Building the business connection

Building the Business Connection

Seeing Ourselves Through the Eyes of Our Customers

Accurate or not, perception is reality.

• Has the history and past performance of the workforce system influenced what business thinks of us today?

• Do they see a seamless, integrated One Stop system designed to meet the demands of business?

• Do they see that we continually adapt and change the way we work with business?


Who does business think we are?

Who do they think we serve?

What do they think we are good at

doing?

What makes us different from others providing similar services?


Who would we like to be known as?

What businesses would we like to serve?

What would we like to be good at doing?

What would make us different from

others providing similar services?

Improving the Business Connection

When serving business we need to . . .

Be aware of the challenges our business customers face.

Relate our services to the solutions they need.

An Overall Strategy for Improving the Business Connection

1. Study & understand the business environment.

2. Identify customers and identify their needs, expectations & preferences.

3. Analyze current product/service offerings.

4. Identify gaps between customer needs and current products or services.

5. Improve or create new product and service offerings.


How well do we know the general business environment?

How well do we know our local business customers, both current and future?

How can we learn more?


What issues affect businesses today?

• Technology change & growth

• Skills mismatches

• Aging/retiring workforce

• Immigration

• Shift to the knowledge economy

• Generational differences in the workforce

• Globalization

• Others . . .


What issues affect the industries and businesses in our local community?

Changing sales volume or market share?

New products or services?

Changing workforce demographics?

Understaffed Human Resource functions?

New companies or industries

Others?

Conduct an Environmental Scan

Identify and discuss the issues, events, gaps, circumstances, etc. that affect the general business environment.

Identify the issues, events, gaps, circumstances, etc. that are affecting your local business community.

How Can We Educate Ourselves About Business Concerns?

Local Business Community

Association and industry journals

Industry directories

Business section of newspaper

Feature articles and classified ads

Chambers of Commerce & economic development entities

Business and industry organizations

Trade shows, industry/association meetings

Learning More About Our Business Customers

Focus groups

Customer interviews

Point of service customer feedback surveys

Exit surveys

Analysis of customer inquiries, comments and complaints

Shared information among staff, partner agencies

Service/Product Inventory

What services/products do we offer now?

How well do the current products and services available to employers address the business needs and issues we just discussed?

Are there services needed but not offered?

Business Services should be…

Comprehensive & System-wide Consultative HR Services that address:

Information and research needs Recruitment Retention Training Business growth

Engaging key business sectors and local employers in program design

A Portfolio of Solutions

Reduce recruitment costs and increase retention through screening and referral of job-ready candidates

Develop a more competitive workforce by connecting to customized training

Use real-time information about local wages and economic trends to inform your business decisions

Increase profitability through an analysis of available tax credits and business incentives

http://www.doleta.gov/business/pdf/Employers%20and%20the%20Public%20Workforce%20System_final.pdf

Customer Relationship Management

More than job development

Not just “selling “ product and services

Helping customers solve problems

Providing help even when there may be no immediate gain

Creates a long-term relationship

Builds credibility, confidence and trust

Customer Relationship Management

Workforce systems with very active business services operations:

Have a passion for resolving the employer’s need.

Go to great lengths to find or develop the help needed.

Broker a wide array of business services, even when outside the scope of job matching and training.

Build partner relationships with other providers (public and private) who can provide needed services.

Make it easy for customers to use their services!

Lessons Learned

In studies of local workforce areas, several successful key factors emerge in the design of business services:

Make business services a priority.

Embrace a “Never Say No” attitude.

Unified team of account representatives.

Strategically choosing businesses to serve.

Involve customers in service design.

Consider fee-supported services as part of service mix.

Lessons Learned

Develop knowledge base on key industries and businesses.

One-on-one relationships with business accounts.

Define your market niche in the community.

Solicit customer satisfaction feedback.

Use performance data to make changes.

Pay attention to what others are doing.

You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Measure

Measures of Successful Performance

• Customer Satisfaction

• Numbers of new customers

• Employer Awareness

• Business Customer Retention

• Employee Retention Rate

• Service cycle time

• Retention of employees hired

• Market share/market penetration

• Others?

You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Measure

How do we know we are doing the right things and doing them well?

• Measure performance at the One Stop Center level.

• Document trends over time.

• Measure processes as well as outcomes.

• Differentiate results among industries and various sizes of employers.

• Ask businesses what is most critical.

• Use a variety of touch points and methodologies to gather feedback.

You Never Get a Second Chance…To Make a First Impression

In Person or By Phone: Listen for indication of the needs of

the employer.

Specific and descriptive language to describe business solutions.

Describe features, advantages, and benefits (FAB’s) -- Not services, programs, or funding sources.

Avoid acronyms & workforce jargon at all cost!

Professional appearance and manner, concise delivery.

Expedite service delivery.


Brochures, flyers, advertisements:

Know who your target audience is.

Focus on the audience, not on your agency.

Choose only key points to highlight the organization.

If there are other important elements, list them in simple bullet points or in a chart.

Define and focus on key benefits of using the service. Use “You get” language, not “We offer”.

Promote the benefits to business, not the features of the programs.


Brochures, flyers, advertisements: Use customer quotes to demonstrate customer’s value

& appreciation. Don’t cram everything in; make it easy on the eye by

using plenty of blank/white space. Use professional photographs to enhance the look-

and-feel of the brochure. Include a contact name, number, and website address. Don’t list every system partner. Businesses don’t care. Use the language of your customers. Review

brochures, ads and other marketing tools from local businesses to ensure compatible language.

Do these words speak “business”?

Dislocated At-risk Case Manager Employer Job Order Support Services

What terms would be more “business-friendly”?

Challenges to consider - but not hold us back!

Limited resources: Thousands of businesses for each Business Services Staff Person

Can’t be all things to all customers

Spread too thin without focus reduces effectiveness

Existing resources are divided among different organizations with different cultures and missions

Carol WargoWorkforce Dimensions

[email protected]

Thank you for your participation!