them to pursue their career goals. A large emphasis will be placed on the Exploration pillar. While there is a critical need to fill the “skills gap” we cannot accomplish this feat without first closing the “awareness gap”.
Skill Development - Addressing the “skills gap”, the purpose of this pillar is to help job-seekers (and current employees) identify the foundational and necessary hard and soft skills, along with the required credentials, to enter and/or advance along a career pathway. With the help from industry, once the skills and credentials are determined, we identify the opportunities in which to obtain or enhance these skill sets.
Work-based Learning - The goal or purpose of this pillar is to identify and/or create opportunities that allow career explorers, and potentially current employees looking to transition, the ability to ‘test drive” the career/industry/new role of their choice. These opportunities reinforce the decision to pursue a particular career pathway. With many skill development opportunities requiring the investment of time and/or money, a work-based learning experience can justify that investment. In addition, the employer has the ability to assess the potential candidate for alignment with the organization’s mission and culture.
“The team at SWS used their outside-the-box thinking to help us work with regional CTE schools around the state to promote opportunities in the marine trades. Through our collaboration, we not only introduced students to our industry, but we were also able to raise over $20k in scholarships. The end result was the support of education and the gaining employees.”