Presented by Symba, #OpenUpTheWorkforce interviews feature executives advancing inclusion, diversity, and equity for the future of work. In these short audio-only episodes, host Ahva Sadeghi speaks with top leaders about what it takes to develop and implement inclusive processes.
In this episode of #OpenUpTheWorkforce, we’re thrilled to showcase Michelle Sims, the innovative CEO of YUPRO Placement! Michelle’s journey from empowering working families as a YMCA counselor to leading YUPRO Placement highlights her trailblazing spirit. With a background rich in sales, management, teaching, and leadership, Michelle took the reins just days before the pandemic, demonstrating her resilience and vision. Under Michelle’s leadership, YUPRO Placement has made a profound impact with apprenticeships, boasting an exceptional 95% placement completion rate, far surpassing the industry average of 68%. Michelle advocates for a paradigm shift in hiring practices, promoting inclusivity and breaking down workforce barriers. Join us as we explore Michelle’s insights and learn how she’s revolutionizing talent acquisition strategies. Tune in to the entire episode to discover the innovative approach driving YUPRO Placement’s success! Listen here:
About Michelle Sims
Michelle Sims is CEO of YUPRO Placement, a progressive skills-first staffing firm focused on the advancement of historically overlooked talent. A champion of skills-based hiring, Michelle leads a purposeful ecosystem of employers and training providers who collaborate on and commit to creating equity in our workforce. Michelle is a three-time honoree on the SIA Global Power Women 150 List and was recognized as an inaugural honoree for the SIA DE&I Influencers List. Michelle currently serves as the Vice Chair for the ASA Women in Leadership Council, serves Grateful Giving as a strategic advisory council member, and is a board member of the HKS Women and Public Policy Program. Michelle is a regular published contributor with the Forbes Business Council as a subject matter expert on employers adopting skills-first hiring practices.
YUPRO Placement Boiler Plate
Founded in 2014, YUPRO Placement champions skills-first hiring by sourcing, recruiting, retaining, and advancing traditionally overlooked talent. As a mission-driven placement firm, we serve as the connector between forward-thinking employers, a national upskilling partner network, and career-ready talent. As a Public Benefit Corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of nonprofit Year Up, YUPRO Placement creates higher-wage job opportunities for talent skilled through alterative pathways, building true career and economic mobility for the talent community they serve. YUPRO Placement’s revolutionary workforce solutions include an exclusive no-fee job board connecting member employers with skilled, early career talent to meet today’s hiring demands.
How to Open Up the Workforce
Michelle dives right into the heart of the issue: unconscious bias. She argues that focusing solely on skills-based hiring is a dead end if we don't acknowledge and address the biases that shape how we perceive those skills. For decades, recruitment practices have been influenced by these biases, often without us even realizing it. Michelle emphasizes that dismantling them requires intentionality. We need to be aware of our own biases and actively work to unlearn them. This starts with our talent acquisition policies and practices today, which will have a ripple effect for years to come.
