Fit First Technologies

It's PRESENTATION DAY!

This year we will be presenting three live case studies – actual projects that are under way and showing compelling early results TODAY at 2:30pm.

• Vegas PBS and their work strengthening the labor pool in
Southern Nevada (and changing trajectories and lives in
the process).

• Dallas College and their work in the community,
engaging underserved youth.

• Independent Electrical Contractors and their work with the
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

Each project is unique, with common elements (they require creative collaboration and a re-think of everything we thought was true about how we communicate career pathways and connect people with opportunity), and in each case the results are astonishing. Each project is changing the workforce landscape resulting in accelerated learning outcomes and placement, employer recognition and increased partner collaboration.

Are you looking to bridge the gap between hidden workers and unfilled job openings? We have a solution for you.

Come listen to our presentation at 2:30pm on May 21st and/or visit us at our BOOTH #216. If you have a busy schedule you could even contact us to set up an appointment if that works best for you.

Start a chat with our panel on our LinkedIn Group at www.linkedin.com/groups/14440624/

1-800-513-7277 | www.fitfirsttech.com

Today is the day to start thinking about the future of the youth!

We are so excited to start the conference and get a conversation going with many people about "The Community in the Interest of the Client." Collaboration that appeals to and makes a difference: Fit First Technologies, Vegas PBS, Dallas College and Independent Electrical Contrator(IEC) Florida.

Join our LinkedIn Group at www.linkedin.com/groups/14440624/ to chat with our panel of speakers. They will be there to answer any questions you may have, book appointments to meet in person if that is what you prefer or even a video call.

We can't wait to chat!

Is your organization finding it harder to find the right talent to fill your open positions?

Interested in learning from others who are not? How by thinking differently, they've shifted from talent scarcity to talent abundance?

Come listen to our presentation at 2:30pm on May 21st and/or visit us at our BOOTH #216. If you have a busy schedule you could even contact us to set up an appointment if that works best for you.

Whether you can join us at the conference or not, JOIN THE CONVERSATION HERE: www.linkedin.com/groups/14440624/
1-800-513-7277 | www.fitfirsttech.com

Introducing Speaker #4 for our NAWDP Presentation

Natasha Sherwood - Executive Director for Independent Electrical Contractors Florida!

A fifth generation Floridian, Natasha leads the Independent Electrical Contractors Florida West Coast Chapter and their 400+ person statewide Electrical Registered Apprentice Program and serves as President of the Florida Apprenticeship Association. This former teacher and school principal turned her focus to promoting Registered Apprentice Programs to provide access to lucrative careers for employees and access to an educated and skilled workforce for employers.

A recovering college-for-all-enthusiast, she now sees the need and benefit for providing a balanced perspective when it comes to presenting post-secondary opportunities. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Association of Career and Technical Education and Governor DeSantis appointed her to the State Apprenticeship Advisory Council.

A graduate of the University of Florida with a BS in Public Relations and Sport Administration and a Masters in Mass Communication and Political Campaigning, she spent 7 of the best football seasons of her life in Gainesville and bleeds Orange and Blue but admits she may have learned the most important lessons outside of the classroom producing Gator Growl and working for the football team. Natasha has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro while working for Busch Gardens as the Manager of Education, produced half time shows while working for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and created magical memories while working for Walt Disney but finds being a mom to her 4 kids ages 4 to 20 - the most challenging and rewarding things she’s done.

Visit Natasha at Booth #216
Book a conversation by emailing her at [email protected]
Start a chat with our LinkedIn Group at www.linkedin.com/groups/14440624/

Introducing Speaker #3 for our NAWDP Presentation

Dr. Kandi Hoye - Director: TRUE Pathways for Dallas College!

Dr. Hoye’s passion for education stems from the fact that education transformed her own. She is deeply committed to student success in academics, and even more interested in students being successful in their lives and becoming contributing members of their communities. She exemplifies her dedication to education through her role as Director, TRUE Pathways at Dallas College. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from Southern Arkansas University, Masters of Education from University of New Orleans and a Doctorate of Education from Capella University.

• First Generation
• Full Pell Grant Eligible
• Education: BAS, MEd, EdD
• Community College & University Experience
• Serve as Director of TRUE Pathways at Dallas College
• Create stackable, short-term credentials
• Tuition Assistance through grants

Visit Kandi at Booth #216
Book a conversation by emailing her at [email protected]
Start a chat with our LinkedIn Group at www.linkedin.com/groups/14440624/

Introducing Speaker #2 for our NAWDP Presentation

Debra Solt - Director of Workforce Training & Economic Development for Vegas PBS!

