Article 3 – Job Development Techniques in a Recession

In a recession, or in any labour market where the largest number or most of the 
jobs are in the hidden job market (like in a smaller rural community), it is 
necessary to plan a series of methods to make contact with employers and find 
the hidden jobs. Often job development relies on the open job market - the jobs 
listed in the newspaper and other advertising methods, asking if someone is 
hiring, or using existing employer relationships to find opportunities. With the 
recession pushing the open job market underground and employers not 
responding to open requests for identifying themselves as hiring, we need to 
expand into different contact methods.

The First Method – the relationship first.
The first method that works well in prepping for a recession, or working in a rural 
setting, is reversing the standard equation and asking for the relationship first 
and the job later (sometimes much later). We spend our initial time in the job 
market getting to know employers through their business needs, not educating 
them about our services or getting them to hire a candidate. We just want the 
relationship. This means the getting to know phase is about understanding the 
employer, not getting them to understand us. 

The getting-to-know-the-employer focus works best where the employer's 
management team does not turn over very often. Once you get to know the 
employer, they are still around for a while so you have time to work the 
relationship. If management is continually coming and going, it is better to just 
ask about the job and work the relationship through filling a job.  Working the 
relationship first and the job opportunity second builds the best long-term 
business, but it is slower than the job first, relationship-building after the job has 
been found. Relationship building is a powerful, loyalty generating means by 
which to connect to employers, making you a trusted source before you even 
supply the candidate. This is why it works well in rural environments.

What do we say?
With the relationship first strategy, you need a reason for getting to know the 
employer to use as your opening line to request a meeting. "We would like to get 
to know you so we can see if there is some business we can do with you" is an 
okay generic opening line but probably not strong enough in recessionary times. 
A better line would be something like: "We are trying to build an effective 
employment program to help out employers in these tough (recessionary) times. 
We know that we need to get to know local employers employment needs first. I 
am wondering if I can meet with you to discuss your hiring needs and issues and 
use that to help me build my employment program"?

Or one with a slightly different spin: "We know that times are tough for all 
employers and we want to learn about local employer employment needs to see 
if there is anything we can build or target that might help everyone involved. I 
was wondering if you would spend 45 minutes with me discussing your needs, to 
give me some directions to work from. I will let you see the results so you can 
comment on the program I build."

What to ask for?
The next step after the employer agrees to see you is to ask about their 
employment needs, present and future. There is no discussion of what you have 
to offer as we assume that at this point that has not been fully developed. The 
position has to be one of getting to know the employer and not the position of 
informing the employer about your program or your candidates. You may get job 
offers while in this process of getting to know the employer but this should be 
seen as a bonus. 

This is why we don't use an education mindset, which sees itself as transferring 
information to the employer in the form of an education. We are not there to 
transfer information to the employer but rather to collect it from the employer. 
Relationships initially are better build because you listen rather than you talk. 

After you gather the employer information you schedule a return visit to outline 
your adjusted program. You make links between the information gathered and 
adjustments to your program on the return visit.  You will have built a relationship 
that you earned you the right to present candidates when someone effective 
arises. . At this point you are unlikely to be rebuffed by the employer as the 
employer knows you know them and will see the candidate offer as an offer 
working in their best interest. It will also prompt them to call you when positions 
open and you become part of their hidden job market and referral to other jobs 
network.

Indirect outreach
You can also set up a more indirect out reach system by sending out a 
newsletter (regular mail or email), highlighting several candidates that may 
interest your employers. . With more contact, stronger employer relationships are 
built, which will produce jobs over all times.

Public speaking – Useful tool in a recession
The second relationship building technique good in recessionary times is public 
speaking. Presentation to any group of adults (not necessarily identified 
employer groups) will connect you to employers or people who know employers. 
With public presentations, you can use one of two approaches. 

One, you can say, "We want to help our community and our local employers and 
we have resources to do so. We are not sure what we could do to be the most 
help. Our solution will need to make use of the labor force we represent. I would 
like to ask anyone who has any ideas to discuss these with us.  We will entertain 
any ideas about job openings, new jobs that could be created or support in hiring 
to local employers. Let me explain some of the solutions we have built for 
others". Now mention other hiring solutions or opportunities you have been 
involved in such as job carving, OJTs, supported employment or any innovative 
solutions. It is the flexibility in creating solutions that gets this group's attention 
and brings forward employers interest. .

The second approach is to offer in the public presentation what you are offering 
in the one-on-one approach: "We want to build a locally responsive employment 
program by understanding local employers' present and future hiring needs. We 
have a lot of resources available that we can use. Let me tell you about our 
resources and how we have addressed the employment needs of others. I invite 
you to discuss with me later your issues to help us guide building our program."

All these techniques are based on getting an opportunity to connect with the 
employer to construct that ever-valuable employer relationship, before you or 
even the employer knows whether there will be a job opening. 

The recession is addressed through relationships built prior to the recession. If 
you are building them now, they will serve you well both in the recession and 
once it is over.

We provide training and consultation on any aspect of Job Development. Feel 
free to visit our website @ www.dtg-emp.com or email me at allen@dtg-emp.com 
for more solutions.