Recruiting and Retaining Employees


The resources are here to help you recruit new employees from both within and outside the Rockford Region. The quality of life found in the Rockford Region, when added to the shorter drive times and lower cost of living, make the area an ideal place to work. The cost of living can be as much as 30% lower than other similarly sized cities across the US and is 18% less that the US national average.

Workforce Connection logo

The Workforce Connection is a partnership of state and federally funded employment and training programs, economic development agencies and educational entities committed to providing a workforce that meets the needs of our business community, now and in the future. The Workforce Connection staff can:

  • search, screen, and set interviews of potential candidates
  • host job fairs and other events to promote your job openings and specifically highlight your hiring needs
  • assist with the placement of advertising and press releases in the local media to assist your recruitment efforts
  • guide you through the process of registering for and accessing Illinois Job Link

Illinois JobLinkIL_Job_Link is the state of Illinois’ no-cost Internet-based job matching system, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Employers have several options on their level of disclosure of company information. Access to the system can be staff-assisted or self-service.