Debra Solt currently serves as the Director of Workforce Development Training & Economic Development for Vegas PBS. Ms. Solt is known nationally and internationally as a specialist in partnering with business and industry for the development and implementation of customized workforce programs that produce measurable results for clients and the community-at-large. Programs have ranged from adult literacy to administrative management and ethics, have been designed and delivered in traditional and non-traditional learning platforms, and have crossed all industry sectors and management levels. She has been recognized and commended for her vision, dedication, passion, and commitment to building better communities through workforce education, training, and community service.

Prior to joining Vegas PBS, Ms. Solt spent over 14 years in higher education in Nevada and Washington State. Ms. Solt attributes her success in Workforce Development to her ability to: build and maintain critical resource networks through collaboration and partnership with government and business leaders at local, state and national levels; identify critical needs and skill gaps; and identify and implement solutions. Solt coins her marketing strategy as one of “Marketing through Infiltration”. As Director at Vegas PBS, the workforce programs add capacity to our existing workforce system by offering candidates the choice to do online programs. She received the 2004 O’Callaghan Public Sector Award Recipient at the Annual Henderson Economic Development Awards Ceremony, and sits on multiple state, local and national task forces. Solt regularly speaks locally and nationally on workforce and education topics and issues.

Visit Debra at Booth #216
Book a conversation by emailing her at [email protected]
Start a chat with our LinkedIn Group at www.linkedin.com/groups/14440624/

Introducing Speaker #1 for our NAWDP Presentation

Jan van der Hoop - Co-Founder & President of Fit First Technologies!

Jan is the President and co-founder of Fit First Technologies. He regularly consults with senior executives across North America to get their organizations running more smoothly by better aligning their talent with their operations. In many respects, Jan has always been a bit of an oddball. He started his career in Operations and ‘accidentally’ spent 15 years leading HR functions at Hilton international Hotels, Pepsico and Office Depot. In 1999, he came to terms with the fact that he really was a bit of a misfit in the Corporate world and decided he could be more effective working from the outside.

As a consultant, Jan built a roster of clients across North America, with most of his work in Leadership Development, with particular focus on the intersection between people and organizational systems. A set of recurring themes and pain-points across his client base (and a chance encounter in 2005) led him to co-found Fit First Technologies, a company that has revolutionized how Talent gets matched with Opportunity. He has been instrumental in helping clients across North America reduce turnover, increase efficiencies, and generate a return on investment of more than 300% in one year – all through better people practices. His views have been featured in media across the country including the National Post, the Globe and Mail, CTV News and various small business publications.

So from accidental HR guy to reluctant-but-determined entrepreneur, to the really unlikely owner of a thriving tech company… Jan has figured out how to make being a misfit both fun and rewarding.

Visit Jan at Booth #216
Call to book an appointment at 1-800-513-7277
or email to [email protected]
Start a chat with our panel on our LinkedIn Group at www.linkedin.com/groups/14440624/

Introducing our Moderator for our NAWDP Presentation

Nina Hays - Vice President of Workforce Strategies & Innovation for Fit First Technologies!

Nina brings extensive experience in performance driven business ex*****on in corporate, government, higher education, and not-for-profit sectors. Nina assists workforce development boards, colleges, community-based organizations, and employers to define and implement collaborative program models that encompass pre-employment through retirement. She has consulted, managed sales teams, developed and managed channel partners, and sold employee centric solutions for global companies including Oracle, Infor, Sage, UKG and others. She has managed her own businesses and voluntarily serves on committees focused on social change. Nina volunteers as Executive Director for the D/FW chapter of Room Redux, an international organization that works with children who have experienced abuse.

Visit Nina at Booth #216
Call to book an appointment at 1-800-513-7277
or email to [email protected]
Start a chat with our panel on our LinkedIn Group at www.linkedin.com/groups/14440624/

In just one week from today we will be at NAWDP 40th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas at the Marriott Rivercenter on the Riverwalk. You can find us in Booth #216 and at our presentation on May 21st at 2:30 - 3:30pm.

We are excited and honored to present a very special panel of speakers (each of them represents a client organization) who will be telling you firsthand how they've been using our technology to make a powerful difference for the people and the employers in their respective communities.

