Dozens of local teachers are taking time this week to meet with business leaders and learn about helping their students sharpen their career-building skills.

Des Moines Area Community College and the Greater Des Moines Partnership are taking K-12 educators, counselors and administrators on tours of local businesses to hear leaders’ perspectives on workforce needs and tips on readying students for a career. Teachers met with leaders at Bankers Trust, Weitz Co., KCCI and ISG Monday and will meet with Vermeer, Baker Group and Accumold today.

At Bankers Trust, several bank leaders served on a panel to discuss what they look for in prospective hires.

The panelists, who included an employee experience manager, a branch manager, a credit officer, asset analyst and loan reviewer, talked about how they got their start and what skills they’ve learned throughout their careers. Each of the panelists, Vivian Barcelo, Mary Simon, Jeremy Hartbecke, Grant Fay and Ben Willcockson, have served in roles helping guide youth or young workers.

When teachers asked them about the most important skills students can be learning today, their responses focused on soft skills, such as interpersonal communication and adaptability.

“When we get interns in, we try to ingrain in them and try to help them practice and apply those skills because a lot of times when they’re in formal education, they don’t get a lot of time to practice those interpersonal dynamics,” said Barcelo, who serves as the company’s employee experience and inclusion manager and has worked in many different departments at the bank.

Simon said attention to detail is very important at Bankers Trust.

“We’re taking care of people’s money and that’s very personal,” she said. “Being detail oriented, dotting your i’s, crossing your t’s, making sure you follow through and not doing it halfway.”

During interviews for open positions, the leaders said they are looking for curiosity, attention to detail and how students react to the pressure of an interview.

Hartbecke said he looks for job applicants who are self-driven.

“We’ll teach you a lot of the skills and what I expect is for you to obtain those skills [and] that you apply those skills,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot of volume [of work]. You’re going to have your tougher days. You’re not always going to be able to find the answer quickly. So that self drive is important, to think on your own, to use the skills you’ve learned throughout the years and apply those.”

There are always changes in the workplace, whether it’s in the form of technology, industry regulations changing or new people joining the team and job applicants need to be willing to adapt, they said.

They also discussed the value of creative thinking, continuous learning and effective communication in overcoming challenges. They stressed the importance of preparing for hard conversations, understanding the root of the problem and maintaining a positive and supportive work environment.

Becoming familiar with Microsoft Office programs such as Outlook and Excel is important, as is learning to respond to emails and Teams messages, Fay said. Company leaders said students should also look into local opportunities that introduce students to different industries.