Raychel Chism tops 300 job seekers served as Memphis workforce model expands

Memphis workforce strategist Raychel Chism says her connected approach to employment, organizational strategy and training is addressing multiple barriers to work at once. Her firm, Respectable Results, has served more than 300 job seekers and built partnerships with more than 25 employers and community organizations.

Why it matters: - Chism’s model goes beyond job placement and targets the full workforce pipeline: preparation, hiring, retention and career growth. - The approach is meant to help job seekers find stable work, help employers reduce hiring risk and improve retention, and give communities clearer pathways to economic mobility. - The strategy reflects a broader shift in workforce development toward coordinated support instead of one-time placement.

What happened: - Memphis workforce strategist and entrepreneur Raychel Chism said she is expanding her work across three connected pillars: employment, organizations and training. - Chism is the founder and CEO of Respectable Results, a Memphis-based, state- and federally contracted workforce development firm. - Respectable Results has supported more than 300 job seekers. - Respectable Results has built partnerships with more than 25 employers and community organizations. - Chism also launched Raychel Chism & Company, an organizational workforce strategy platform for businesses, nonprofits, public-sector leaders and community institutions. - Chism is preparing to enter the nonprofit sector with a training-focused initiative.

The details: - Respectable Results works with employers as a strategic workforce development partner. - The firm helps organizations identify workforce needs, connect with prepared talent and strengthen the transition from candidate to employee. - Respectable Results also helps employers access workforce development resources that can reduce hiring risk and support retention. - Through partnerships with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and the Social Security Administration, Respectable Results creates employment pathways for qualified people who may be overlooked by traditional recruiting. - Job seekers receive career-readiness preparation, individualized employment support, job coaching and help navigating the workplace. - Employers receive customized matching, hiring coordination, onboarding support, job coaching and continued retention assistance. - Chism said employers are partners in the solutions her firm is building. - Raychel Chism & Company is designed to help leaders address recruitment, retention, workplace culture, employee experience, workforce development resources and people strategy. - The developing nonprofit initiative will focus on workforce readiness, career-sustaining skills, technology and artificial intelligence literacy, and training that supports advancement and long-term economic mobility. - Chism holds a bachelor’s degree in human resource management and is a Certified Employment Support Professional. - Chism completed the Social Security Disability Benefits, Work Incentives, and Employment Support Programs course. - Chism is an alumna of the New Memphis EMBARK program, the Operation HOPE Small Business Entrepreneurial Training Program and a Truist Foundation Fellow.

Between the lines: - Chism’s work is built around a simple idea: many workforce problems start before hiring and continue after placement. - That framing puts equal weight on candidate readiness, employer systems and ongoing training. - The model also suggests employers want more than referrals and job seekers need more than introductions. - By linking employment services with organizational consulting and training, Chism is positioning herself across multiple parts of the workforce ecosystem.

What's next: - Chism’s nonprofit initiative is expected to expand her work into training that supports career growth and long-term employment. - Raychel Chism & Company will continue serving organizations looking for help with workforce strategy and people operations. - Respectable Results will keep operating as a bridge between employers and job seekers. - Chism says the next phase of her work will continue to focus on helping people sustain employment and build financial independence.

The bottom line: - Raychel Chism is turning workforce development into a three-part strategy: place people in jobs, help organizations keep them and train workers to move up. - Contact information and more information are available at Respectable Results.