"The Power of Collaboration: Across the Community in the Interests of the Client"

MEET OUR PANEL

Moderator
Nina Hays - Fit First Technologies
VP of Workforce Strategies and Innovation

Speaker #1
Jan van der Hoop - Fit First Technologies
Co-Founder & President

Speaker #2
Debra Solt - Vegas PBS
Director of Workforce Development Training & Economic Development

Speaker #3
Dr. Kandi Hoye - TRUE Pathways, Dallas College
Director

Speaker #4
Natasha Sherwood - Independent Electrical Contractors,
Florida West Coast Chapter
Executive Director

We would all love to see you at our NAWDP presentation. Don't forget to stop by our BOOTH #216 as well. See you there!

Whether you can join us in person or not...
JOIN THE CONVERSATION HERE!
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14440624/

Day 3 of the Conference!

Today is the day...

Grab a coffee and head to Napa Room B at 9 AM, where Jan van der Hoop, president of Fit First Technologies, will speak on: "The Power of Collaboration: Rethinking how we Present Pathways to Youth."

We hope to see you there.

If you’re unable to catch Jan's stage debut, take the time to swing by booth 203 and let us show you how we’ve helped organizations like yours supercharge results and, in the process, make the world a better place.

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Day 2 of the Conference!

If you are looking for us at NAWDP’s Youth Symposium Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, we are in booth 203! Pop over and join a conversation with Jan. If you're around on Wednesday, we would love you to grab a coffee and head to Napa Room B at 9 AM tomorrow.

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Today is the first day of the Conference!

Join us in booth 203 at the NAWDP’s Youth Symposium Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada!

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The countdown to NAWDP’s Youth Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada, is on! 🕰️

Grab a coffee and head to Napa Room B at 9 AM today. Jan will present live examples of case studies drawn from different industries and stakeholders in the employment ecosystem, including employers, industry associations and educational institutions.

These examples will illustrate rethinking the fundamentals of employment advertising, such as how and where we connect with young people, how we package the message, and how we position the opportunity. Taking an intensely person-centric approach throughout builds trust and engagement and has built thriving talent pipelines where there was previously scarcity.

Find out how they…
🟨 Smashed their hiring objectives by 200%
🟨 Reduced their turnover by 92%
🟨 Increased their diversity hiring to 24%

If you’re unable to catch Jan's stage debut, take the time to swing by booth 203 and let him show you how we’ve helped organizations like yours supercharge results and, in the process, make the world a better place.

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The excitement around the world’s leading HR technology show heats up when the summer heat fades into October.

Vegas in the Fall is amazing, and the HR Technology Conference and Exposition will be the hottest ticket in town (although Criss Angel Mindfreak at Planet Hollywood will have actual pyrotechnics). 🔥

If you haven’t yet booked, click below to save $300 off a premium pass. 👇🏾

https://www.xpressreg.net/register/hrtc1023/start.asp?sc=10193

Changing the hiring mindset, one myth at a time.

MYTH: To really know a candidate, you need behavioral interview questions.
TRUTH: Only if you are interviewing in 1990.

To really know a candidate, you need to rely on a good set of behavioral interview questions. Past behavior is, after all, the best predictor of future performance. Right?

Not really. The concept of asking behavioral questions was a tremendous innovation that almost immediately improved the value of interviews. But that was DECADES ago. Candidates are now acutely aware of and prepared for this approach. Add to the fact that candidates have a natural tendency to answer from the perspective of what the interviewer wants to hear.

The best way to truly understand how a potential employee will behave in the real corporate setting is to ask an entirely different kind of question – what we refer to as a tertiary-level question. The objective is to ask questions that go beneath behavior and have the candidate tell you stories about what worked for them and didn’t as it relates to other people, jobs and situations. This approach allows you to gain insight into their core – the attitudes, beliefs and values that drive them.

These things will predict the behaviors exhibited when nobody is looking, and that will give you a clear and reliable indication of how the candidate will fit in your business, in the job, and with co-workers and clients. The most valuable competitive advantage for any business is to staff with star employees who perform better and stay longer.

Find out how science-based, objective behavioral technology can revolutionize your hiring practices.

Vegas is bustling with excitement this month. Rupaul, Jerry Seinfeld and Wayne Brady may be in town, but so is SHRM23!

