Nexstar Network featured LinkedIn Former VP of Talent Steve Cadigan at This Year's Annual Meeting. Cadigan Told the Gathering of More Than 700 Professionals from the PHCE Industry That a Company Must First Define Who it is before They Can Expect to Attract Top Talent

SAINT PAUL, MN / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2017 / More than 700 people in the plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical (PHCE) residential contracting industry came together September 13 through September 15 to attend Nexstar Network's 25th annual Super Meeting. It was Nexstar's most popular event to date.

Nexstar Network is a best practice and business development organization for independent businesses in the residential PHCE industry. It was founded in 1992 by a small group of contractors, including industry legend Frank J. Blau, Jr., who was present at the Super Meeting event.

On Wednesday, September 13, Nexstar members got a first look at Nexstar's technical training program, NexTech Academy. That night, more than 70 of Nexstar's strategic partners were set up at the largest trade show hosted by Nexstar yet, which included live truck wrapping and a $25,000 giveaway. Members walked away from Super Meeting with more takeaways and guides than ever before: a comprehensive guide to marketing in the PHCE industry, a recruiting road guide, a training process workbook, and more.

Nexstar President and CEO Jack Tester told the audience on the first day of Super Meeting that the average Nexstar member company generates about $7 million in revenue. Collectively, Nexstar member companies do just under $4 billion in consumer sales annually and employ 21,000 people as employers of choice. The challenge, however, can be finding more people to fill openings as the companies continue to grow.

Steve Cadigan, former vice president of talent at LinkedIn, was the first keynote presenter at Super Meeting. He explained that the internet, and then the creation of LinkedIn, has fundamentally changed the recruiting process forever. He told the audience that the main driver of value creation in every organization is people, but to attract talent, a company must first define who it is.

"You need to ask, 'What assets do we have to attract people?'" Cadigan said. "What do you have above and beyond that?"

Experiences matter to employees. If they enjoy working with you, they will tell the world, Cadigan said. He told the story of one employee who worked in the finance department, but had a passion for food. When the company decided to start providing food for employees on their campus, the employee in the finance department with a passion for food was tapped to create the cafes. He eventually left LinkedIn to follow his passion in the food industry, but still speaks highly of LinkedIn and the opportunities the company opened for him.