Business Engagement Strategies for Program Development

1. JDVRTAC Business Engagement Services Team 1 (BEST 1): Regional Meeting Presenter:John Marchioro, DRS Training UnitPresented: April 12th & 13th 2017

2. What is Business Engagement • Business Engagement is: • Not just job placement • Transactional to high impact strategic partnership • Approaching from a listening not an asking • Focus on the long term versus just the transaction • Building longer term opportunities for program development • Beneficial to the dual customer • When done right both customers benefit

3. How Do You Connect With Business?

4. Establishing the First Meeting • Be Prepared to know who to ask for • Recruitment Specialist • Talent Acquisition Specialist • Human Resource Manager • Business Owner/Hiring Manager • Who you ask for depends on the type of business (small business, national footprint, corporate) • Do your research ahead of time where possible

5. Establishing the First Meeting • Keep the contact brief • Focus is just to establish a “listening session” • Be prepared to give your 30 second “pitch” • Ask open ended questions NOT closed ones • Know when you’re available and be prepared to be flexible

6. Good afternoon, my name is John Marchioro and I am trying to reach your employment recruiter. Hello, My name is John Marchioro. I work for the Il. Dept of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation. I was recommended to contact you by one of our business customers ________ who has also worked with you. I’m reaching out to you because our agency assists businesses by providing solutions for their workforce needs as well as preparing talented, qualified job seekers for their chosen careers. I am very interested in scheduling a listening session so that I may be able to understand your company better and see how we can do the same for you. What times throughout the week do you think would be the best for us to do this?

7. Pre Meeting • Make sure that you: • Know the questions you will ask • The name of your contact • Have a method for taking important notes( ie. clean notepad or portfolio…) • Have business cards • Are aware of any specific policies or security protocol for checking in • Leave enough travel time!!!!

8. The Encounter: Meeting the Business for the First Time

9. What is your first meeting goal? Hint – it’s NOT learning whether they have any openings

10. The LIFE Cycle of a Business Relationship • “L” is for Listen

11. The Business Profile: • Aligns with what we would do with an Initial interview. Focused on: • Gaining a better overview of the business from the businesses perspective • Gaining an understanding of information that will help us align our services to businesses • Establishing rapport and trust between both the employer and you • Educating the business on our services as well • Listening for concerns • Setting a direction or parameters for how you will interact with the customer • Allows for next steps

12. Be Prepared to Listen and Ready to Answer • Be an expert at open ended questions • 80-20 Rule • Resist the urge to sell DRS services at this point. • Be prepared to answer the WIIFM • Adhere to the agreed upon time limit. If they want to go longer they will do so.

13. Goal Setting/Next Steps • Provide summary • Suggest some next steps that reflect ideas discussed in the meeting • Don’t be afraid to use “success” language • Set the next activity, even if it is just a call • Don’t commit if you can’t commit!!

14. Follow up Meetings or Discussions • Should be with purpose, not just to meet • Make sure it still reflects mutual communication with you continuing to listen more than talk • If appropriate make it face to face at their location • You are trying to move towards identification of services needed

15. Changing Gears • What do I do if… • I can’t answer the question • I’m not sure if we can handle the service • I don’t know who does a certain activity • The employer wants something/somebody now • The employer had a bad experience with a counselor or a customer • The employer wants this to be bigger than you expected

16. Employer Objections

17. Conflicts • Conflicts can happen with ANY employee • Have employer clarify the issue and listen • Do not dismiss the concern- listen and then reflect back. Remember the employer is still learning the relationship. • Talk through solutions if you know the solutions. If not don’t guarantee what you can’t back up. • Get confirmation from them that they understand

18. Employer Supports • New WIOA regulations have identified 16 different Employer Supports that VR programs can provide to business customers. • These employer supports are located on the Business Engagement screen in WebCM • Many of these supports VR has already provided, some we have not.

19. Common Employer Supports • Initial Contact • To make an initial DRS introduction with a business. • Follow Up Contact • Purpose is to remind the business of the initial (or previous) contact and initiate the plan for the meeting.

20. Common Employer Supports • Referral of Candidate • The direct referral of candidates to employers based on the employer’s business needs. • Candidate Follow Up • Can happen directly with candidate or with the business customer • Monitoring candidate progress with job development activities • Assessing the stability of a new employee • Assessing the effectiveness of a reasonable accommodation

21. Common Employer Supports • Site Visit to Business • Purpose is to observe the business location and learn about the nature of the business, the physical environment of the business and the workplace culture. • Provide Information on DRS • Done in various formats and locations • Include the basic marketing message when information is exchanged

22. Common Employer Supports • Review Resumes for Business • Pre-screen candidates to make sure that the requirements for the position are a match with the candidate's skills and abilities. • DRS staff may also consider consulting with the employer on what they look for when reviewing resumes and what they commonly do not see that they wish they would.

