Retention and recruitment workshop set for Holmes County employers Jan. 22

Holmes County employers and managers will have a chance to sharpen hiring and retention practices when the Holmes County Economic Development Council and the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau present “Retention, Recruitment, Repeat: The Cycle of Building a High-performance Workforce” on Jan. 22 at The Encore Hotel in Berlin.

The session, led by Denise Cowburn of Tooling U‑SME, begins at 11:00 a.m. and includes lunch; Cowburn brings more than 25 years of experience in learning and workforce development. The program agenda covers the current state of the workforce, strategies to attract and retain employees, retention facts and reports, and best practices to engage and keep staff. A question-and-answer period will follow the presentation. Registration is $25 per person and the deadline to sign up is Jan. 20. For registration or questions, contact the Chamber at 330-674-3975 or tiffany@holmescountychamber.com.

Local businesses face persistent pressure to hire qualified workers and limit turnover that disrupts operations and service quality. The session targets practical steps employers can take now to stabilize staffing and reduce the time and cost tied to repeated hiring. For Holmes County, where small manufacturers, hospitality businesses, and service firms depend on reliable front-line teams, workforce stability is directly tied to customer experience and the county’s reputation as a place to do business.

Organizers frame the event as a cycle: recruitment feeds retention, retention enables repeatable performance, and repeatable performance strengthens competitiveness. Presentations that synthesize retention reports and best practices can help employers convert broad labor-market challenges into concrete workplace policies and training plans. Attendees should expect guidance on hiring outreach, onboarding routines, employee engagement, and metrics to monitor turnover and retention over time.

Beyond immediate tactics, the program feeds into longer-term county goals for workforce development and economic resilience. For employers, better retention translates into lower rehiring costs and faster productivity gains; for workers, clearer development pathways and stronger workplace culture can improve job stability. Local economic development officials are using sessions like this to build a shared playbook among Holmes County firms so training investments and recruitment messages align across industries.

The Jan. 22 presentation is an opportunity for Holmes County employers to gather practical tools and to benchmark local practices against retention research. Businesses planning to attend should register by Jan. 20; contact the Chamber at 330-674-3975 or tiffany@holmescountychamber.com for reservations and lunch details.