First Friend- Newcomer Connection Program
You sell your company. We sell the community.
Talent Attraction and Retention
The La Crosse area is a thriving community with a vibrant and unique story, featuring an energetic downtown, scenic surroundings, and rich history. Another vital asset includes our area businesses.
When our local companies invest in attracting and retaining great employees, our quality of life in Greater La Crosse will flourish as these individuals and their families make connections and grow roots in our community.
Our Program
Through our Newcomer Connection Program, our concierge acts as a first friend to your job candidates and new hires. She brings a personal touch as they make the choice to call La Crosse home and begin the process of relocating. She asks what’s important to them in a community, then researches, communicates, and makes connections for them in areas such as:
- Schools
- Healthcare
- Child Care
- Housing
- Employment for Accompanying Partners
- Community Involvement
- Hobbies/Interests
She understands the loss a family deals with when relocating to a new community. As a result, she drives to deliver service in a family-friendly manner while sharing personal stories of her own.
Your Benefit
Because our concierge is knowledgeable, experienced, and dedicated to serving candidates who are relocating, our approach saves you both time and money. Whether you have a general employee, manager, or executive, our program helps decrease turnover and increase employee satisfaction.
Our services can be the difference between you hiring your first-choice candidate, or your third. Few, if any, of your competitors offer this level of dedicated attention to your company’s greatest asset – your people.
First Friend does what you cannot.
Individual Attention to Your Job Candidates
The people your recruit brings with are often the deciding factor in whether your candidate accepts the job. We can ask personal questions about the most important areas of your candidate’s life that companies legally cannot (marital status, children, religion, etc.).
This helps our concierge understand the needs of all moving to the area. We then provide your candidate and his/her family a customized tour and access/links to area resources as reassurance that Greater La Crosse has assets that can meet their needs and interests.
Personal Acclimation for Your New Hires
If your new hire and his/her family feel connected to the community, it will increase the likelihood that they will stay in Greater La Crosse. Our concierge will learn more about what’s important to your new hire and his/her family and connect them to our community’s assets in the early stages of their relocation.
From arranging a tour of a dance studio, pointing out the area’s best fly-fishing streams, or connecting with a coach of a youth hockey team, we can act as the link between newcomers and their hobbies and interests.
Accompanying Partner Focus
An accompanying spouse/partner securing employment is another vital factor in a family choosing to stay in the area. We can blast his/her resume to all our Chamber members and beyond. This is a win-win for all, as we know area employers are looking for quality candidates.
Menu of Services
Each of the below is offered as a stand-alone product. Combine multiple products to create a one-time or full year of services.
Look and See Tour (Individual = 2.5 Hours)
- Initial needs/interest assessment
- Customized community tour
- Post-tour follow-ups/assessment
Look and See Tour (Family = 3.5 Hours)
- Includes Look & See Tour – needs/interest assessment, conversation, tour, follow-ups
- Plus an additional 1-2 school tours
Accompanying Partner Careers Services
- Connecting with the accompanying partner to assess their most desired position
- Receiving and reviewing their resume
- Circulating the resume to our 625 Chamber members (and beyond if necessary)
- Personally emailing our relevant contacts to draw their attention to the resume
Welcome Basket from Your Company
- This tasteful basket of local products says “Welcome” to your recruit as an extension of your company and on-boarding
- The basket is delivered to their home by our First Friend Concierge.
Settle-In Service
- Meets initial move-in needs
- For one month, weekly contact to identify needs and connect them with service providers (ex. utilities, furniture stores, dealerships, etc.)
Engagement Service (Initial)
- Three months after moving in, the First Friend Concierge will meet with to identify interests in the community and provide a connection plan .
Engagement Service & Check-Ins (Full-Year)
- Three months after moving in, the First Friend Concierge will meet with the client to identify interests in the community and provide a connection plan
- Includes check-ins throughout the year, ensuring they are connecting with the community throughout their first year, leading to a strong retention likelihood
Engage!
Submit a Candidate / New Hire/ Accompanying Partner!
Use this form. We’ll take it from there.