Greenheart World’s Fair: Bringing the World to Chicago
One way Host Organizations hire seasonal staff is through the Greenheart World’s Fair. Organizations travel to Greenheart Exchange’s headquarters in Chicago and conduct virtual interviews of pre-screened J-1 participants from around the world. It’s an efficient way to hire staff in a short time!
We recently had a Greenheart World’s Fair with three of our awesome Host Organizations. Here’s what they had to say about the Work Travel program hiring experience:
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Meghan Myrick, Sun Valley Resorts, Employee Services Manager
“We use the Work Travel program because Sun Valley Resorts is a fairly remote place in Idaho. Getting enough domestic workers there is very difficult, so this supplements our domestic workforce. But more than that, the Work Travel program brings a lot of cultural experiences to Idaho. Guests look forward to meeting new international participants. Last summer, we had 27 countries represented–our largest global representation…it was WONDERFUL! And because we are working in partnership with Greenheart as the sponsor, it is a seamless process. Greenheart has been doing this forever, so it is easy. We do all the interviews at the same time, and then move on to the next step of the hiring process. I would encourage any company to hire Work Travel students for seasonal staffing. They bring a level of energy that is different from domestic staff and that’s exciting to be part of!”
Meghan Myrick, Sun Valley Resorts
Ben Larson, Rushmore Tramway Adventures, General Manager
“We have done the Work Travel program for 10 years. We started with hiring 4-5 students, now we are up to about 30 each year. We’ve had a lot of success. It’s added a lot to our workplace and that cultural piece has become part of our culture. We’ve had students from 15 different countries–and our staff have made friends, and even gone to visit. During the pandemic, when we weren’t able to have J-1 students, we missed enough employees. Plus, they bring more. They like to work–they work hard and want to work a lot, and that fills the gap for us. We participate in the Greenheart World’s Fair because it is the most efficient way to get in front of the most students, who know about our jobs, know who we are, and are excited to see us. I come to Chicago, and in about six hours of interviews, I finish our international hiring. I’ll hire 30 people today! If you are on the fence about the Work Travel program, give it a shot. It’s changed our company for the better.”
Ben Larson, Rushmore Tramway Adventures
Mike Kneip, The Abbey Resort, Talent Development and Campus Manager
“This has been a great program for us, to help with our seasonality. Students come to work in housekeeping, the rooms department, and food and beverage. It really helps us for the busy times at the resort. Today’s Greenheart World’s Fair has been efficient! It’s been quick to get our applicants. They’ve been vetted. We can interview them all in one day and have our J-1s ready to go through the Visa process and have our summer staff by June. We pick them up from the airport, and shuttle them around the area to get them familiar. This is a great way to provide a cultural experience, learn about America, work to get experience, improve their English, and learn how to talk to people and live abroad. Getting out of your comfort zone and traveling to experience other cultures is a great thing!”
Mike Kneip, The Abbey Resort
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If your organization is interested in hiring seasonal staff for a Work Travel exchange program, visit HirewithGreenheart.org to learn more and apply. Remember, we have a variety of options to interview and hire seasonal staff: International Job Fairs, Virtual Job Fairs, and the Greenheart World’s Fair in Chicago. Hope to see your organization at one soon!