Why attend the Employer Relations Forum?
- Gain Practical Strategies – Walk away with actionable tactics to enhance employer engagement and maximize your impact — even when resources are limited.
- Stay Ahead of Trends – Learn the latest insights and strategies to strengthen employer partnerships in today’s changing landscape.
- Engage in Meaningful Discussions – Share challenges, solutions, and ideas with like-minded professionals across the U.S. and Canada.
- Affordable professional development – A two day conference plus a dedicated platform for continued collaboration.
Gain insights, refine your strategy, and make connections.
Live presentations by experts in the field
Collaborative roundtable discussions
Engaging discussion boards
Interactive networking opportunities
Program Features
Sessions will feature interactive workshops, facilitated discussions, and real-world examples of employer relations best practices.
- Expert-Led Sessions: Discover actionable tactics to drive better results.
- Employer Insights: Learn what top recruiters value in campus partnerships.
- Collaborative Discussions: Exchange insights, share experiences, and explore proven strategies.
- Diverse Perspectives: Hear from employers and ER professionals across the U.S. and Canada.
More than a Virtual Conference
Virtual conferences offer the benefits of being more affordable and
more accessible,
but the Employer Relations Forum offers even more than that.
All registrants will have access to:
A networking platform to connect with other participants
A discussion board for posting topics, engaging in conversations, and sharing
A resource centre for accessing materials and presentation recordings
2025 Expert Presenters & Panelists
Anthony Pangilinan
University of Alberta
Career Centre
Chrys Tsilibes
University of Connecticut
Assistant Director, Center for Career Development and Life Skills
Doug Surtees
UBC - Okanagan
Employer Relations Specialist
Dr. Tenneisha Nelson
University of Saskatchewan
Experiential Learning Coordinator, Career Services
Emily Gregory
University of Alberta
Manager, Career Education, Student Services - Career Centre
Garth Gibbes
Ivey Business School
Associate Director-Corporate Recruiting
Graham Donald
Brainstorm Strategy Group
Founder & President
Graham Donald
Brainstorm Strategy Group
Founder & President
Graham Donald is one of North America’s leading experts on attracting, recruiting, and engaging students and graduates.
He founded Brainstorm Strategy Group in 2003 where he supports major employers and post-secondary institutions’ success through research, training, and strategic consulting. His clients include KPMG, University of Toronto, Deloitte, GE, McGill University, HSBC, UBC, Rutgers University, PwC, and many others.
Each year he is invited to speak at numerous national and international conferences on topics related to attracting and engaging future generations. He also hosts numerous annual conferences and training programs including the Campus Recruitment Forum, the Strategic Enrolment Marketing & Management Forum (SEMM Forum), the Employer Engagement Academy, and the Post-Secondary Leaders Academy.
He was Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) and the founder of Canada’s first job board for students, Campus WorkLink. He has also held leadership roles at Workopolis, Simply Hired, and Day Communications.
He received both his BA and MBA from the University of Toronto.
Janell Ciemiecki
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Employer Relations Manager
Jason John
University of Toronto Mississauga
Assistant Director, Employer Relations & Marketing, Career Centre
Jeremy Schifeling
The Job Insiders
Founder
Lauren Starr
Ivey Business School
Associate Director, Corporate Recruiting, Career Management
Leesa McLeish-Diaz
University of Toronto Scarborough
Employer Engagement Coordinator - EDI, Academic Advising & Career Centre
Maria Garofalo
Sheridan College
Employer Relations Advisor, Co-op/Internships
Martha Day Sanford
Boston University
Executive Director, Industry Engagement, Questrom School of Business
Melissa Waterman
University of Toronto Scarborough
External Relations Officer, Management Co-op
Program Highlights
Day One
Wednesday, June 4th, 2025
Opening Plenary
The World Needs More Employer Relations (And Employer Relations Needs to Do More)
11:30 am - 12:15 pm EST
Employer relations is more than job postings and info sessions—it’s a strategic function that bridges campus and industry, drives student success, and helps employers meet their talent goals. When employers struggle to hire students effectively, they scale back. When they succeed, they invest more. That’s where employer relations comes in.
