As the days grow shorter and summer blooms are few we partnered a late September evening and the remaining hydrangeas in the garden to host our annual EA Connects. As our Autumns often allow, we were able to enjoy wine and small bites on the patio on a crisp night, giving our southern gals their first lesson in layering – always bring a wrap!
Every year we invite women who were either the candidate/new hire, or followed their spouse/partner to Cleveland for a new job within the past year. Our professional ladies work full time on site, remotely keeping their previous position, at a new job in CLE/AKN or have left their role in their former city and are looking for an opportunity here.
We heard how grateful the current class is for this opportunity to meet women to begin to kindle friendships outside of those at the office. There’s something special about their comradery whereby they’ve uprooted along with their often reluctant family members, moved to a new city, started a new job, and who’ve left friendships. Being busy getting settled in to jobs and home they’ve little time to tend to their own network. Our goal is to jumpstart friendships with an introduction to one another and by compiling a girlfriend’s booklet to send afterwards with contact info, photos, and a few notes so that the group can keep the momentum going.
Invitations were extended to women who moved from North Carolina, Florida, Illinois, Arizona, Minnesota, New York, Georgia, Michigan, Cayman Islands, Washington, Virginia, Massachusetts, England and California. Several were born in other countries including Bulgaria, Brazil, Lithuania and the United Kingdom. The companies, hospitals, and organizations they were recruited by are Swagelok, Case School of Medicine, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Cleveland State University, Nordson, Sequoia Financial, University Hospitals, Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, University Circle Inc., Parker Hannifin, Park Place, Holden Forests and Gardens, Synthomer, and Level20 Progressive.
As we mixed and mingled the highlight of the evening is always our round robin of sharing. The ladies each answer a handful of questions; where they’ve moved from, moved to, what their job position is here, who they moved with, and if they are still looking for anything in CLE/AKN that they have not found. Starting early and echoed by the group one of our first introducers shared she was missing, “THIS!”. Each are looking forward to beginning friendships and left with word of a coffee being planned to gather soon to continue the getting to know one another.
We, as the EA Team hosts, are always energized and humbled by the dynamic and interesting women who say “Yes” to a relocation to Cleveland and in turn grace our communities and their professions with expertise and compassion while sharing new ideas and ways of doing things. How refreshing! As we were all basking in the glow of the evening we learned that there was a note left with a bottle of wine as a thank you. The perfect ending to a perfect night.
–Talent and HR Leaders, we know how much time and resources you put into securing your top choice candidate. We also know for those of you who engage us after a new hire has accepted, that finding your place in a new city can be daunting. EA steps in to help close the deal and the gap by jumpstarting familiarity and excitement for all that’s waiting for them in CLE/AKN. Connections are imperative either pre- or post-decision which is why on their orientation day we invite a community guest to the table for lunch. Often, these guests become first friends and a stepping stone into the wider community. We continue creating bridges for connections with our annual Settling In Services events like EA Connects. If the whole family is not settled and connected retention can be at stake. Give us a call and we will share more ways in which we for over 40 years are known to be the must-have talent attraction and retention partner in Greater Cleveland and Akron. 216.231.9311