SCSEP Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That

SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants PART II March 25, 2011 – 3 pm ET

Presenters: § Laura Connelly, Founder, Talent Resource Solutions Moderator: § Judith Gilbert, SCSEP National Office SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants Insert footer here 2

The Outreach Presentation SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants Insert footer here 3

The Outreach Presentation § Getting past the gatekeeper § Developing call script § Closing questions § Voicemail messages SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants Insert footer here 4

Receptionist Script Hi, this is Roberta Smith with [organization] here in [location]. Who am I speaking to? Hi, Susan. I hope that you can help me. Who is responsible for the customer service area now? David Jones? And what is his direct dial number? Does he have an executive assistant? What is her name? Emily? Thanks, Susan. Can you transfer me, please? Be ready with 30 second commercial if asked for more details SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 5

Personal Administrative Assistant Script Hi Emily, this is Roberta Smith with [organization] here in [location]. I just spoke to Susan, and she said you would be able to help me. I was calling to speak with Mr. Jones about our services here at [organization]. We offer a complementary service that matches mature workers with local employers. A grant from the U. S. Department of Labor is paying for it so I’m not selling anything. I want Mr. Jones to know about this program so ABC Company can take advantage of it. Is he available? (If not, ) when can you get me 5 -10 minutes on his calendar? Thanks so much. I appreciate your help! SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 6

Getting Past the Gatekeeper by Phone If you get stuck at the gatekeeper: § Call after hours or at lunch time § Ask for customer service or sales – It may be easier to get a name from them “What is the nature of your call? ” § I represent a non-profit organization; we offer a nofee employment service § I want to talk to him about our services § Recite your elevator pitch SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 7

In-Person Script I am here to see the person who (title, i. e. customer service reps) report to, or the person in charge of hiring. I only need 5 minutes of his or her time. “What is the purpose of your visit? ” § Be ready with your elevator pitch § Avoid saying, “I want to drop off some information” § Not available? Leave only your business card – Attempt to secure a future appointment – Ask when the decision maker will be back in the office; suggest you stop back another time – Mark your calendar SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 8

Goal of an Outreach Call § Interview § Job order § OJE leading to placement § Host agency training assignment leading to placement § Opportunity to share information about your service, which will lead to a future employer relationship (call us first when you have a need, before you list elsewhere) § Referral to someone else in the company § Lead – other employers who may find value from the program (may I use your name when I call? ) Remember: Get SOMETHING from every call! SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 9

Opening Statement Briefly introduce your services. § Use a portion of your elevator pitch I’m Roberta Smith. We offer services at no charge that match mature workers with local employers. A grant from the U. S. Department of Labor is already paying for it, so I’m not selling anything. I want you to know about our service so you can take advantage of it. I’m Dave Roberts. We’re doing something new – we’re actively promoting the free service we offer! SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 10

Presentation I represent a company called Mature Services. We provide job training and placement services for mature workers. Some of them have lost their jobs due to a variety of reasons such as the economic downturn, while others need to get back in the workforce to supplement their retirement. We prepare them for re-employment, which includes needed training, and serves as a resource as they look for work. This is all funded by a grant from the U. S. Department of Labor, so we can offer this service at no cost to you. SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 11

Closing § Ask a series of trial close questions along the way instead of waiting until the end § Be conversational § Break the conversation into small pieces and ask the employer’s opinion several times (soft close) § Avoid a lengthy data dump § Obtain employer’s buy-in at logical break points in the conversation § Don’t talk past the close – ask your closing question and then be quiet § ABC – Always Be Closing! SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 12

Closing Questions § I wanted to bring this individual to your attention. Would you be interested in interviewing her for a ____ position? Great, let me get some blocks of time when you are available and I can call or email you with a confirmed time (or have participant contact you to schedule an appointment). § What are your thoughts about our service? Does it sound like something that would be of value to you? § Does this person sound like someone who would add value to your team? § When would you like to see some of our candidates? § What openings are you currently seeking to fill? § Who should I be speaking to about this candidate? SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 13