This session will challenge you to think bigger about your role and the function of employer relations on campus. We’ll explore how to increase your impact, better support employers, and ultimately grow opportunities for students. Whether you’re a team of one or part of a broader career services office, you’ll leave with ideas and inspiration to make your work more powerful and visible.
Walk away with:
- A deeper understanding of how employer relations supports both student and employer success
- Practical strategies to help employers get better hiring results
- Ideas to grow your influence and position employer relations as a strategic asset
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Concurrent Workshops
Mastering Lead Generation and Business Development in Employer Relations
12:30 - 1:15 pm EST
Successful employer relations professionals know that building strong, lasting partnerships starts with effective lead generation and business development. This interactive session will explore best practices for networking, prospecting, and understanding client needs—whether through digital or in-person interactions.
Participants will gain insights into:
- Proven tools and tactics for identifying and engaging ideal employer partners
- The role of active listening and effective communication in building rapport and trust
- Strategies for nurturing relationships and building long-term engagement
The session will include opportunities for discussion and peer sharing, allowing participants to exchange insights and refine their approaches to employer outreach.
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Concurrent Workshops
Navigating Decentralized Employer Relations: Challenges, Solutions, and Best Practices
12:30 - 1:15 pm EST
In a decentralized employer relations (ER) model, multiple career offices, faculties, and work-integrated learning (WIL) units may engage employers independently—often leading to inefficiencies, employer confusion, and inconsistent student access to opportunities.
This panel brings together employer relations professionals who have firsthand experience navigating decentralized systems. Panelists will share practical strategies to improve coordination, minimize duplication, and enhance employer engagement while respecting the autonomy of different units.
Key discussion points include:
- Helping employers navigate decentralized structures and find the right point of contact
- Reducing duplication of employer outreach and fostering collaboration across departments
- Ensuring equitable student access to employer opportunities across programs and faculties
- Implementing shared employer engagement tools, tracking systems, and communication strategies
- Strengthening the institutional brand while balancing decentralized approaches
Whether you're working in a centralized or decentralized model, this session will offer valuable insights and concrete strategies to enhance employer engagement and student success.
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Concurrent Workshops
Innovative Employer Engagement: Beyond Career Fairs and Info Sessions
1:30 - 2:15 pm EST
In today's competitive landscape, fostering meaningful connections between students and employers requires moving beyond standard information sessions and career fairs. This workshop delves into bespoke employer engagement strategies that have proven successful in enhancing student-employer interactions.
Panelists will showcase real-world examples and provide insights into how to design unique engagement opportunities that benefit both students and employers.
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Concurrent Workshops
Building Long-Term Employer Relationships: Lessons from the Field
1:30 - 2:15 pm EST
Strong employer partnerships don’t happen overnight—they require strategy, persistence, and adaptability. In this panel discussion, experienced employer relations professionals will share real-world case studies of how they’ve built and sustained successful long-term relationships with hiring organizations.
Through a challenge-solution-outcome framework, panelists will provide insights into:
- Overcoming common obstacles in employer engagement
- Strategies that led to stronger, more committed partnerships
- Measurable outcomes and lessons learned along the way
This session offers a unique opportunity to hear practical examples of what works (and what doesn’t). Walk away with actionable ideas to strengthen your own employer relationships.
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Concurrent Workshops
Maximize Your Employer Relations Strategy: An Action-Oriented Workshop
2:30 - 3:15 pm EST
Is your employer relations strategy delivering measurable results such as increased employer engagement, more job postings, higher career fair participation, and improved student outcomes?
If you’re not achieving the results you desire, this interactive webinar is for you!
In this hands-on session you’ll use the Employer Relations Scorecard to assess your current employer relations operations and receive a personalized summary to identify your team’s strengths and areas for improvement. Next, you'll have a few minutes to connect and discuss your new insights with peers in employer relations.
