by Patrick Glynn
Insight Global’s ‘Be the Light’ Tour—bringing a full-scale, mobile career center to six communities—wrapped up its 2023 journey across the U.S. this fall in Oakland, Calif., serving more than 4,000 underserved job seekers.
Kicking off in November 2022 in Atlanta, where Insight Global is headquartered, our Be the Light Tour bus then traveled to Houston, Northwest Arkansas, Charlotte, Boston, and Oakland.
Hundreds of job seekers attended career and hiring events at each location.
“This tour is something we are most proud of in way of being the light to the world around us,” Insight Global CEO Bert Bean said. “There are millions of people in this country that are hard working, gritty, determined individuals, and because of life’s circumstances, they find themselves left behind on their career journey.
“This tour was a way for us to show up in any way we can to offer our best in how we can help people interview, build resumes, and even connect them with customers. While this is only the first year, and we have much to improve on, we are proud that we took this shot to meet so many people where they are. We look forward to building on this success for years to come.”
Our Purpose is to Be the Light
Named after Insight Global’s purpose—to be the light to the world around us—the Tour aims to empower and serve communities through direct access to job readiness.
Once at the event, job seekers could:
- Attend career readiness workshops, such as creating or updating a resume and how to ace an interview
- Network with local businesses and corporations for job opportunities
- Have one-on-one consultations with job readiness experts
- Update their headshot with professional photographers
“It was a come-as-you-are event,” said Kahlil Bostick, Insight Global’s Senior Social Impact Coordinator. So the teams also provided professional wardrobe options for job seekers to borrow for those photos.
“We hire people on a daily basis. And through doing that, we have insights to share plus incredible access to insiders about what’s going on in the job market and what hiring managers are truly looking for,” he continued. “So, why not take those resources and put them into the communities where we exist to make sure everyone has access to those opportunities?”
Job Seekers Gained Confidence
Heading into the first stop of the Tour, we surveyed job seekers, and one-third of respondents said a barrier when searching for jobs was that they lacked confidence in their abilities.
After the Tour, though, 9-in-10 attendees of Insight Global’s Be the Light tour said they have more confidence to take the next steps in their future after attending. Attendees across the country reported a positive experience from the event. More than 90 percent of those surveyed reported their experience was “very good” or “excellent.”
“I’ve never been to a career fair this organized and full of people that actually want to help,” one attendee in Houston said. “I look forward to a better, more-equipped job search moving forward.”
Another job seeker, Allison, said, “I got everything I needed and then some.” She had worked a shift at a hospital from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. the night before and saw Insight Global setting up. She’s been a nurse since 1989 and is looking to start a career in social work after she gets her masters.
“Coming to the Tour helped me build up my self-esteem and my confidence,” she said. When she starts her new career said Allison, “If I could just help that one person, that’s all I need.”
“Why not me?”
Corporate Partners Helped Make the Event Successful
Insight Global also had dozens of businesses partners at the event, including Microsoft, Walmart, LinkedIn, Indeed, BlueCross BlueShield, and many more. While at the event, they provided networking opportunities and, sometimes, a chance for the job seekers to interview for jobs on the spot.
Be the Light is Powered by People
These events couldn’t have been done without our hiring partners, community partners, and the job seekers who attended. But Insight Global employees stepped up, too. More than 500 of our own employees volunteered to help set up and run the events.
Ethan Vatske, a lead recruiter in Charlotte, NC, said it was “unbelievable” to make these connections, to foster a relationship with new job candidates, and to be a professional resource for them in the future. “We’re just so much more than a staffing company,” he said. “I’m so proud of this group of people.”
Be the Light in 2024
Insight Global’s goal is to impact 15,000 job seekers through our in-person and virtual career readiness programs, and the Be the Light Tour is a crucial part of that!
Heading into 2024, Insight Global will continue to host virtual workshops and meet job seekers where they are with a variety of resources.
by Alexandra Woodford 
by Brita Long 