Employers are also beginning to set new expectations from their partners

Understand business needs (job types, salary, benefits & skill sets)

Establishment of contracts

Clearly defined roles & responsibilities

Frequently onsite

Same standards, same expectations

Same timelines and deliverable criteria

Companies might request MOU’s

And many are asking for NDA’s to ensure confidentiality

Deliver what you say – if you can’t – fix it or make recommendations

Service ProvidersAs Vendors

Service ProvidersAs employees

Accountable &

Confidential

1

Business Needs & Concerns

2

Business Needs DescriptionsPolicies, procedures & training

Understand what is impacting companies (Legislation, applicable state laws)

How will the company implement the new policies? And how will they affect the population you serve?

What can you help them with? Do they need training?Finding the right partner to source candidates

Employers are often overwhelmed by the number and type of agencies

Agencies need to understand the types of talent needed, the numbers needed, and where to find that talent

Identifying candidates & establishing the pipeline

Typically employers want to know they can hire more than 3-5 candidates

Establishing a pipeline whether through other agencies or training that talent within is critical

Metrics (we can’t say it enough)

Measure what is important to employers (performance, attendance, sales etc.)

90 days does not make success – track beyond it – even with a phone call

Move from Rehabilitation Language to Business Language

• Rehabilitation Clients Rehabilitation Agency Follow -up Service Provider

Job coaching

persons with disabilities

• BusinessCandidates, Applicants or

employees

Employment Agency

Retention Services

Vendor/Sourcing Agency

Supports & Training on the Job

Candidates with skills

3

Issues for consideration…

• Corporate culture is critical for success

• Focus on the employer needs

• Businesses have a different timetable – respect it

• Employers are still fearful

• Your expertise is needed

• Companies want to expand diversity

• You are their resource

Disability is

DiversityTraining

CultureUrgency

4

Getting prepared is critical

• See the business as your customer• Sell your services – know what you can offer

Marketing

• Take tours/onsite visits• What are the jobs they recruit for

Know/Learn the Business

• Present the employer with a plan to work together• Put it in writing

Strategy Design

• Work with your community partners• Meet as many people in the organization as possible

Build/Maintain Networks

• Know what the employer needs and deliver it• Touch base frequently in many cases a phone call is enough to stay

connected

Relationship Management

5

NOD’s top 10 list will provide service providers with steps to be seen as a vendor of choice for businesses!

1. Understand people with disabilities can be a viable part of the workforce - if you don’t believe it now move to do something else. Believe in your product!

2. Know what you want your program to be, what will it look like, what will make it unique to businesses

3. Conduct an audit of existing disability services for businesses: Where are you? Where should you be? What do you need to add or develop

4. Identify opportunities to network, make presentations and sell your program- (not your clients)

5. Identify other local partners who can help supply the talent with disabilities.

6

NOD’s top 10 list will provide service providers with steps to be seen as the vendor of choice: cont.

6. Set Goals –target specific businesses with potential skill sets of you candidate pool. Look for diverse opportunities from many businesses.

7. Train your staff – define your benefits for the business, expand better communication opportunities ( social media), & help your staff to see that businesses are the customers.

8. Establish a way to help the business partners even thought it is not a part of your existing services, mandates & budget.

9. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – get feedback, don’t be afraid to try new things

10. Track, Measure & Share Progress – Build a data base and document the successes as well as what didn’t work so well. Keep trying. And share your results with others.

7

Change Your Mind to Change the Way to Work With Businesses

8

Create A Real Mind Shift!

* See businesses as an equal customer (same as the person with a disability)

Be willing to work with the employer without funding from VR or DD. (Find another way)

Willingness to broker candidates from other non-transition sources for businesses.

Market your program --- not your people!

Go beyond your comfort zone and look beyond traditional types of employment opportunities.

Build a reliable data base and tracking system & use social media.

