Programs

Memphis Connect Toolkit|Making Memphis attractive to the best and brightest

For HR leaders, the Memphis Connect toolkit offers a variety of resources, in-person programs and activities highlighting local vibrancy and opportunities for employees, prospects and newcomers such as:

Concierge Connections

There’s nothing like a personal touch to help convince a reluctant prospect or demonstrate to newly recruited talent that Memphis is the best choice. Concierge Connections provide customized matches between your company’s newly recruited employees and Academy Alumni- the most dynamic ambassadors our city has to offer. Matches are made based on shared background and interests.

Executive Newcomer Receptions

Held twice a year at a private home, these relaxed gatherings bring together middle and senior level executives and their spouses with longtime Memphians who serve as informal city ambassadors. The positives of Memphis living is shared on a person-to-person basis in an intimate, non-institutional setting. These quaint gatherings have proven a simple solution to facilitate the connections among peers at diverse companies that make our community welcoming. 

Memphis 101

Inspiring pride and respect for our city, Memphis 101 is an interactive crash course in Memphis culture, people and politics, offering a fresh perspective into our city’s personality and how that personality was formed.  Corporations share Memphis 101 with hiring managers and other diverse audiences including new hires and their spouses. This dynamic tool is presented through an exclusive license with archer>malmo, the largest marketing and communications firm in Tennessee. 

Recruit-Relocate-Retain HR Forums

Each year we convene local HR executives, hiring managers and other leaders dedicated to recruiting and retaining top talent in Memphis. At these free, interactive sessions, we share updated tools and resources to better acquaint HR leaders with what’s great about Memphis, equipping you with relevant answers to concerns expressed by talent being recruited. Emphasis is given to the four main issues that deter out-of-town candidates from accepting a job in Memphis – crime, education, government and race relations. Additionally, best practices are shared among participants that allow these companies to make Memphis a player in the global talent game for top candidates across the board.

Memphis- The Summer Experience

Encouraging young talent to launch their careers in Memphis. Click here for more information.

Board Placements

When your new hires have a place at the community leadership table, serving on the board of one of Memphis’ many effective non-profits, they are exponentially more likely to set their roots here for the long term. The Academy placed over 250 people on non-profit boards last year based on careful matching of interests and expertise.

Celebrate What’s Right

This luncheon series highlights what gives our city life and makes us proud to live and work here. Each year we bring together Memphians from all walks of life for an infusion of optimism and information. Recent gatherings have featured presentations from Memphis innovators, young politicos, and bioscience leaders.  Newcomers and their spouses receive complimentary admission and are seated with informal Memphis ambassadors from our alumni pool.

Customized Welcome Packets

Once your new talent has made the decision to move to Memphis, we will provide a personalized letter welcoming them to our great city along with a list of useful resources and basic city contacts to ease their transition. We also include in the packets a few key points of interest like favorite locally-owned restaurants and a First timer’s guide to Memphis Music.  These packets may also include neighborhood and education options upon request.

Memphis Talk Points

HR professionals are at the front line of our city’s battle for talent.  It is essential that the front line be armed not only with the latest professional expertise in effective practice about talent recruitment and retention but also with tools and information about Memphis that help them to market Memphis assets and combat negative perception. To this end, we provide regularly updated talk points compiled from expert sources in our community to address questions around crime, education, greening and sustainability, and the assets that make our community appealing. Additionally, we offer city-comparison guides which compare the cost of living, geographical makeup and commute times of Memphis with those of similarly sized cities.

Volunteer Opportunities

Engage your newcomers and their families in through meaningful service opportunities that earn their loyalty to Memphis.  As a result of our Fellows’ Community Action Projects, we have strong partnerships with non-profit organizations in the city and are uniquely positioned to assist with identifying opportunities to give back.  

MemphisConnect.com

Developed and curated by The Leadership Academy, MemphisConnect.com highlights local diversity, quality of life and vibrancy- the attributes that most attach residents to a community, and those most highly sought by top talent. Through the site, those who already call Memphis home, prospective Memphians weighing the possibility of a move, and curious “passive candidates” discover hidden local assets, leading edge initiatives, and a community passionate about moving Memphis forward. 

To view the entire toolkit click here.

Contact Rashana Lincoln at rlincoln [at] leadershipacademy [dot] org for pricing information.