The countdown is on to the world's largest gathering of HR professionals!

We hope to see you there!

If you're building your dream team, fit with co-workers is essential.

Here's a scenario, you just met an incredible candidate. They've worked for prominent companies, exceeded expectations on many projects, and have sought-after credentials. You hire this candidate, this superstar, and put them to work with your team. A few weeks later, your team morale is low, and productivity is dropping.

The truth is, this new hire is abrasive and is not used to working with a team that functions like yours. While you try your best to coach and mediate with other team members, your 'superstar' ends up out the door before the 3-month mark.

Team fit is essential. It's so important that according to Hubspot, 58% of men say they would turn down a higher-paying job if it meant not getting along with co-workers; this statistic is even more drastic among women at 74%!

This is precisely why Fit First assesses team fit as one of the four pillars of Fit when evaluating candidates.

✔️Fit with the job
✔️Fit with the team
✔️Fit with the manager
✔️Fit with the company

Our Job Fit tools target top predictors of success, leading you straight to the candidates who are most likely to mesh with your team, be engaged, and stick around.

⭐ Client Spotlight: Chris Reeve Knives⭐

Chris Reeve Knives was born in January 1984 in a one-car garage in Durban, South Africa. With years of hard work and determination, the company has steadily grown into a well-equipped manufacturing company and a highly respected brand in the industry.

Now headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Chris Reeve Knives is the leading manufacturer of folding and fixed-blade knives designed for everyday work. After over 30 years in the business, the once 'out-of-the-garage' company is known worldwide for quality, excellence and innovation. In fact, in 2015, co-owner Chris Reeve was inducted into Blade Magazine's Cutlery Hall of Fame - an honor bestowed on only the masters. http://ow.ly/9rFC50NGY8u

Since 2022, Chris Reeve Knives has been using the Fit First Technologies platform TalentSorter to streamline hiring and find better-quality candidates faster. Without a dedicated HR team in-house, TalentSorter eases the burden. The all-inclusive solution helps with posting positions, organization of applications and candidate communication.

TalentSorter uses advanced human analytics and patented behavioral science to assess applicants' core personality traits, attitudes and standards, to better understand how well each individual will fit with the job.

Chris Reeve Knives is a sharp business, so it's no surprise they chose Fit First's cutting-edge technology to help fill their talent pipeline.

Changing the hiring mindset, one myth at a time.

Myth: Investing in employee satisfaction makes good business sense.
Truth: A happy workforce is not necessarily a productive one.

Many organizations believe satisfied employees are profitable employees, so they invest heavily in things they think will show appreciation – elaborate cafeterias, on-site concierge services, and other generous perks. That’s pretty sweet.

There is no documented relationship between employee satisfaction and business performance. A happy workforce is not necessarily a more productive one.

By far the most reliable predictor of performance and productivity, is something called ‘engagement’. Engagement is all about how focused and committed your people are to hitting and exceeding your shared objectives. How much sweat, effort, and creativity they are willing to put in of their own free will.

The best part is that engagement doesn’t cost you much. But you must set the stage for it by paying attention to the leading indicators of fit. The most valuable competitive advantage for any business is to staff with star employees who perform better and stay longer.

Get better outcomes by using human predictive analytics and behavioral assessments as part of your hiring process. Top performers share distinctive attributes: they learn fast, take responsibility and build solid relationships. They think differently, act differently, and fit differently in your business. These things can't be flagged by reading a resume or acing the interview, but they can be identified using human predictive analytics and behavioral assessments.

That's the Fit First philosophy.

The food processing and distribution industry is often overlooked as a career choice but employs more than 2.1 million people in Canada and more than 21 million in the US.

Misperceptions around the sector have impacted the workforce - leading to chronic shortages. The reality is that agri-food offers many well-paid, interesting career options from entry-level to executive.

Find out how Fit First Technologies and Jobs That Feed nourish communities and connect people to food processing and supply chain industry jobs.

https://fitfirsttech.com/changing-the-face-of-an-industry/

It’s difficult to be unaware of the revolution that has been taking place in today’s workforce. This upheaval has been driven by employees taking control of the narrative and guiding their employers rather than being guided.

