A donation page has been set up to share their story and goals.  All pledged funds will go toward tooling and production of the Elephant Hooks and shipping of the product to be sent out as gifts for in-kind donators.  Check out what these incredible 8th graders are accomplishing with the Dig-8 program and post your pledge by checking out this article.

Check out this exclusive article.

Check out the Techli article here

Check out Personify’s website here for more info

• Bucketfeet: Make your Dad’s feet fashionable, while doing good!  BucketFeet are high-quality, comfortable shoes that are hand designed by artists from around the world. $1 of every shoe sold goes back to the artist, and a percentage of all sales go to support underprivileged kids through creative programs in art, music and sports.
• Fishingenthusiast.com:  Let your Dad put up his “Gone Fishing” sign in style.  Fishingenthusiast.com delivers high-quality and unique fishing lures to your Dad’s front door every month.  Lure him in with a Fishingenthusiast.com monthly subscription!
• StyleSeek: Honor your Dad’s special style at StyleSeek.  Have that special guy in your life play a quick, 30-second style game, and StyleSeek will curate thousands of gift suggestions perfectly matching his own style. Let StyleSeek help you effortlessly find the perfect gift that matches your man’s style!
• JustBecause: Tight on cash this Father’s Day, but still want to give a great gift? JustBecause mobile app allows you to send your Dad deals from a growing number of the biggest startups around, some valued at up to $100, for only $1 a piece. Get gifts for less than your morning coffee!
• Dabble: Let the Dad in your life take a break from the daily grind and try something new or pursue his passion.  Dabble makes it easy through one-time affordable classes. Give this gift that allows him to explore the city and expand his horizons. Who knew learning could be so fun and easy?

 6 Steps For Landing Your Next Great Hire 

By Andrea Goodkin
Managing Partner, Human Capital Consulting, Laurus Strategies/EmPowerHR

Part II – Search and Discern:  stepping up your recruiting and interviewing game.

4)     Recruit the best –   You’ve done your homework and figured out what the desired skills and personality for your open position are.  So what’s the best way to reach your target audience? To start, a little creativity and persistence go a long way.  Write a job advertisement that stands out in the crowd.  The job board scene can be a little tired and out of date, but still a good place to market your opportunity. A more cost effective alternative is using social media to let people know you are hiring. An effective social media strategy involves forethought and active building of your follower base. Focus on whatever social media outlet is best for your organization and follow companies that employ the type of talent you seek.  Still one of the best methods is old fashioned networking. Think of someone in your network that might be able lead you to your target.  Get on the phone with him or her and ask them to help you locate someone they would recommend.  Finally, there’s your own organization. You might be surprised at how willing your employees will be to further the cause. We’ll take a deeper look at this approach in step 6.

 5)     Interview like a champ – In addition to discussing relevant skills and experiences, a good interview gets at the behavior, competencies and desires of the candidate.  Creating interview questions with your company’s core values in mind will help uncover if the candidate is a good culture fit. You’ll also want to avoid certain types of questions that are risky, and unlawful.  Avoid questions around age, health and disability, race, national origin, religion, marital status, military membership, genetic information and sexual orientation.  Be consistent with the questions you ask from candidate to candidate and ask behavior-based questions that are open-ended and promote explanation.  A helpful acronym to use when listening to answers is EAR:  the EVENT, the ACTION and the RESULTS. Continue questions until you get all three parts, for example – ”what happened then? ”what was the outcome?” and  “how did that work for you?”  If you plan for an interview with these things in mind, better candidates will make it through to the next phase of your hiring process.

6)     Turn your employees into a referral machine – You can have the tightest interview process in the world, but it won’t yield much without the right candidates.  Chances are your current staff will know and associate with people that are similar to them or share similar values. Each of your employees personal networks are resources for procuring talent.  To tap into these sources, establish a clear rewards system that engages your employees and gives them an active role in building your company. In addition to helping you find better talent, this let’s your employees know you value them. The right rewards program will inspire company pride and turn your employees into ambassadors for your company. Plus, they’re more likely to refer people they trust and respect because great that referral will be a reflection of them!

Thanks again EmPowerHR for this important information!  If you missed Part I - The Process: know who you are and get organized, read it here.  For more info from Catapult corporate sponsor EmPowerHR, check out their website here

 6 Steps For Landing Your Next Great Hire 

By Andrea Goodkin
Managing Partner, Human Capital Consulting, Laurus Strategies/EmPowerHR

It’s widely accepted that people are the most important element of any successful business. Therefore making the right hiring decision the first time is critically important, especially when you’re a small team working to build a company.  While there aren’t many guarantees in life, a thorough, complete and thoughtful hiring process will result in more positive hires and help avoid the potential costs and inefficiencies associated with unfavorable hires. When preparing to make your next hire, consider these steps before posting that job.

Part I – The Process: know who you are and get organized.

1)     Know what’s great about your company and share it – On some level you know what’s great, or unique about your people and culture, but have you taken the time to write it down and put it into a useable format? Having a clear statement of your company’s vision and core values, manifesto or pillars, gives you a blueprint for job descriptions, interview questions and talent decisions.  Hire on competency and behavior instead of just skill set and experience.

2)     Create succinct, detailed job descriptions that reflect your organization’s values and culture –  This might seem like a basic step, but job descriptions are much more than just a way of communicating job requirements to potential candidates.  Knowing why a job description is important will help you write better job descriptions.  A well-written description will:

-        Help unqualified candidates  screen themselves out

-        Serve as a guideline for interviewing and selecting

-        Provide expectations for candidates

-        Serve as a benchmark for reviewing and measuring

When writing a job description, keep the following guidelines in mind:

-        Include a list of desired education, experience, qualities and competencies

-        Limit job description to two pages or less

-        Use gender-neutral language

-        Describe knowledge, skills, and abilities required of applicant

-        List exact duties of job

-        Include physical requirements

3)     Organize and document the entire hiring process – The hiring process can be broken down into stages: pre-recruitment, recruitment, interviews, and selection. Having a well-planned approach at each of these stages will allow you to develop an efficient and consistent hiring process.  And who doesn’t love that? Often the interview process will be the first interaction the candidate has with your company, so you want to make a great first impression.

Thank you again EmPowerHR!  Be on the look out next week for Part II – Search and Discern: Stepping Up Your Recruiting and Interviewing Game.  For more info from Catapult corporate sponsor EmPowerHR, check out their website here

Catapult’s April Lane was on hand to judge the competition that helped select one product that will be manufactured here in Chicago.

For more info & great pictures,  Read the article online here at Techli.com

Catapult Chicago also hosted the 5th grade class in April. The 5th graders are going through the same program as the 8th graders and spent the school year developing a unique-looking pencil case. The students wowed Catapult residents and local investors with their pitch for funding.

This is not your child’s Spanish 101… Taplingua offers a cool new approach to language learning specifically for adults using a practical, immersive approach. Developed by Dr. Cristina Guijarro Cazorla and a team of University of Chicago PhDs in collaboration with Santanu DasGupta, founder of Tapclix Inc., Taplingua engages you right away with video of native dialogue, useful instruction and interactive learning with real-time feedback. Think real-life conversations you would have while navigating Spanish cafes, not flashcards. You’ll be using complete sentences right away. Summer vacation to Spain anyone?!

Check out this great review of Taplingua by leading Edtech blogger David Kapuler!

Click here to download the App and leave a review

Read more about this exciting new partnership here.