Gain actionable insights and learn specific steps to elevate your strategy, boost outcomes, and achieve a higher level of excellence in employer engagement. Don’t miss this opportunity to take your team’s impact to the next level!
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Concurrent Workshops
Inside the Selection Process: What Happens After Students Apply?
2:30 - 3:15 pm EST
Once a student submits their application, what really happens next? This panel brings together campus recruiters who will pull back the curtain on their selection processes—from the application deadline through to the final offer.
Employer relations professionals will gain valuable insights into:
- How hiring teams evaluate student applications
- Who’s involved in the decision-making process
- The role of applicant tracking systems (ATS), AI screening tools, and assessments
- Timelines, touchpoints, and communication expectations
Whether you’re supporting students in navigating recruitment or looking to strengthen your partnerships with employers, this session offers a behind-the-scenes look at how employers are making talent decisions today.
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Day Two
Thursday, June 5th, 2025
Student Voices: What Drives Student Engagement with Employers?
11:30 am - 12:15 pm EST
What makes students show up for employer events—and what keeps them away? This panel features students sharing insights on what drives their engagement, how they prefer to connect with employers, and what strategies truly support their job search and career development.
Discussion Topics:
- What Works: The employer events and outreach strategies that stand out.
- Why Students Engage: Key factors influencing participation in recruitment activities.
- Beyond Hiring: Employer-led initiatives that provide lasting value.
- Building Relationships: How employers can create meaningful connections.
- Diversity & Inclusion: What students expect from employers in today’s job market.
Gain insights to enhance employer engagement and create more effective recruitment experiences for students.
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Concurrent Workshops
Bespoke Mentor Matching: A case study with real-world examples of employer relations best practices
12:30 - 1:15 pm EST
UBC Okanagan hosts 12000 students in British Columbia that come from across Canada and the world. Situated in Kelowna, a metro region of only around 250,000 people means that's the University already enjoys strong relationships with all the regions major employers facing limited competition from other Higher Ed institutions
However, only about 30% of our graduates will remain in the region after graduation. How does an ERA professional support students and build relationships with innumerable employers beyond our region?
In 2024 UBCO launched the Global Pathways mentorship program to provide international students more direct connections to professionals within their chosen fields. Unlike most mentorship initiatives, this program did not start with a pool of potential mentors. Instead, this program focuses on building skills for students to develop their own connections and teach them to use the same tactics recruiters use when searching and contacting skilled workers. This translates to "Teaching a student to fish, while giving them the first fish for free".
By providing students with tailored, rather than generic, mentor matches and providing the skills to replicate that success, it creates a virtuous cycle where ERA professionals can crowdsource connections at otherwise challenging employers. This allows UBCO to engage with a wide geography while ensuring they are aligned with overall student goals.
Learning Outcomes:
- Support student networking efforts
- Improve international student outcomes
- Success/Challenges of mentorship programs
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Concurrent Workshops
Strategic Campus Partnerships: Best Practices for Employer Relations Professionals
12:30 - 1:15 pm EST
Successful employer engagement doesn’t happen in isolation. Strong partnerships with faculty, student organizations, alumni services, and other campus units can amplify employer relations efforts, create more opportunities for students, and align with institutional goals.
This session explores how employer relations professionals can identify strategic partners, establish clear roles and expectations, and navigate challenges such as competing priorities, data sharing, and campus bureaucracy. Panelists will share real-world examples of win-win collaborations that drive student success while strengthening employer engagement.
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Concurrent Workshops
Exploring Diverse Models of Employer Relations in Higher Education
1:30 - 2:15 pm EST
Employer relations (ER) structures in higher education institutions vary widely, influenced by factors such as centralization, the presence of dedicated co-op or work-integrated learning (WIL) offices, and faculty involvement. This panel brings together ER professionals from universities and colleges across Canada and the USA to share their unique organizational models and strategies.