Voicemail Messages § § § Use a script, memorize it, be consistent Short and powerful – maximum 30 seconds State your name and phone number twice Provide the reason for your call Intrigue can increase the odds of a return call Track the number of callbacks before revising script SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 14

Voicemail Messages Hi Jim, this is Natalie Johnson with [organization] at 123 -456 -7890. I was calling to introduce you to our service, which may help solve any hiring challenges you are facing, all at no cost to you. Please return my call. Again, this is Natalie Johnson with [organization] at 123 -456 -7890. Thank you! SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 15

On-the-Job Experience (OJE) or Trial Employment SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 16

On-the-Job Experience (OJE) Refer to Older Worker Bulletin 04 -04. Highlights: § Participant must have been in CSA 2 weeks or longer § Public or private employer (not active host agency) § Negotiated contract must stipulate skills, timelines, benchmarks. Employer must agree to hire participant at the end of OJE unless performance is unsatisfactory. § Training based on IEP, follow-up required § One OJE per participant per 12 month period § Five OJEs per employer per job category per year § No more than 40 hours per week § Reimbursement: 1 -4 weeks at 100%; 1 -12 weeks at up to 50% § Direct pay: 100% for up to 12 weeks § Contract stipulates who is responsible for workers’ compensation § Maintain copies of OJE in participant file and share with DOL upon request SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 17

Trial Employment – WIIFM? § § § Risk-free; try before you buy Evaluate employee performance for a few weeks No cost – nothing to lose Could gain a great employee! Person can be removed if it’s not working out (need feedback for coaching purposes) § Simple paperwork + signed timesheets § Employer can be certain before making a hire § Reduces turnover Note: Employer agrees up front to hire participant at the end of OJE if performance is acceptable SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 18

When to Offer Trial Employment § During a job interview – have participant bring letter § To smaller companies (less than 100 employees) § To overcome objections after an interview § When participant is competing with others for the job § To kick-start a stalled hiring process § When an employer can’t make a decision § With call-in job orders SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 19

Employer Questions § § § § § Tell me about the types of positions you have trouble filling. Where do you experience the most turnover? What challenges are you facing in hiring today? Tell me about the financial impact of turnover. Are there personality traits you find lacking in some of the candidates you interview or hire? How long does it take you to train a new employee? Do you sometimes lose people after you’ve trained them, before they actually become productive workers? Would it be helpful to be able to evaluate someone before you hire them? What if you could evaluate someone at no cost for two weeks, while you are training them? SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 20

Presenting Trial Employment I have a suggestion that may be of value. What if you could evaluate someone at no cost for (two) weeks before you hired him? Might that help you to reduce turnover? (Pause for reply) Great, let me tell you what I have in mind. SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 21

Trial Employment Script It sounds like your turnover rate is quite concerning to you. (or it sounds like you are concerned about hiring a mature worker). I can understand that. I have a suggestion that may be of value. What if you could evaluate someone at no cost to you for two weeks before you hired him? Might that help you to reduce turnover? (Pause for reply) Great, let me tell you what I have in mind. I want to offer you a nocost two week trial employment option, where one of my enrollees will work for you for two weeks and receive on the job training from you. I will pay his salary at your established rate of pay, and I will also cover his workers comp during that time. Provided he successfully completes the training period, you agree to hire him. Here is a copy of his resume. What do you think? How quickly could he get started? SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 22

Overcoming Prospect Concerns SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 23

Common Concerns § We aren’t hiring/We don’t have any openings. § We have had to lay people off just to keep the doors open. § We don’t have any openings for a customer service rep. § We don’t work with agencies. People have to apply on their own. § You need to go through our website and submit an application that way. § If we have a need to fill any positions, we will call you. § We have hundreds of people applying for every open position. § When we do start hiring again, we will have plenty of people to choose from. § Health insurance is too expensive for seniors. SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 24

Responding to Concerns Clarify – Empathize – Pause – Respond – Close § § § Clarify – Paraphrase; let him re-state if needed Empathize – Put yourself in his shoes Pause – Gather your thoughts on how to respond Respond – Use your prepared response Close – What do you think? How does that sound? SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 25

