Posted 5 years ago in Loop Locals
3 MIN READ - On March 19, more than 250 job seekers from across the city of Chicago passed through the Palmer House Hilton during the fourth Hospitality Hires Chicago (HHC) event. Candidates interviewed with 50 employers, many located in the downtown area, at this event presented by the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership and partners Chicago Loop Alliance, Choose Chicago, the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, the Illinois Restaurant Association, the Magnificent Mile Association, and the Near South Planning Board.
HHC is a hiring event connecting jobs in the hospitality and tourism industries to pre-screened job seekers across Chicagoland. Employers make on-the-spot conditional offers or invite candidates for second interviews on the day of the event.
During this iteration of HHC, more than 670 interviews were conducted, with an average of three interviews per candidate. Seventy percent of candidates who interviewed received a second interview or conditional job offer. About 95 percent of candidates both had a positive experience and would recommend HHC.
“The event is well packaged and gives room for every participant to make a decision that will possibly open up a new frontier in pursuits of their career,” one candidate noted in the post-event survey. “I want to thank all members who are behind this lucrative event, thank you all.”
On the employer side, 100 percent of participating businesses said they would recommend HHC, and one survey respondent noted the electricity in the air during the event.
“The energy and participation should be carried into future events,” the respondent said.
This is the third HHC Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA) has partnered on, and CLA President and CEO Michael Edwards said the opportunity to collaborate with such phenomenal partners while inviting Chicagoans from every zip code into the Loop is a great honor.
“We want the Loop to be welcoming to every Chicagoan, so to be a part of an event like this that reaches such a wide audience, that’s pretty incredible,” Edwards said. “If you look at the demographics, we’re hitting every age group, people with a variety of education and work backgrounds, people from all over the city who should have the opportunity to come downtown and work. We’re thrilled with the success of this event and looking forward to partnering again in the fall.”
