Tory Johnson, chief executive officer of Women For Hire, is keeping busy these days. Between touring the country on behalf of her one-day regional career expos, launching new programs for recruiters, and serving as the official workplace contributor for Good Morning America, Johnson is focusing on helping companies reach the best talent nationwide.
Two weeks ago, Johnson also kicked off the “Take Control of Your Life” tour featured in various live segments on Good Morning America. She reported from Dallas, Phoenix, and Washington, DC, on topics such as flexible work options, negotiation, and paid family leave.
She also just started anchoring a new program on ABC NEWS NOW (the digital channel) called Home Work, about the intersection of life and work.
“The subject matter is certainly fascinating and comprehensive; there is no shortage of stuff to tackle,” says Johnson.
She has also been busy tailoring her Women for Hire website to meet recruiter demands and desires.
“We really listened to some candid feedback from employers and we developed two highly cost-effective programs in response to that feedback. I’d call these low-cost, high-impact packages to enhance the diversity hiring goals,” she says.
For example, her company’s online job board now provides unlimited monthly postings (the current pricing is $500 per month with a three-month minimum).
“We’ll grab all of the jobs from your site and post them on our job board. We do all the work on this end to get the jobs listed. Our system checks your site and updates your postings every single day. This ensures the most up-to-the-minute information is available to professionals searching our board,” she says.
She is also offering an “all-inclusive program” for companies hoping to demonstrate why they are an ideal employer for the more than one million unique visitors each year who visit her website. The platform includes online editorial content, online audio, e-newsletters, and advertisements in the Women For Hire magazine.
Regional Career Expos
But these days, Johnson has been even busier as she tours the country on behalf of her regional one-day Women For Hire career expos. She says her goal in these regional career expos is to enable talented women in all fields to meet directly with recruiters and hiring managers from top employers.
Johnson says her first event of the 2007 season last month in Washington, DC, was a “huge” success.
“More than 1,000 diverse women attended to meet with about 50 exceptional employers — ranging from Accenture and Lockheed Martin to DHL and Best Buy,” says Johnson.
Launched in 1999, she says the fairs have resulted in more than 10,000 success stories.
“Employers that recruit at our events include a mix of Fortune 500s, medium-sized businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies,” she says.
Prior to each expo, Johnson leads an early morning seminar.
“These sessions are always well-received by the attendees. It’s a great way to reinvigorate a job search and bring some energy and passion to your efforts,” she says.
There are several upcoming Women for Hire events planned through next month, including Chicago (October 16); New York (October 18); Dallas (October 23); Houston (October 25); St. Louis (October 30); Boston (November 7); and Los Angeles (November 13).