Not Hiring for That Job Title (MPE) § Clarify: So you are saying that there are no current openings for a cook? § Empathize: I’m sure that’s frustrating since it sounds like you could use the help. § Pause, then respond: I have many talented enrollees with a variety of skill sets that may be a good addition to your team. § Close: Are you hiring for other job titles where I may have enrollees who are qualified? SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 26

We Don’t Work with Agencies § Clarify: So you’re saying you don’t work with employment agencies? § Empathize: I certainly understand that you may not have a budget for that. § Pause, then respond: We are not an employment agency, and there is no fee for our services. We are a free service, paid for by a grant from the U. S. Department of Labor. It’s my job to help employers in our local community become aware of this free service, and to send you assessed and qualified applicants for any openings you may have. The employers I work with are grateful for this service, because it saves them the time of sifting through hundreds of resumes they may get from a job posting. I send them people who I have already assessed, that I know meet the qualifications. If you are interested, I can provide you with some names and phone numbers of other restaurants in the area who have hired our people. § Close: Would that help you be more comfortable with our services? SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 27

Apply to Our Website § Clarify: So you are saying that anyone who is interested needs to apply online? § Empathize: I certainly understand, that process works well for many of our employers. § Pause, then respond: I will insist that any of our qualified enrollees apply online. However, it probably makes sense for us to establish a system where you know which applicants came from our program. There are several opportunities for us to fund a portion (or all) of their salary during training that you may want to take advantage of, so I imagine you will want to know which applicants that applies to. § Close: Does that make sense? SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 28

Don’t Call Us; We’ll Call You § Clarify: So you are saying you will call me if you have an interest in hearing about any of our enrollees for an opening? § Empathize: I appreciate that. I’m sure you are quite busy. § Pause, then respond: Would it be alright if I checked your website from time to time for any posted openings, and if I have an enrollee who may be a fit, I could give you a call? Perhaps if you are interested, we could talk more about all of our services at that time. § Close: Would that be alright? SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 29

We Have Hundreds of Applicants § Clarify: So you are saying that you have several open positions, and you are receiving hundreds of applicants for each position? § Empathize: Wow, that must take a tremendous amount of time to go through all of them. Is that your responsibility? How do you have time for that in addition to all of your other duties? § Pause, wait for answer, then respond: I have a suggestion. If you give me the exact details of what you are looking for, I could send you a short list of applicants that I have already assessed, who match the exact qualifications. Not only could I save you some time, but we could offer a two week trial employment at no cost to you, so you would know exactly what you were getting before you hired the person. If for some reason it didn’t work out, I could send you another person, or you could go back to your stack of resumes! § Close: What do you think, does that make sense? SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 30

Health Insurance Is Too Expensive for Seniors § Clarify: So you are concerned that if you hired one of our enrollees, your costs would be higher due to higher health care costs for a mature worker? § Empathize: I can understand why that might be a concern for you. There has been a lot of publicity lately about the high cost of health care, hasn’t there. § Pause, then respond: However, I’m not sure as hiring managers, we can generalize. Health care expenses are so individualized. Did you know that there are currently five generations represented in today’s work force? Mature workers are generally known for their great work ethic and doing what it takes to get the job done, even if it means working longer hours. Each generation has its strengths, but again, it’s difficult to generalize. § Close: Knowing that, would you be willing to consider some of our enrollees for this opening? SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 31

Handling Rejection § It’s not personal § It’s probably unrelated to you and your services – Company in bad financial situation and can’t hire § § § It’s a numbers game “Kiss a lot of frogs” Average person – 7 nos before a yes Don’t give up; don’t take it personally Stay focused on the value you offer employers Track your call-in job orders and celebrate delayed success! SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 32

Tips and Pointers § Organization and follow-up yield more placements! § Create a written, weekly outreach plan including follow-up calls § Start outreach with easy calls to get your rhythm § Use networking time wisely § Expect to be successful – it’s all about attitude § Adopt a consultative style; solve problems § Smile! Your enthusiasm is contagious § Relax and have fun SCSEP: Implementing an Effective Employer Outreach Program That Works – For Employers and Participants 33