Employees have switched the conversation from work-life balance to life-work balance. Life-work balance is about re-imagining and re-engineering how work fits around employees lives rather than their lives fitting around their work. Read more about the impact of life work balance here: https://fitfirsttech.com/how-life-work-balance-impacts-todays-workforce/

Skills-based hiring is a hot topic of conversation right now, but the reality is we’ve been talking about it for decades. Experience and education don’t always translate to job performance, but skills-based hiring can help mitigate that by looking more deeply at a candidate's potential.

The most obvious choice isn't necessarily the right choice or a good one. Stop being blinded by a candidate's shiny pedigree. Instead, let's break down barriers and consider their potential.

Read more about the impact of assessing potential vs. pedigree on our blog: https://fitfirsttech.com/potential-vs-pedigree/

The only thing as inviting as the cherry blossoms were in Washington is the prospect of New Orleans sultriness in May. Imagine a stroll through the French Quarter in the early evening with a tall, cool Sazerac while the heat of the summer is still weeks away. Even more enjoyable if the night ends with the famous oysters at Antoine's.

This year, NOLA is the destination for NAWDP - National Association of Workforce Development Professionals's 39th annual conference - a beautiful setting for thousands of Workforce Development professionals from across the nation to gather, develop new partnerships, share best practices and learn about helping people unmask their potential.

If you have a chance, catch our workshop on Tuesday afternoon - The Power of Collaboration: New approaches to age-old problems. We'll present case studies from different industries and stakeholders in the employment ecosystem and illustrate how we've helped them use innovative approaches to build thriving talent pipelines where previously there was scarcity.

⭐ Client Spotlight: Teton Machining Solutions⭐

Teton Machine Company began in 1952 as a small tool and die shop in Jackson, Wyoming and was named for the surrounding Teton mountain range.

What was once a startup in the basement of the owner's home is now Idaho's premiere machining and sub-assembly service provider for complex machined parts and occupies a 30,000-square-foot facility in Payette, Idaho.

Since 2022, Teton has been using the Fit First Technologies platform TalentSorter to streamline the hiring process and find better-quality candidates faster. With TalentSorter, Teton has had as many applications in one year as the previous ten years combined.

TalentSorter uses advanced human analytics and patented behavioral science to assess applicants' core personality traits, attitudes and standards, to better understand how well each individual will fit with the job.

As an employer committed to their people and a platform designed to match people with the right employer, it's almost like Teton and TalentSorter are two pieces perfectly designed to work together.

There is a better way.

Matching an individual to a job that they are naturally well-suited to, ensures they will feel happier and more fulfilled in their role. Workers get to perform tasks that align with their skills and personality, allowing them to feel more confident in their work. This confidence results in higher performance, greater job satisfaction, and reduced turnover.

When the fit’s right, everyone wins.

Changing the hiring mindset, one myth at a time.

Myth: The best way to gain an advantage over the competition is to hire away their top performer. Their loss = my gain.
Truth: Bad idea.

True, high performers share a set of characteristics and core attitudes, but much of their performance is tied up in other factors that are external to them. The factors can be summarized into four primary categories – fit with the manager, the critical aspects of the role, the people around them, and the organization’s culture and systems. Most often, poaching talent results in three losers – you, your competitor, and the fallen star.

The fact that they are a top performer in another organization, even in a similar role and industry, does not guarantee they will achieve the same results in your company. A far more effective strategy is to identify people who can do well in the reality you present. A winning combination - a candidate who is at their best in the management climate you offer, who can draw from their natural strengths and talents in the role, who engages easily and productively with the rest of the team and your customers, and who is proud to contribute to the organization.

And it might not be the person you think it is.

The most valuable competitive advantage for any business is to staff with star employees who perform better and stay longer. Top performers learn fast, take responsibility and build solid relationships. They think differently, act differently, and fit differently in your business. These things can't be flagged by reading a resume or acing the interview, but they can be identified using human predictive analytics and behavioral assessments.

That's the Fit First philosophy.

There is a well of talent that exists right in your backyard. Your community has skills that could shape industries and companies if identified, recognized, and put to use. The workforce holds hidden potential that needs to be unlocked and guided into roles best suited to them.

We can help you drive change with game-changing technology to match job seekers with employers in your community.

If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.

Fit First Technologies and CASE are working together to be part of the change. The Jobtimize® Project helps service agencies connect their clients to employment opportunities in one single integrated marketplace.

The platform is blind to the differences that have historically presented barriers and presents possible matches based on the person behind the difference. It’s genuinely diversity-neutral, offering the most compatible candidates on an equal footing.