DirectEmployers Association

10/15/2026

25th Anniversary Throwback: Powering the NLx with NASWA 🤝

A defining pillar of DirectEmployers’ history is our enduring public-private partnership with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA/CESER).

Beginning in 2007 and recently extended through 2037, this collaboration serves as the backbone of the National Labor Exchange (NLx)—connecting employers directly to the public workforce system to streamline hiring, ensure compliance, and eliminate job feed clutter. And nearly two decades in, our joint efforts now power the NLx Research Hub, unlocking critical real-time and historical job posting microdata to inform workforce policy nationwide.

📸 Swipe through our shared milestones:

April 2010: DirectEmployers and NASWA leadership sign an agreement extension at our Indianapolis headquarters.

June 2014: Committing to the future with a 10-year partnership renewal signed in Washington, D.C.

May 2025: Former Managing Director Tom Eckhart and NASWA President & CEO Scott Sanders signing an partnership extension through 2037 at DEAMcon25 in Scottsdale, Arizona

10/15/2026

We are proud to support Bosma Visionary Opportunities Foundation and their vital work empowering individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

In honor of , we encourage our network to join us in making an impact.

Access to specialized training, adaptive tools, and community support opens doors to true independence and career opportunity.

Help ensure these life-changing programs continue to thrive—consider making a gift before midnight tonight:

🔗 Donate here: https://zurl.co/sx6fa

Today is White Cane Day. 🦯

A day to celebrate the independence and determination of people who are blind or visually impaired. A day to recognize that vision loss doesn’t define what is possible.

Throughout this week, you’ve helped shine a light on the life-changing impact of rehabilitation services, training and support for Hoosiers navigating vision loss. We’re especially grateful to supporters like Managed Health Services - MHS and DirectEmployers Association, whose generosity helps make these programs possible.

As White Cane Day comes to a close, there’s still time to make an impact.

Your gift helps provide the training and tools that empower individuals to live independently and pursue their goals.

⏰ Donate before midnight: https://zurl.co/sx6fa

10/14/2026

Does your organization’s veteran hiring strategy translate into measurable results?

A recent RAND report examined VETS-4212 data and found that protected veterans made up only 2.4% of new hires at S&P 500 federal contractor establishments in 2025—falling short of both the 5.1% national VEVRAA benchmark and other federal contractors (4.1%).

Even more interesting, researchers discovered that corporate veteran statements and foundation giving rarely correlate with actual hiring numbers. The report highlights that long-term veteran employment success comes down to five core pillars: a clear organizational home, senior leadership support, dedicated resources, actionable outcome data, and support beyond day one.

Take a look at the breakdown to see what these findings mean for your AAP planning and recruitment strategy.

What strategies have helped your team build stronger connections with protected veteran talent? We’d love to hear your thoughts below!

S&P 500 contractors trail the VEVRAA veteran hiring benchmark: RAND found protected veteran hiring at 2.4% of new hires vs. a 5.1% benchmark.

10/14/2026

Boston, you did not disappoint! 🧬💡

Our team is officially back from LEAP HR: Life Sciences East, and we want to extend a huge thank-you to everyone who stopped by the DirectEmployers booth. Regional VPs of Membership Development Dee Anne Faller and Callie Gable thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many passionate HR and TA professionals driving innovation across biotech, pharma, and healthcare.

Whether you visited us to talk about expanding your candidate reach, picked up a DE phone stand, or tested your luck at booth Bingo, it was a pleasure connecting.

DirectEmployers is dedicated to driving compliance, powering partnerships, and elevating recruitment—giving your team the reach and infrastructure needed to win top-tier talent.

Missed us in Boston? Visit our website to see what membership can do for your talent acquisition team. https://directemployers.org/demo/

10/13/2026

Remember when every job search started with typing "jobs near me" into a search engine? That 20-year habit is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Today's candidates are turning to conversational tools like ChatGPT to ask detailed questions about roles that fit their schedules, skill sets, and personal lives. If your career site isn't built to answer those questions, great talent might be slipping through the cracks.

In our latest DE Talk podcast episode, AJ Selvey chats with SonicJobs co-founder Ben Russell about how conversational AI is reshaping candidate discovery. One eye-opening takeaway: when job seekers can explore opportunities through natural dialogue, more than half of those conversations turn into an application start!

