Connecting to Employers Understanding the Employer Customer and Creating and Implementing an Outreach Plan

“Job Development” in the New Economy  Understanding employer needs/requirements  Understanding the recruitment process from the employer perspective  Building relationships  Demonstrating value  Coaching customers to sell their own value

The Hiring Environment

Less Pressure to Hire

Too Many Applicants

Multiple Hiring Sources

Employers Try to Manage Recruitment by...  Putting off hiring  Re-hiring  Hiring from referrals without widely advertising  Poaching from other companies

What Do They Look For? Qualified applicants from trusted source, referred quickly with minimal hassle. If working with organizations, they also prefer a single point of contact.

What Does “Qualified” Mean?  Has direct work experience, preferably recent.  Required education/certifications  Will “add value” from Day One  Fits into organizational/corporate culture  Fits into team/department

Trusted Sources  Their network  Networks of good employees  Through their own website  Proven Recruiters  Sites and sources where they’ve found success before

Quick Quality With Minimal Hassle  Response within 24 hours  Applicant has quality resume, is prepared for interview  Responsive to employer process  Minimal paperwork, especially at the beginning of the process  Single point of contact from your agency/organization

It’s About Relationships!

Relationships... Based on trust Quality work Understanding of employer needs Consistent Making/keeping commitments # 1 way to build trust is to fill jobs quickly and with minimal hassle. #2 way is to build relationships, not focus on transactions.

Building a Relationship  Target the right employers  Know their industry, issues, needs and processes  Be strategic  Focus on the relationship, not on the transaction  Document, document, document!

Developing an Outreach Plan

Targeting Employers  Small vs. Large Employers  Demand industries/occupations  Job seeker goals

Initial research 1.Who are the employers in your area? Who have you worked with before? Google Maps Search 2.Of these employers, who is hiring? Job postings—in Jobs4Jersey, on their website, on other boards “Follow the money” 3.What job openings do they have? 4.Who are the key decision- makers? C-Suite and Directors Avoid HR if possible Remember many small companies don’t have HR.

Develop Target List Identify Top employers in your area —most likely for you to get placements. Analyze : What do you already know about them? What can you easily find out about them through more research? Do you have a relationship with them? What is the nature/quality of that relationship? What have you done for them in the past? Focus your efforts!

Build Company Profiles Company Basics —location, # of employees, etc. Key Decision-Makers Work Environment/Company Culture Key Employment Success Factors Recruitment & Hiring Practices Referral Preferences Relationship history

Two Relationships Existing Customers What is your current relationship? What have you done for them in the past? What has worked/hasn’t worked? How can you build the relationship? Build your network--“Who else should I be talking to?” New Customers How can you use your network to get connected? How can you get a “face- to-face?” Where can you immediately provide them with a quality referral? What other information/resources could you offer to begin building trust and goodwill?

Resources for Building Profiles  Company website  LinkedIn Company Profiles and Groups  LinkedIn Connections  Google Searches/Alerts  Asking questions  Informational interviews

Find and Connect to Recruiters & Hiring Managers  Events/Associations  Society for Human Resource Managers (SHRM)  Industry/Occupational Associations  Chambers of Commerce  Conferences  LinkedIn  Twitter  Company websites/blogs  lists/newsletters

Listen and Document  Follow/read what they post  Join their groups to see what they’re discussing  Sign up for their newsletters  Ask questions  Probe for “pain” and problems

 Comment and RT  Provide resources, information that solve problems and address their “pain” points  Connect them to people and resources  Answer questions Engage

Filling Existing Needs  Set up strategies for each company to be notified of job openings. (Company website, Google Alerts, etc.)  For each job opening, work with job seeker to “complete the T” (Refer to next slides)  Make referral  Coach customer to sell him/herself  Follow-up

Completing the “T” 1.Review job posting and/or company info 2.Identify employer needs, relevant keywords  For job  For company/culture 3.Fill in job seeker info to complete the T. 4.If you can’t complete The T—DON’T APPLY! 5.If you can, complete your resume.

The “T”

Openings for the Right Candidate  Match between company needs and applicant skills/experience/personal characteristics  Sold on applicant through personal contact  Easier through network referral

Creating Openings  Know pain and problems  Show how applicant addresses pain or solves problem  Show how applicant matches culture/skill needs of the organization  Coach applicant to sell him/herself!  Do NOT refer to “job carving” or other industry jargon!!

Ongoing Relationship-Building Track and share industry-related articles targeted to your employers’ needs. Connect with them on LinkedIn to keep track of and acknowledge professional accomplishments and milestones “tickler” file—keep in ongoing contact. Check in even when you don’t need something.

Remember...  Employers are PEOPLE. Connect with them as people, not as a means to an end.  Find ways to personalize the connection:  Thank you notes  Birthday greetings  Respond to achievements/accomplishments  Meet them for coffee  LISTEN!  Help them do their jobs better  Help them look good to their boss

Documenting & Sharing  Consider using Google Docs or a Wiki to document and share your ongoing work with employers with co-workers.  Consider CRM software to manage contacts (Salesforce is $15/month for up to 5 users)

Consider Microenterprise  Self-employment with minimal start-up costs  Based on interests/passions of jobseeker  Multiple income streams=more reliable route to self-sufficiency  More cost-effective  Increases self-esteem and motivation (Archived webinar on microenterprise at