Doing more with less
Posted by: jphatala in structure, strategy, job search, deficit on
Oct 23, 2009
In light of the recent economic conditions and provincial and federal deficits, there's bound to be some cuts to the employment program sector. Most likely, the sector will be required to serve as many, if not more job seekers with the same resources. So what to do?
The key is to become strategic on how employment services are delivered to help the job seeker. Most likely, case loads will increase and there won't be as much time to spend with each individual. This calls for a plan of action that involves a structured intervention for job seekers to work on their own. The best advice I can offer is to think in terms of the job search path and goal setting.
If the job search path includes A and B jobs and goal setting is all about breaking the overall objective into bite size pieces, the more manageable the job search will become. The more success the job seeker experiences along their job search path, the greater the likelihood that they will remain motivated. Additionally, if the job seeker conducts a parallel job search for both A and B jobs, the chances of running into job opportunities dramatically increases.
In terms of job search activity, it's important that the job seeker have a strategy on how they conduct and manage the job search process. If you lay out the ground rules and let them know what kind of information you require to make suggestions, it will be easier to give feedback by email or phone, rather then having to meet in person. It's all about the job seeker providing you with the info you require to make suggestions. After all, your time will be tight.
I would love to hear what you're doing to deal with the influx of job seekers. What strategies have you implemented to deal with more clients with the same resources?
JP
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Service providers need to effectively and efficiently assess their clients job goals and steer them in the right direction. Through interventions and one-on-one coaching, a skilled employment consultant should be able to determine what focus areas need the most attention. Once this process has been completed it is vital to equip the job seeker with the right tools and resources so that they can go out on their own and conduct an effective job search.
Once the job seeker has an updated resume in their hands and a clear idea as to what industry they would like to work in, job leads can be emailed, faxed or phoned in to them directly, saving the two of you valueable time.
Its crucial to teach and enforce self reliance to job seekers. Make them accountable each day when they are job searching by giving them a job search log that they can use when job serching.
The goal should be to get the job seeker on the right employment path without taking up too much time. Because, now more than ever, jobs are being filled extremely fast. So there is no time to waste.