Two York business leaders are joining forces to help the region’s business owners harness effective communication to become a magnet for talent. 

PR expert and director of York-based Partners PR, Karen Tinkler, and employee engagement and development specialist Michelle Mook, managing director of Pro-Development, are hosting a free, half-day workshop on 11 September for business leaders across the region. 

The workshop - Becoming a Talent Magnet: Aligning your internal culture and external brand to attract and retain talent - will cover the importance of communication and its impact on employee retention; how brand, story and culture shape your reputation as an employer; how values help attract the right employees; and practical tips around communication that impact on business success. 

Karen says, “Too many SMEs focus their communications solely on potential customers and forget about prospective recruits. This means everything that makes your workplace great often goes unnoticed. If you want to stand out in a competitive job market, you need to tell your story in a way that attracts the right people.”  

And consistent, strategic communication doesn’t stop once you get people through the door. Michelle says that communication has an equally vital role to play in employee retention: “Retaining your talent has never been more important. Losing a good employee can cost up to 18 months of their salary, and one in four employers see engaging staff as a key challenge. Improving the way you communicate can have a massive impact on motivation, loyalty, and productivity. 

“Communication is often one of the lowest scoring areas on the employee engagement surveys we conduct. This workshop will give leaders practical ideas and tools to implement in their businesses to improve internal and external communication and help them attract and retain the best people.” 

The half-day workshop will take place on Thursday 11th September 2025 at Pro-Development’s office on Forest Farm Business Park in York. To book a free place, contact Pro-Development on 01904 628838 or email info@pro-development.co.uk.