Key discussion points will include:
- Structural Variations: Understanding how ER functions are organized—centralized career centers, decentralized faculty-based approaches, or specialized co-op/WIL offices—and the rationale behind these models.
- Resource Allocation: Insights into team sizes dedicated to ER and the scale of student populations they serve, highlighting how resources are managed to meet institutional goals.
- Strategic Objectives: Exploring the primary goals of different ER strategies, such as enhancing student employability, fostering industry partnerships, or integrating experiential learning opportunities.
- Success Metrics: Discussing the criteria and methods used to measure the effectiveness of ER initiatives, including employment rates, employer satisfaction, and student engagement.
By examining these diverse approaches, participants will gain a broader perspective on how ER can be tailored to fit various institutional contexts. The session aims to inspire attendees with practical ideas and strategies that can be adapted to enhance employer relations at their own institutions, fostering a community of shared best practices and continuous improvement.
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Concurrent Workshops
Hot Topics, Real Solutions: What’s Top of Mind in Employer Engagement?
1:30 - 2:15 pm EST
This highly interactive session puts the spotlight on you—the professionals doing the work of employer engagement every day. We'll kick things off with a quick poll to identify the topics that matter most to you right now, then break into small group roundtables for focused discussion, idea sharing, and peer learning.
Possible topics may include:
- Spotting and managing fraudulent job postings
- Helping small and mid-sized employers connect meaningfully with students
- Engaging employers in non-traditional or hard-to-place industries
- Smart strategies for post-event follow-up
- Overcoming employer hesitancy to use campus job boards
- Balancing employer relations with career advising
- Innovative ways to engage employers in co-op and internship programs
You’ll walk away with practical ideas, new contacts, and fresh insights into the common challenges and creative solutions shaping employer relations across campuses.
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Using AI in Employer Relations
2:30 - 3:15 pm EST
Registration Rates
Early-Bird rate valid until May 9th, 2025.
Non-Members of the Employer Relations Alliance (ERA)
Option 1: Registration + ERA Membership Package
Register for the Employer Relations Forum AND become a member of
the Employer Relations Alliance (ERA) for less than the cost of an annual
membership!
Individual
(includes 1 year ERA membership)
$495$695
per person
Group of 2 to 4
(includes 1 year ERA membership)
$795$1,095
per group
Group of 5 to 10
(includes 1 year ERA membership)
$1,595$1,995
per group
Option 2: Registration Only
(does not include membership in the Employer Relations Alliance)
Individual
$395$595
per person
Group of 2 to 4
$695$995
per group
Group of 5 to 10
$1,495$1,895
per group
Members of the ERA and their
Guests
Employer
Relations Alliance Members
$95$195
per person
The ERA members'
registration fee is a nominal fee charged to encourage active attendance and
participation. All ERA members will receive a credit equivalent to the fee paid that
can be applied to their membership renewal.
Employer
Relations Alliance Members' Guest
$95$195
per person
Guests of ERA members must
work at the same institution as the member. If guests choose to become ERA members
in the future, they will be given a credit equivalent to their registration fee.
Employer Relations Alliance Members
$95$195
per person
The ERA members' registration fee is a nominal fee charged to encourage active attendance and participation. All ERA members will receive a credit equivalent to the fee paid that can be applied to their membership renewal.
Employer Relations Alliance Members' Guest
$95$195
per person
Guests of ERA members must work at the same institution as the member. If guests choose to become ERA members in the future, they will be given a credit equivalent to their registration fee.
No refunds will be provided within three weeks of the program. Cancellations three weeks or more before the event date will be refunded less a $50 administration fee.
Substitutions from the same organization are welcome at no cost up to three weeks before the event date.
Who can I contact if I have more questions?
Contact Julie Rahmer, Learning, Research & Engagement Lead at
julie@brainstorm.ca
with any questions or concerns you may have.
Leading employers, universities and colleges rely on Brainstorm for strategic advice, informative insights, and practical professional development.
©Copyright 2024 Brainstorm Strategy Group Inc.