The Price is Right: Aligning Employee Pay with Market Demand

Join us for Workforce Coffee Connections as we explore compensation strategies in today’s evolving labor market.

With rising competition for talent and shifting expectations around pay, local employers are seeking better tools and insights to make informed decisions about wages and benefits.

This session will focus on regional wage data, compensation planning resources, and real-world examples from area employers who are working to align their practices with current market trends and workforce needs.

Who should attend? This event is ideal for HR leaders, hiring managers, financial and operations management professionals, and business leaders navigating compensation decisions in today’s workforce landscape.

Key takeaways:

• Understanding Regional Wage Trends – Learn how local compensation compares to national benchmarks and how that impacts hiring and retention.
• Conducting Effective Wage Assessments – Explore tools and resources to help evaluate and adjust your compensation strategies.
• Best Practices from Local Employers – Hear what’s working across industries in the Rapid City region and how organizations are approaching compensation planning with intention.

AGENDA

8:15 am – Investors Arrive & Network

8:30 am – Introductions from Workforce Team

8:35 am – Overview of Regional Wage Data & Resources | Taylor Davis, Elevate Rapid City

8:50 am – Brief Overview on Navigating Changes in Compensation and Benefits | Steph McCoy, HR Manager & Delaney Skillingstad, HR Generalist, Ketel Thorstenson

9:10 am – Break Outs with Speakers

9:35 am – Swap Speakers

9:55 am – Closing Remarks & Upcoming Events

10:00 am – Event Adjourns

About the Speakers

Taylor Davis

Taylor brings her passion and experience for building relationships and talent pipelines to her role as Senior Workforce Development & Partnerships Director at Elevate Rapid City. Her goal is to ensure Rapid City is a place of amenities and opportunities for everyone focusing efforts on things such as workforce development and military collaboration.

With a degree in environmental science, Taylor interned at Angostura Reservoir before joining the team at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology as an admissions counselor and summer camps coordinator. During that time, Taylor also served on the Chamber’s Workforce Development Committee.

Just before coming to Elevate, Taylor worked for the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce as the talent partnership director and military liaison and then the director of business retention and expansion.

Taylor is especially passionate about building talent pipelines for military affiliates and utilizing their education and experience to expand the community’s workforce.

Delaney Skillingstad

Delaney, originally from Southern California, found her way to Colorado where she attended the University of Northern Colorado, graduating with a bachelor's degree in business administration. She worked as a Payroll Associate & Specialist for Tomar Inc for five years, attaining her fundamentals in payroll certificate and associate professional certification in human resources. She also holds a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. Delaney relocated to Rapid City to join her husband, Casey, and is pursuing her passion for human resources with Ketel Thorstenson.

Delaney enjoys hiking, volleyball, and overall wellness.

Steph McCoy

Steph is a South Dakota native growing up east river. She relocated to the Black Hills to complete her bachelor's degree at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and subsequently a Master's Degree from the University of South Dakota. She spent 13 years as the Director of Administrative Services with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office earning her Senior Certified Professional designation through the Society for Human Resources. She joined Ketel Thorstenson in 2022 as the Human Resources Manager and will be transitioning into the Firm Administrator role this fall.

Steph enjoys taxiing her girls around to sporting events, being outdoors and cooking with her family.

There is no fee, however, we do ask you to RSVP so we ensure we have enough room to accommodate attendees. This is an in-person event.

Registration closes October 27th!

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