Four Primary Roles for Business Service Staff

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1 2013 WIA Statewide Meeting Four Primary Roles for Business Service Staff Presented by Melanie Arthur Greg Newton Associates 1

2 Training Topics 1. Discuss four primary roles for business services staff: - Business Consultant; - Business Champion; - Business Connector; and - Business Service Provider. 2. Present ideas for how to effectively perform the four roles. 3. Review methods for connecting business representative roles with Career Center staff and operations. 4. Share ideas and promising practices from colleagues. 2

3 Linkages and Differences... Employer Services Hirers Employers Employer Assistance When Hiring Pre-Hire Best Candidate Job Requirements Listing; Placement Program/Center Role Business Services Businesses Industries Economic Development Hiring or Not Pre- and Post-Hire Workforce Sectoral Skills Holistic Services System/Board Role 3

4 Four Roles for Business Representatives: 1. Business Consultant (Workforce Intelligence) 2. Business Champion (Representative of Business) 3. Business Connector (Workforce System Access) 4. Business Service Provider (Representative to Business) 4

5 Become a Business Consultant Develop targeted industry competence Monitor trade association websites Read business publications Attend business conferences Compile workforce intelligence Un-bundle, simplify, customize Labor Market Information Map and identify talent pipelines Convene focus groups and taskforces Host workshops and seminars Develop fact sheets and reports 5

6 Business Consultant Resources Chamber of Commerce Workforce Committees Society of Human Resource Management: Workforce Board Business Members Employer Advisory Groups General Business News: Trade Association Websites Online Publications Local Publications Career Center Presentations (for staff and customers) from Industry Representatives: Agenda Current, Short- and Long-term: Skill Requirements HR Challenges Recruiting Challenges 6

7 Ten Human Resource Challenges 1. Globalization of the Workforce 2. Rapid Advances in Technology 3. Skill and/or Labor Shortages 9. Flexible Workforce 10. Impact of Personal Life on Work 4. Increasing Skill Requirements 5. Lifelong Learning to Compete 6. Talent Recruitment, Retention 7. Workforce Diversity 8. An Aging Workforce Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 7

8 Human Resource Solutions Telecommuting Gold Collar Programs UC San Diego Training Program Understanding Generational Distinctions generationalguru.com Skill-building Resources alison.com 8

9 Economic, Business and Workforce Data: VAWC Occupational Data Employment and Unemployment Industry Data Virginia unemployment rates, July

10 Select Area: State, Counties Tabs: Summary, Narrative, Details, Comparison Area Details include: Area Description; Jobs Employers and Candidates: Education, Training and Work Experience, Employment and Wage Data; Population and Income Data; and Economic Indicators (CPI, Tax Revenues and Building Permits) 10

11 Select Industry and Area Tabs: Summary, Narrative, Details, Comparison Industry Details include: Summary; Employer and Employment Distribution; Projections; Wage Statistics; Occupations and Staffing Patterns 11

12 Economic, Business and Workforce Data More Resources: Labor Market Information Win-Win Network: winwin.workforce3one.org -- community of practice site for integration of data and analysis into workforce development and economic decision making. LMI Training Institute: -- training and information for LMI professionals and users, including LMI for Front-line Staff. Podcast: overview a baker s dozen key sites that business service reps should know about. Businessengagement.workforce3one.org/understand-lmi 12

13 Become a Business Champion Represent businesses internally Promote industries and careers Train staff on targeted industries and demand occupations Display investment by industry Adopt business assessment methods to assess job seekers 13

14 Become a Business Champion, cont. Audit programs and services for alignment with demand Ensure service responsiveness Monitor service delivery for quality and business customer satisfaction Determine pre-job referral baselines Develop customized recruitment 14

15 To become an effective Business Champion, you need: Focus on delivery, not just promotion Listening skills, not just sales skills Data on the local economy, its workforce, and common business practices and human resource challenges 15

16 To become an effective Business Champion, you need: cont. Data on current operations, results, and business community satisfaction Analysis of how business demand and practices fit with your current services and service delivery model Formal processes to present data and promote change for better alignment On-going responsiveness assessment 16

17 Business Champions: Align Services With Demand Find Out Industry, Occupational Demand Satisfaction with Current Referrals Job Skills and Requirements Application Processes Applicant Assessment Processes Screening Processes New Employee Orientation Skills, Beyond Occupational Align Career-Counseling Job Referral Processes Job Order Information Collected Job Search Workshops; Resources Initial and Comprehensive Assessment Pre-Job Referral Standards Job-Readiness Workshops Intensive Services 17

18 Become a Business Connector Catalog all local workforce resources Partner with whole workforce system Include services of others when you promote and propose yours Make a referral ; don t just give information -- make the connection Build relationships through introducing others Support/build local trade associations Connect local trade groups and chambers to national initiatives 18

19 The Right Connection at the Right Time Are you making the right offer to the right person, at the right time? Peaks and Valleys Services and products have times when demand is high (the peaks) and low (the valleys). Use valleys to plan for the peaks and to follow-up on those who have bought during the peak. Organize your service delivery capability to meet demand. Find other products that have peaks...when your current products have valleys. 19

20 Your Role as Business Service Provider What Are the Drivers? Recruitment and Hiring Has Changed! Human resources sophistication Technology Quantity/lack of job applicants Global talent search and competition Need for qualified workers = skills match Hiring for existing and potential skills Jobs are more and more unique Work processes and teams Legal exposure and requirements Desire to reduce risks and costs Security concerns 20

