City Center Allentown’s rendering of Five City Center, where the June 12 event will be held.

Attracting and retaining employees is one of the greatest challenges facing employers today, not just across Lehigh Valley, but across the entire nation.

That’s why it will be the subject of an upcoming June 12 event hosted by the Brokers & Developers Council of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC).

The event, entitled “Attracting and Retaining Employees in a Competitive Environment,” will be held in the top floor of Five City Center, the newest office building delivered by City Center Allentown.

Pre-registration is required. Registration is free for current LVEDC investors and $25 for non-investors. Visit here to register, or call (610) 266-6775 for assistance.

During the event, three speakers will discuss how some of Lehigh Valley’s largest employers are focusing their efforts on employee experience in an effort to attract top talent and reduce employee turnover.

The speakers include:

• Therese Beck, Director, Employee Experience, Olympus Corporation of the Americas
• Dana Nalbantian, Assoc. AIA, Principal, Studio Director, Gensler
• J.B. Reilly, President, City Center Investment Corporation

The panel will also highlight why employee experience is important in terms of company culture and a physical environment, how it’s built into a building, and how it extends into the street and surrounding environment.

The June 12 event will begin at 4 p.m. with registration and networking, and the program will begin at 4:30 p.m. It is expected to conclude at 5:15 p.m. for additional networking, refreshments, and hors d’oeuvres before the event adjourns at 6:30 p.m.

Attracting and retaining employees ties directly into LVEDC’s recently launched Made Possible in Lehigh Valley marketing campaign, as well as the work of the LVEDC Education and Talent Supply Council, which recently formed work groups to address this challenge and other workforce issues.

A talent supply study commissioned by the council found companies in the Lehigh Valley consider a skilled workforce to be essential. Ninety percent of respondents said they need skilled workers, 89% said they expected to hire within the next 12 months, and 71% said they have trouble finding the right people.

According to a recent article in Forbes, employees produce their best work when they feel comfortable and calm in their physical work settings. Employers can increase their chances of fostering this environment by thinking of their office space, physical features, and nearby amenities as an added benefit to employees.

Office trends may come and go, but one constant is the impact that the office environment and surroundings can have on overall employee health and well-being, according to the article.

The “Attracting and Retaining Employees in a Competitive Environment” event is made possible by the support of our gold sponsor, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), and our silver sponsors, Campbell Rappold & Yurasits LLP and D’Huy Engineering.

The LVEDC Brokers & Developers Council’s focus is to discuss market trends, identifying development needs and opportunities, and enhancing the strategic focus of LVEDC and the region to support growth and development.

The council’s events offer an opportunity to learn about a timely topic and discuss issues affecting real estate brokers, site selectors, developers, bankers, and other professions.

Constructed of steel and glass, the 300,000 square-foot Five City Center stands 200 feet tall and is City Center Allentown’s largest office to date, offering active street views on floors one, two and three and 360-degree views from floors 4 through 13. ADP will be leasing the top ten floors of the building.