Meet Amy Ratnow

​​Meet Amy.  Entrepreneur, mom, wife, coach, and believer in the power of women.  Amy started ALR Connections to create opportunities for women returning to the workforce AND for companies that need and want to hire talented, skilled, and experienced workers to advance their businesses. Like many female entrepreneurs and business owners, her experience and needs created the foundation and opportunity for this new business.

There are many things unique to ALR connections.  It is not your typical recruiting firm.  For instance, Amy and her partners provide connecting and networking opportunities for women with families, women who may be head of household, or women who are returning to work later in life, all of whom would like to incorporate flexibility into their next role. Returning to the workplace after an extended absence can be challenging.  Networking with other women who are experiencing similar circumstances builds community, confidence, and collaboration.  ALR Connections' Facebook page has more than 1.8K followers.
 
Amy and her team conduct comprehensive interviews as well as coach candidates to help them realize the value their skills and experience bring to the workplace.  Women often have extensive experience managing household budgets, ever-changing schedules, and managing complex projects ranging from healthcare to renovations.

On the flip side by helping companies realize the value of flex-scheduling and job structure, ALR helps with employment areas where it is difficult to find qualified applicants.  Systems and processes are often in need of change to gain efficiency, grow the business, and/or keep customers satisfied.  New approaches can often help.

Both companies and candidates are vetted to understand their needs, wants, and objectives to make sure that they are a good fit for the services of ALR Connections.  The marketplace is often slow to adapt to the needs of an evolving workforce.  Without a doubt, the Covid 19 pandemic helped accelerate changes in the workplace.

According to The American Opportunity Survey completed by McKinsey & Co in 2022

• 58% of employed respondents report having the option to work from home for all or part of the week. 
• 87% of workers offered at least some remote work welcome the opportunity and spend an average of three days a week working from home. Those offered full-time flexible work spent a bit more time working remotely on average of 3.3 days a week.
• And of great interest to employers: A flexible working arrangement is a top three motivator for seeking a new job.

The evolution of the workplace is here to stay.  ALR has networking groups in Evanston and Deerfield and is planning to expand to Schaumberg, Arlington Heights, and Glenview/Northbrook soon.  Amy welcomes all interest and can be reached at amy@alrconnections.com