Versant Inc.
Neighborhood: Historic Third Ward
Address: 316 N. Milwaukee St., Suite 280
Founded: 1972
Owner: Will Ruch
Employees: 12
Why is Versant based in the Third Ward?
Will Ruch: “We moved from the suburbs down here two years ago. This is an on-demand economy that we’re in. Probably by the year 2020, nearly 45 percent or 50 percent of the workforce is going to be freelance. That’s not just our industry, that’s the world. When you look at a 45 percent contracted or freelance workforce, you need to be in an area that is central and easy for talent to come and go, and that’s the Third Ward.”
You’ve written about recruitment and talent attraction quite a bit. How does employer branding play into that?
Ruch: “What’s critical today in this new world work environment, this on-demand economy, is you really have to present a workplace story as to why somebody wants to connect and be a part of a team. Because they can go anywhere. You’ve got to have the talent piece in place if you’re going to deliver for the customers today. This philosophy that we’ve had for many years is, make sure your inside talent pool, your workforce, is very connected to what’s happening with your clients in the marketplace.”