Catch the full episode to hear practical ways to modernize your career site experience without replacing your existing ATS: https://directemployers.org/2026/10/13/de-talk-conversational-ai-job-search/

Has your team noticed a change in how applicants are discovering your open roles? We’d love to hear your experience!

10/13/2026

Happy Birthday to the U.S. Navy! ⚓️🇺🇸

Since 1775, the Navy has stood as a global force for good, protecting our seas and defending freedom around the world. Today, we honor the courage, commitment, and sacrifice of the Sailors who have served with honor and distinction.

10/12/2026

Final call to register! Tomorrow’s hiring speed shouldn’t come at the cost of today’s legal exposure.

Join us for Wednesday's half-day virtual workshop, where we cut through the vendor hype to tackle the realities of AI in talent acquisition. From navigating strict regulatory exposure points and bias audit mandates to establishing measurable ROI metrics and exploring real-world case studies across chatbots and agentic AI, you will walk away with an actionable roadmap to deploy hiring technology safely and effectively.

Key takeaways include:

- Critical legal updates and exposure points with industry experts

- Proven frameworks to connect AI adoption directly to candidate outcomes and bottom-line ROI

- Step-by-step implementation, vetting, and continuous monitoring processes

- Top hits and misses from real-world recruiting tech deployments

Secure your virtual seat today! https://events.zoom.us/ev/AoJqyNf_ns3FzF1glTb-uZHL91R8ATJV56ETltCGZSkoDcSN10D7~AhvCZkUBDxGOzSKPs3yMuCSbciPTo_wNCWFdg07FENKIYIdUF7EGpbVvaePOowkz34SgRiHdDSGMgxvgwiB7WAUpWg

10/09/2026

Las Vegas brought the insights, but the attendees brought the energy! 🌟

McLean Signature 2026 was a wonderful experience from start to finish. Being stationed directly across from the puppy park made Booth 203 the place to be for both puppy views and meaningful HR discussions.

A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by to visit AJ Selvey and Jaime Costilow, snag some DE socks, and discuss how our Member-owned nonprofit helps organizations comply, recruit, and belong. We loved connecting with each of you!

If you missed us or want to continue the conversation about simplifying your OFCCP compliance and talent outreach, reach out to our team today! https://directemployers.org/demo/

10/08/2026

Throwback Thursday: 2007 at DirectEmployers ⏪

As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we’re looking back at the pivotal moments that helped shape where we are today.

By 2007—just six years into our journey—founder Bill Warren’s vision was rapidly gaining momentum:

- The Launch of the NLx: NASWA selected DirectEmployers to help job seekers, employers, and state workforce agencies navigate the transition from America’s Job Bank, laying the groundwork for the National Labor Exchange.

- Compliance Solutions Were Taking Shape: VetCentral became the full-time employment delivery service to participating state workforce agencies, listing federal contractor jobs with American Job Centers (AJC) in compliance with the Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA) and VEVRAA

- Rapid Innovation: Early tech integrations and networking were in full swing across nationwide.

📸 Swipe through the memories:

1️⃣ Early employees Josh Akers, Tom Eckhart, Nancy Holland, and Shannon Offord posing for a team photo.
2️⃣ Bill Warren and Chad Sowash showing off a Google Search Appliance.
3️⃣ Dan Jordan beside the #07 JobCentral short-track race truck.

10/08/2026

If you've felt like federal compliance signals have been a bit mixed lately, you're not alone!

A new report from the GAO recently urged the Department of Labor to resume compliance audits and annual AAP certifications under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. While the DOL indicated it has no immediate plans to restart proactive audits, it agreed to publish updated compliance guidance and recruitment resources for employers starting in FY 2027.

Here’s the most important takeaway for our community: an agency pause on audits is not a change in the law. While requirements around Form CC-305 and the 7% utilization goal were recently updated, core obligations—such as maintaining a written AAP, conducting meaningful disability outreach, and providing reasonable accommodations—are still very much in effect.

Keeping your records organized and your accommodation processes consistent remains the best path forward.

Check out our full breakdown to see what GAO found and what to expect next!

GAO urges DOL to resume Section 503 audits of federal contractors. See what the report found, how DOL responded, and which obligations remain.