23. Common Employer Supports • Other Contact with Business • A contact that serves to build on an existing component of the employer relationship. Can be based on a certain function not specifically mentioned in any other services to business. • Provide Information on Hiring Incentives • To help business understand potential financial incentives associated with employing people with disabilities.

24. Less Frequent Employer Services • Presentation on Disability • Improve a businesses understanding of how people with disabilities can make a contribution to the community and the workplace. • Consultation on Reasonable Accommodation • Provide employer with an overview of reasonable accommodation, review of worksite, specific identification of an employee need and other activities as requested.

25. Less Frequent Employer Services • Hiring Event Participation • To work with the employer to plan an event where pre-screened candidates are presented for application submittal and/or interviewing. • Can be driven by the employer based on their needs. • A terrific service to work together on as the relationship starts to develop

26. Less Frequent Employer Services • DEVELOP CUSTOMIZED TRAINING • Partnerships between employers and local training providers, such as community colleges or community-based organizations. • Partnerships can also include organizations like Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies and American Job Centers. • Partners perform critical tasks like managing and convening the partnership, doing recruitment, performing assessment and intake, and providing linkages to supportive services

27. Less Frequent Employer Services • CANDIDATE IN TRAINING • Candidate engaged in on-the-job-training or other customized training at the business • Good opportunity for strengthening the relationship. Employers learn about concept of disability by seeing our candidates performing( progressive employment model). • Asking for feedback and being responsive to the employer concerns is critical here.

28. Labor Market Information(LMI)

29. Overview There are different types of labor market information that can be collected and utilized with a business:

30. Traditional LMI • The systematic collection, analysis, and reporting of a broad range of federal, state, and local data that describes current economic conditions within a given geographic area. • Key data metrics include current employment levels, projected employment growth, unemployment rates, average wages, minimum education requirements, industry trends, and workforce demographics. • This is typically found through accessing information through Illinois Department of Employment Security ( IDES) and ONET.

31. Real-time LMI • Data drawn from online job postings for a region, offering information on employer demand, new and emerging in-demand skills and credentials, job titles, industry trends, and educational requirements.

32. Anecdotal LMI • Qualitative information gathered from employers, chambers of commerce, and industry associations about opportunities and challenges of hiring for different positions, expected changes in employment, and positions that require specialized skills.

33. When To Use • Traditional and Real-Time LMI • Should be done independently and reviewed prior to a meeting with a business. This “intelligence” will allow you to engage more effectively with your business contact. • Anecdotal LMI • Usually gathered throughout the relationship with your business customer and other businesses within their sector. Can assist with the “warm call”.

34. Things to Consider • An LMI consultation can happen as early as a follow up to an initial contact or worksite visit to much later in the process when the business identifies changes to their workforce needs (challenges in recruitment or expansion of new departments). • Approach a LMI consultation primarily from a listening session. This will allow you to hear the employer, and they in return feel as if their needs are being heard.

35. Things to Consider • Anecdotal LMI can be received through listening to the business and asking probing questions such as: • 1) where do you notice your strongest areas of growth within your business that will require additional talent? • 2) what are you finding are your most challenging areas to obtain or retain employees throughout your business? • 3) Are there areas of your business that require certain licenses or certifications that you find applicants do not have? • 4) what information would be important for us to know about your hiring trends or predicted growth that will allow us to strategize with you towards solutions? •  This consultation should conclude with goal/action oriented steps following the meeting.

36. Evaluating Effectiveness • 26’s are DRS’s measurements, not the businesses • Businesses have their own needs • Evaluating can happen throughout the customer relationship even when we are not referring candidates

37. Empirical Evaluation • Check for satisfaction • Check for understanding • Check for application • Check for commitment • Check for next steps

38. WIOA Data Evaluation • 3 main measures through WIOA • Employment retention at 2nd and 4th quarter with same employer after closure of case • Employment outreach and follow up • This will be collected through WebCM and other measurement tools to be developed.

39. Resources • www.explorevr.com • Business Engagement toolkits, videos and webinars • www.Ides.illinois.gov • Workforce partners tab –IJL, VLMI, career info. • www.doleta.gov • All things federal, WIOA • www.askjan.org • Information on accommodations, limitations and disabilities • www.disability.workforcegps.org • Resource library, communities of practice and online trainings regarding