Working with Indiana Businesses
Business Outreach
Training 1
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
The Three Components of
Indiana Business Outreach
1. Business Community Marketing
2. Business Partnerships – Internal Development
3. Provider Collaboration & Training
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
The Business Outreach Vision
As a part of its overall mission, VR will provide Indiana businesses with a variety of disability-focused services. In addition to employer development, business con sulting, and corporate relations, VR staff involved in business outreach will also actively develop partnerships with corporations and small/mid-sized businesses to help them create internal strategies to directly tap into the Indiana disability community as a powerful labor (and customer) source.
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Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
The Foundation
1. Business Focus:
VR will take a “business-first” approach, developing support plans that meet companies’ needs and helping Indiana businesses develop internal strategies and units to work effectively with and in the disability community.
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The Foundation, cont.
2. Business Trust:
VR will build trust with the Indiana business community by being responsive and dedicated to providing quality services to the business customer.
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3. Primary Point of Contact:
Business partners often prefer to work through a pri mary point of contact when working with area providers. VR will use this methodology, wherever possible, to increase efficiency for each business partner.
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
The Foundation, cont.
The Foundation, cont.
4. Feedback Loops:
These loops will be incorporated into the business outreach approach to ensure quality in service delivery to businesses across the state.
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Employment Services & Innovations—Values
Time spent with business is time well spent ESI aims to integrate the dual-customer
approach ESI focuses on long-term business relations,
not one-time “job placements” ESI looks to lead from behind, always seeking
opportunities to build capacity in business partners
ESI seeks to position itself as a resource to businesses
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Ten Principles of Employment Services &
Innovations1. Do not devalue the services that can be
offered by ESI and Vocational Rehabilitation to businesses.
2. Respect each specific corporate culture.
3. Take time to learn about the operational aspects of the company.
4. Build trust – don’t expect to have a trusting relationship after the first meeting.
5. Do a lot of listening.Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Ten Principles, cont.
6. Bring good counseling skills to the table – reflecting, encouraging, observing .
7. Do not overpromise – lean toward under promising and over delivering.
8. Step up our game with business people – always follow up and follow through.
9. Be creative and use your diverse skill set as rehab counselors to customize ideas.
10.Provide specific examples of how disability outreach impacts other companies (i.e. Walgreens, Project SEARCH).
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
A Changing Philosophy
1. Dual Customer
2. Career vs. Job
3. Business vs. Employer
4. Business Development vs. Job Placement
5. Designated Business Account Manager
6. Qualified vs. Job Ready
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Opportunities for Business Direct access to the large and growing labor
and customer pool of persons with disabilities
Ongoing support services that meet individualized business needs
Access to a set of valuable, customized business consulting services
Development of internal strategies that foster diversity and business growth
Support from disability experts
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Opportunities for Consumers
Expanded information about company culture, recruiting, retention and promotion practices
Increased short-term and long-term employment opportunities
Heightened potential for development of successful career paths
Working in companies where increased internal support and advocacy exist
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Opportunities for VR
Leveraged partnerships with business, based on existing credibility, trust, and deliverability
Opportunities to create stronger career paths and more opportunities for consumers with disabilities
Local & statewide networking to develop more long-term relationships within the Indiana business community
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Opportunities for VR, continued
A sustainable program where VR delivers quality services to business with a measure of consistency across city & county lines
Sustained, long-term VR partnerships with business, creating “repeat business” opportunities
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Challenges
Competition for employment opportunities
Confronting long-term attitudinal barriers about people with disabilities in the workplace
VR will be seen as a government entity, which is not always positive in the business community
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Challenges, cont.
Operational challenges developing a Business Account Manager approach and insuring responsiveness to business customers
Philosophical shift to the dual-customer approach for management
Defining this new approach to customers and the community
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Services Provided
Diversity Training Human Resource Mentoring Recruiting/Screening/Training Support Disability Management ADA Consultation and Training Visual Management
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Services Provided, cont.
Job Accommodation/Modification Rehabilitation/Assistive Technology State and Federal Financial Incentives On-the-Job Training and Job Tryouts Job Coaching Marketing Collaboration
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Key Objectives
Communication
Marketing
Business Development
Training
Evaluation
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services