While it’s easy to maintain a good working relationship with your employers when there are active job opportunities to fill, what happens in between those times, when the opportunities are slim? You certainly don’t want your employers to feel like you only call them when you want something. These are the times you need to look for other ways to show your value and keep them with you. It’s been my experience that businesses are just as interested in maintaining a good relationship with you as you are with them, but often they just don’t know how.
One of the most positive and productive ways I’ve found to create and maintain that bond with employers is through a Business Advisory Council (BAC) or other formal structure that brings your businesses (not service agencies) together. Having a group of like-minded employers that meet monthly or quarterly gives them an opportunity to highlight their business and product, network, and provide leadership in the community. It also makes the business feel invested in what you are doing when they are asked for advice or feedback.
An easy way to bring businesses together is by setting up a Round Robin interview session. Solicit the participation of 3-4 employers who have successfully hired clients from you in the past and want to continue to support your organization’s mission and vision.
The goal of this activity is to:
- Get your employers involved in something that requires little time; I recommend no more than one hour.
- Have them see that they can still have a positive impact even when they aren’t currently hiring.
- Create a sense of community with your organization as the hub.
- Highlight the services you provide and the steps you take to prepare your candidates, so the employers are aware firsthand who you are sending to them.
- Help your clients build their interviewing skills!
The interview sessions can take place at one of the employers’ business locations or at your own. Each client should be responsible for getting to the interview site on their own unless you would normally provide their transportation, and they should come dressed for interviewing. We have seen employers “that weren’t hiring” hire from this type of event!
Below are four easy steps to set up a Round Robin interview session with your businesses and clients:
Step 1: Set up your 3-4 employers in separate rooms so they are comfortable (make sure they have water handy) and a formalized way to assess the client’s interviewing skills, such as an interview checklist.
Step 2: Handpick 6-8 candidates that are ready for the interview stage. This means you have already worked with and coached them on interview basics. This is also great for the candidate that may have already gone on several interviews but has not received a job offer.
Step 3: Send one candidate into each interviewer. These interviews should last no more than 10 minutes. Each interviewer should complete the interview checklist and rate the client’s “hire-ability” on a scale of 1-10. A rating of 10 would be that the employer would hire the client if a position was available.
Step 3: Debrief! As each candidate comes out of their interview, take a few minutes to review the checklist, coach them, and send them into the next available interviewer!
Step 4: Encourage! This can be stressful for your candidates. Keep them focused on the improvement they are making with each interview. Keep it fast-paced and upbeat for the employer.
The goal is to provide each candidate with at least three to four interviews. The benefit is two-fold: You will see a rapid improvement in your clients’ interviewing skills from the quick succession of interview, practice, and reinforcement! You’ll also engage your businesses in the process, reinforcing the efforts you take to prepare your candidates when going for an interview. Conducting brief follow-up sessions is a good way to gather feedback on the Round Robin process, and help you take the next steps in creating your own Business Advisory Council!
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