Features of Being a Single Point of Contact

vs. a VALUED PARTNER

9

SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT

Driven by VR or a Community

Provider.

One sided expectations from Supply

side.

Willing to source candidates from

their caseloads only.

Services to businesses are provided

on a short term basis and driven by

funding for a particular person with a

disability

VALUED PARTNER

Driven by the Business and their

needs.

Mutual understanding of roles and

expectations.

Willing to work with other

rehabilitation programs in the

community to find the talent for

businesses

Services to businesses are seen as

on-going and built on a business

relationship.

DO’s & DON’TS --- don’t get confused

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What NOT to do!

Don’t ask employers to change their jobs (they can change the “how” not the “what”)

Don’t try to sell them skills or talent they don’t need

Don’t say – that’s not my job. If it’s not your job, find someone who can help them

Don’t get too involved in the rehab system – they won’t understand it and in many cases won’t care

What you SHOULD do!

Get to know the business --- ask a lot of questions (hours, salary, skills needed, education, background checks, training, where is their flexibility etc.)

Under-promise and over-deliver

Be accountable – if something isn’t working, fix it. And if you can’t fix it, demonstrate you have tried everything to solve the problem

Ask them to help you with other company connections

Train, Train, Train and train again

Businesses tell us the best way to be approached …

Understand my business

Connect with local managers –make an appointment to explain your program and its benefits

Never make a cold call- have your ducks in a row with a clear purpose in mind for your visit

11

And what they expect from service providers

Become my business partner! Understand my business! (We can’t say this enough)

Learn my needs and look for creative solutions to meet them. Also, believe your applicant can do the work.

Demonstrate you know about accommodations and how to work with individuals with disabilities.

12

Features of Quality Services From

Denise Bissonnette

13

Satisfactory Services

View job placement as an end.

Quality defined by service provider

Focus on placement

Aspires to be good enough for

employer

Deals with problem when known

View employer complaints/problems

as things to get over

Quality Services

View job placement as a beginning

Quality defined by employer

Focus on job retention and pipeline

Aspires to go the extra mile to provide

service to employer

Values complaint as opportunities to

quickly strengthen relationships

Rural Areas and Job Development

• Easier to identify the businesses.• Access to key people is possible.• Always talk about needs of the employer

first.• It is easier to get involved with community and

business leaders.• Get the community involved with your

program and mission.• It is all about networking because most of the

jobs are hidden. 14

Building Business Networks

• Get to the right people in the community.

• Sell your programs and ideas about employment for people with disabilities as a business case.

15

Businesses need to buy you and your program before they will hire your candidates!

MOU- Role and Responsibilities

• Purpose

• Overview

• Roles and Responsibilities for each party

• Evaluation

16

Building Your Portfolio

17

• Brochure for your organization• Success Stories• Recommendations from other Businesses• List of Business Customers• Contact Information

Items to Include:

Business Relationship Essentials

It’s All About People!

18

Communication is about trust

Relationships are about communication

People are about relationships

• Someone to lead the effort • Commitment to work together (Building

Trust)• Establish Objectives and Outcomes• Timelines and Tracking• Evaluate the results and successes &

revise the plan

Sustaining the relationship

19

Building Your Data Base – WHY??

Tracks Your Business

Connections

Helps New Staff

Demonstrates Value and Shows

Your Commitment

Increases Your Credibility With

Business

Development of Reports & Planning

20

Making It Work -

Assign Staff To Enter Data & Keep Fresh

Use The Data Captured For

Training, Reports, etc

Make Sure Staff Sees

the Benefits and Value

21

Get Face to Face with Businesses- join business groups and make presentations.

Networking makes life easier- Networking builds relationships

Learn to ask for the business or relationship- .

Develop a YES attitude and don’t give up.

Be willing to go the extra mile for the business customer-Find a way to do it!.

1

2

3

4

5

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Five Ideas for Positive Change

23

Selected Partners, Funders, and CEO Council Members