Holmes County EDC and Chamber Host Berlin Session on Recruitment, Retention

Holmes County Economic Development Corporation and Holmes County Chamber hosted an educational session in Berlin on Jan 22, 2026 aimed at helping local employers shore up hiring and keep employees. The session focused on practical recruitment and retention best practices, workforce-development resources for small businesses, and strategies local employers can apply immediately to stabilize staffing and lower turnover.

Organizers presented a range of topics for downtown retailers, service firms, manufacturers, and other small employers across the county. Attendees reviewed candidate-attraction tactics, adjustments to onboarding and training that strengthen retention, and ways to package nonwage benefits that matter in smaller communities. The event also highlighted county-level workforce-development supports intended to help employers build pipelines from local training programs into open positions.

The timing of the session, two days before Jan 24, 2026, reflects a countywide push to make hiring more efficient and predictable for Holmes County businesses. For small employers that often operate with thin margins and limited HR capacity, incremental improvements in recruitment and retention translate directly into lower hiring costs and more reliable service levels. The session underscored that investment in workforce practices can protect local payrolls and sustain consumer-facing operations that anchor village economies such as Berlin.

Holmes County Economic Development Corporation and Holmes County Chamber framed the discussion around local realities: smaller talent pools, longer replacement lead times, and the need to compete on culture and training as much as on wage. The session provided attendees with actionable approaches to shorten hiring cycles, improve first-year retention, and leverage community resources for on-the-job training and upskilling. Organizers also publicized scheduling details and local-business resources in the original event notice to help employers follow up.

For residents, the practical takeaway is straightforward: more effective hiring and retention by local employers increases job stability and helps maintain the services and businesses Holmers rely on daily. For business owners, the immediate benefit is operational - fewer vacancies and reduced overtime pressures - and the longer-term benefit is stronger capacity to expand when market demand rises.

Next steps include employer uptake of the practices discussed and continued collaboration between Holmes County Economic Development Corporation and Holmes County Chamber to translate session materials into routine support for small businesses. As Berlin and other Holmes County communities look to sustain local commerce, these workforce-focused efforts aim to keep more paychecks in the county and preserve the small-town services residents count on.