Conducting an Employer Needs Analysis and Job Development Strategies for Customized Employment
Negotiating a customized employment relationship based on employer needs
Michael Callahan
Marc Gold & Associates
January 13, 2010
From the Employer’s Side
Unmet workplace needs
Customized Employment provides a strategy for employers to focus on the unmet needs that inevitably occur in a time of multi-tasking, high expectation demand.
From the Employer’s Side
Tasks better performed by others
Customized Employment can focus on the discrete tasks of job descriptions relating to highly skilled and credentialed positions in workplaces.
From the Employer’s Side
Specific employee competencies
Customized Employment can utilize specific job seeker competencies based on discovering their “strengths, needs and interests” and matches and negotiates with existing employer needs.
Value Added to Employers: The Customized Process
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Discovery
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Capturing discovery through profiles
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Customized employment planning
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Portfolio/visual resume development
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Job development representation/ Needs Analysis
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Workplace analysis, accommodations, support
Employer Needs Analysis (pt.1)
All workplaces have unmet needs, even when fully staffed, but particularly in difficult economic times
Employer Needs Analysis (pt.2)
Employers can turn each unmet need into a task:
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Excess data entry
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Assisting receptionist during heavy calling
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Performing episodic duties: collating for meeting
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Augmenting low producing employees
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Relieving employees during break
Employer Needs Analysis (pt.3)
During Job Development, the Job Developer negotiates to perform Needs Analysis
Each unique workplace has needs
Conducting an Employer Needs Analysis
This process can be conducted in three ways:
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As a part of informational, “discovery” interviews with employers, concurrent with individualized job development
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As a part of individualized job development, following the tour, one employer at a time
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As a part of general activity in the community by job developers, family members and job seekers
Employer Needs Analysis : Informational Interview
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Contact employer with a rationale of community need
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Discuss the role of a needs analysis to determine unmet needs for CE
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Spend discussion time with employer to understand the business
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Tour the business, thoroughly, noting the culture and various tasks
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Arrange for an opportunity to spend several hours observing in various work areas
Job based on an Informational Interview
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Identified general needs in:
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Reception
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DJs area
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Advertising
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Station manager’s office
Employer Needs Analysis: During each contact
An Employer Needs Analysis most often negotiated during job development. The analysis typically occurs on the second or third interaction with an employer and often follows the tour of the business.
A Needs Analysis may take from 1 – 3 hours or more to conduct, depending on the number of workplace areas to be examined and the size of the business.
Negotiating a Needs Analysis
Job developers can offer three options for conducting a Needs Analysis:
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Conduct the Analysis at no charge to the employer
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Conduct the Analysis in a partnership between employer representative and provider
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If desired, have the employer conduct the Analysis without assistance
Employer Needs Analysis: Employee/ Task focus
Target employees performing job tasks to identify possible areas that might need additional support:
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Episodic duties
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Tasks better performed by others at a lower pay grade
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Tasks needing additional production assistance
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Back-ups/Bottlenecks
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Material/tool supply
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Interruptions
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Wasted motions
Episodic Task:
Setting up a drum set
Slower Component/ Task Better Performed by Others:
Inserting background greenery
Material Supply:
Stocking cash registers
Wasted motions:
Tool/task assistance
Employer Needs Analysis:
Environmental Focus
Notice non-task related issues:
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Unattended materials/documents
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Waste/scrap materials
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Consistent errors
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Misplaced materials/goods
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Dusty, broken, dirty goods/materials
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Missed opportunities
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Unsafe or unsightly conditions
Unsafe conditions:
Sweeping laminate chips
Customers Waiting:
Medical Imaging
Employer Needs Analysis:
Customer focus
As appropriate, focus on customers who use the business
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Customers waiting
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Customers confused
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Customers needing specific information
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Customers angry or with complaints
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Customers needing assistance
Employer Needs Analysis
Employer Engagement
Engage employer in a self-analysis of the workplace. Ask employer to consider:
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Unmet needs – ”Things that need to get done that are not getting done”
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Tasks better performed by others at a lower pay grade
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Tasks needing specific productivity assistance
Unmet Need:
Delivery of Faxes
Unmet Need:
Filing and Sorting
Employer Needs Analysis:
General observations in Community
Employment staff can take the opportunity to observe unmet needs in a variety of publicly available settings in the community:
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Outside areas of businesses
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Inside retail settings, common areas such as malls, etc.
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While receiving services in community or at home
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While traveling around community
The Sales Aspect of Job Development
Customized job development is primarily a negotiation interaction with employers that seeks to find an intersection between employer needs and job seeker contribution.
Successful Job Development
Sales focused steps…
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Prospecting: research and Planning
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Making employer contacts: getting in the door
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Holding the initial meeting; making your pitch to explain customized employment
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Follow-up negotiations- making the final match: Employer / Job-seeker
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Closing the deal
Elements of Successful, Individualized Prospecting
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Determine your negotiables relating to customized employment services.
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Research the targeted business to obtain information necessary for successful negotiations and matching.
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Identify already-existing linkages which may be of help in more narrowly targeting and securing jobs.
Elements of Successful, Individualized Prospecting (cont.)
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Obtain and use referrals which can assist in getting appointments and job opportunities.
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Develop a system/strategy for compiling and organizing information on employers.
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Develop and use a business vocabulary and strive to view employment issues both from a business and human service perspective.
Getting in the Front Door
Decide on the type of initial contact to use to get an appointment for a face-to-face meeting
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Third party connection
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Informal Contact
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Drop-in Visit
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Telephone Contact with letter of self-referral
Initial Presentation Outline (1&2)
1. Introductions
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Introduce yourself -- business card, referrals
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Introduce your agency -- brochure, fact sheets
2. Why you are here
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“We match applicant skills with employer needs” through customized employment
Initial Presentation Outline (3&4)
3. How we do what we do
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Use portfolio to explain the negotiation and support strategies to be used
4. Introduce applicant represented
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Use portfolio to explain the tasks/contributions of the applicant
Initial Presentation Outline (6)
5. Close the initial presentation
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Ask for an opportunity to return for additional discussions, a tour of the business and a needs analysis
Cutting the Deal:
Follow-up Negotiations
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Offer in-depth information about the training, facilitation and support procedures which are to be offered
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Learn about and assess the company
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Handle the negotiation stance taken by the employer
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Target and define the job tasks to be performed
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Negotiate the conditions and other employer expectations necessary for success
Closing the Deal
Negotiating customized job descriptions is somewhat different that typical sales. Traditional sales techniques call for “closing the deal” at the end of every sales session.
CE requires the development of a relationship and of an understanding between developer and employer.
Closing the Deal (cont.)
It is recommended that developers not try to close in the initial, or possibly even after the second, meeting with employers.
The “close” is appropriate and necessary when it is felt that the employer has enough information to make a positive decision about a customized job.
Comments & Questions
Contact Information
Michael Callahan
Marc Gold & Associates
Email: MICALLAHAN@aol.com
4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. Ste. 102
Gautier, MS 39553
(228) 497-6999
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