21 Recruitment Buzzwords Social Video Infographics Mobile Candidate Engagement and Personal Brand Research common hiring processes and have services to respond. 21

22 Social Recruiting Trends For recruitment: Hired candidates identified through social media: Through which of these networks have you hired? Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey

23 Business Solutions Service Category Names Information Services i.e., regulations; wage date; industry estimates and projections; labor force demographics; occupation estimates and projections Recruitment Support i.e., vacancy writing and advertising; recruitment facilities and hiring events; access to job seekers/skill bank and job matching; customized hiring process support; incentives for hiring non-traditional workers (tax credits); etc. Skills Development i.e.,on-the-job Training; Train to Advancement OJT; Customized Training (pre/post); incumbent worker training; apprenticeship, etc. Worker Readiness Development i.e., work readiness training; basic skills training and certification; pre-employment certified vocational and occupational training; supported work, internships, work experience; etc. Retention Support (note: area needs the most product development) i.e., Ladders/Lattices/Paths, Skill Based Advancement, etc. Economic and Business Stabilization Services i.e., layoff aversion, Rapid Response, layoff Support Outplacement Services (Rapid Response); individual layoff claim processing Business Development i.e., brokering and navigating other business services, human resource services, economic development services, etc. 23

24 Help Employers Improve Recruitment of Talent 24

25 Five Models: Business and Employer Service Teams 1. Each staff member promotes all partner services when making contact 2. One, One-Stop partner assigned to fulfill the role for the system 3. Program partners assign existing staff to a system-wide team 4. Workforce Board funds separate, dedicated staff 5. Separate (but coordinated) business and employer service teams 25

26 Business Service Teams need: Importance assigned A system (and not program) identity Time to do the team s work Formal, ongoing membership Identified leadership Regular, organized meetings Team skills Clarity of purpose Clear team performance measures Data for continuous improvement Jointly owned action plans Team Activity Menu: Organize and target the market Develop a tiered service menu Assign representatives to the market Set protocols for contact and services Adopt an integrated, marketing plan Create integrated marketing collaterals Maintain a shared customer database Connect job seeker staff to process Assess quality of service delivery Seek alignment with business demand Report and evaluate progress 26

27 Ten Job Responsibilities of Business Representatives 1. Build long-term relationships with key businesses in targeted sectors. 2. Serve as internal champion and liaison for businesses. 3. Promote all of the system s business services to local/regional businesses. Business service staff/teams have the following key responsibilities: 4. Gather business customers complaints and suggestions for improvement, and share the feedback with system staff who can make appropriate changes. Once changes are made, let businesses know that their input has been used to improve services. 27

28 5. Provide a single point of contact (person or process) for all business needs: Assess needs to develop customized packages of services. Create the package of services in a single business services proposal. Coordinate service delivery by linking businesses to all appropriate services/resources. Follow-up with partners and businesses to make sure promised services/resources were satisfactorily delivered. 6. Deliver direct program services. 7. Maintain frequent contact with key employers to meet emerging and changing needs to ensure ensure repeat usage of multiple one-stop services over a long period of time. Ten Job Responsibilities of Business Representatives 28

29 8. Provide timely labor market information. 9. Act as a human resource consultant especially for small to mid-sized companies: Show businesses how to effectively hire, train, re-train, and retain workers. Offer expertise the business doesn t have (e.g., training). Share and customizing labor market information. Present options and service linkages to help solve specific workplace problems. Help businesses assess information and resources. 10. Have an understanding of local business needs: Know what local labor market information means for business. Understand each of the major industry clusters. Understand the local business problems and offer solutions. Know which businesses are hiring or downsizing. Ten Job Responsibilities of Business Representatives 29

30 Join the Linked In Community and begin talking with Business Service Reps from all over the country! Business Services Leadership Website 30

31 Business Services Training Topics 10 Webinars: 1. Clarifying the roles and responsibilities for business services staff 1.1 Four roles for business representatives: business consultant, business champion, business connector and business service provider. 1.2 How to think and act like a recruiter: recruiting and hiring practices have changed. 1.3 Building relationships with the employer community: partner for long-term benefit. 2. Developing and aligning business services with demand. 2.1 (Re)Defining business services based on employer needs. 2.2 Aligning services with business needs; aligning jobseeker services with current recruitment methods. 2.3 Process improvement for an important service: candidate preparation and referral to employers. 2.4 Collecting employer information and ensuring business satisfaction. 3. Marketing and outreach strategies 3.1. Strategic marketing (which is more than a brochure): organizing around the classic five Ps of marketing Account management strategy: how to prioritize outreach to new customers while maintaining and growing your business with current customers Outreach tips, tools and tactics: first meeting success, presentation skills, marketing materials and more. 3 Training Templates: (not delivered as webinars) 4. Demand-driven workforce development: defined and achieved 4.1 Understanding the current economy and employer market (based on state and local LMI). 4.2 Current human resource challenges and how the workforce system can respond and address these. 4.3 Options for targeting the employer market (i.e., by industry or sector) and developing an action plan. 31

32 Your seminar leader... Along with her colleagues at Greg Newton Associates, Melanie Arthur is a national consultant in the creation and evolution of effective workforce development systems. Her work features outcomes that are demand-driven and aligned with economic development -- as well as being responsive to customers and leading to program performance success. Melanie has worked with and trained more than 50,000 public and nonprofit professionals from across the country -- in more than 40 states. She is best known for work in three areas: optimal Workforce Board development and strategic planning, unique approaches to building relationships with businesses, and her innovative ideas for one-stop integration. 32