Launched by West Michigan Works in 2023, Elevate aims to create lasting change in how employers hire and promote talent. Now, a passionate champion of the initiative is bringing it directly to employers to help them design more effective skills-based hiring strategies.
As an Employer Engagement Lead at West Michigan Works, Marlene Brostrom describes her role as helping businesses, job seekers and communities all thrive together. But that deceptively simple mission involves shifting deeply rooted behaviors and beliefs, specifically the long-standing hiring and promotion practices that have limited economic mobility for many skilled workers.
Brostrom traces such practices to the baby boomer-era labor surplus, when employers could afford to be more selective about who they hired. Today, with declining birth rates, waning workforce participation and the lingering impact of COVID-19 on the labor market, companies are facing a very different reality. “Employers are realizing they can’t just wait for the perfect candidate to walk through the door anymore,” says Brostrom. “They have to build talent pipelines from within.”
A Blueprint for Measurable Change
Elevate is guided by a set of clear, measurable and ambitious goals, which include:
- Connecting 294 individuals to quality jobs
- Supporting 210 internal promotions
- Achieving an average wage increase of $8.50/hour
- Ensuring a 70% employment rate among participants
- Securing a 70% retention rate for those promoted
These goals reflect Elevate’s focus on shifting the conversation from job placement to talent development and the Elevate team has already dedicated a lot of time to developing and refining a concept that businesses can implement quickly and successfully.
Between 2018 and 2021, Brostrom and West Michigan Works partnered with Trinity Health on a pilot program called Rise Up, which focused on internal talent development and career mobility within healthcare. The results were promising and provided a proof of concept that skills-based models could lead to real, measurable progress.
By 2023, the team saw an opportunity to expand that success and launched Elevate with funding secured through a Thrive + Prosper event.
Today, Elevate is run through West Michigan Works’ Development and Innovation department, which allows for much-needed flexibility and innovation. That agility, says Brostrom, is what makes Elevate possible: “This department lets us pilot ideas that don’t always fit into the constraints of government programs.”
Targeted Communities, Shared Goals
With dedicated funding and cross-sector support, Elevate has begun engaging a group of forward-thinking employers in Grand Rapids, targeting strategic zip codes in Kent County with high potential for impact. The initiative is highly data-informed, pinpointing where job seekers are underserved and where local employers are most open to change.
But the initiative is more about building meaningful relationships than just posting open jobs, says Brostrom. “We’re not looking for companies that just need to fill jobs fast. We’re looking for employers who are genuinely invested in building career paths and promoting from within.”
To make that investment work, Elevate has a key set of criteria for employers who want to implement the concept in their own companies:
- A commitment to internal development
- A sufficient number of entry-level openings
- A willingness to rethink hiring processes
- Potential for upward mobility, even if not yet formalized
These standards can help companies accelerate skills-based hiring and provide an on-ramp for career development, which Brostrom says is essential in the current labor market. “Employers have to do it now because there are not enough people, and they can't afford to lose the people they have.”
Using Data to Create a Model for Success
Elevate starts with the simple conviction that talent exists everywhere, but opportunity doesn’t. Many hiring decisions, Brostrom says, are still shaped by outdated assumptions, including overreliance on resumes, rigid credential requirements or vague “cultural fit” criteria. These can unintentionally screen out capable candidates who simply don’t have the right networks, degrees or career polish.
“The truth is, a lot of people have to go through trial and error to find their path. But without access to resources and support, they often get stuck at the entry level.”
That’s why Elevate uses evidence-based career assessments to help both employers and individuals see potential through a more objective lens. By aligning people’s strengths with available career paths, Elevate helps businesses guide individuals toward roles where they are more likely to succeed and grow. Brostrom points out that these tools also help employers break free from outdated paradigms.
Businesses are already seeing the impact. One small employer reported that previously disengaged entry-level workers were now inquiring about career advancement opportunities. Others were enrolling in tuition reimbursement programs and seeking training to qualify for new roles.
“To see that mindset shift, even in companies with limited HR resources, is incredibly rewarding,” says Brostrom. “It shows that the model works.”
Looking Ahead and Inviting Others In
As Elevate continues to grow, Brostrom is quick to say that its success still depends on continued buy-in from both employers and community partners. Her advice for others looking to launch their own initiatives? Start by reaching out.
“Thrive + Prosper is a great place to begin,” she says. “They really want to help people get involved, whether through funding, partnership or just sharing ideas.”
But if there’s one thing she wants people to understand, it’s this:
“There is no reason not to try. If we want our communities to thrive, we have to build systems that give everyone a chance to rise.”
