The initial engagement of SME employers is critical to developing a good relationship between advisors and individual employers. SMEs may be hesitant about recruiting from priority groups and have fears about the risks that this might present to their business.
Healthy Working Lives advisors and employability advisors have important roles to play in marketing the benefits that these groups can bring to businesses. This requires an in-depth understanding of the individual needs of different employers and an ability to match services to these needs.
Key Principles for Success
Establish their needs not yours – effective engagement with employers will be easier if you can identify and understand how to help them recruit new employees, rather than telling employers what you and your clients need from them.
Think about different methods for marketing your services and engaging with employers - different businesses will respond to different approaches.
Sell the benefits of your services not the features – employers want to know what their business will gain from using your services.
Always consider abilities over disabilities – talk to employers about what prospective employees can do rather than focusing on what they can’t do.
Know what you can add – it will help if you know the full range of services that your organisation can provide and how these can be of benefit to employers.
Be prepared – it helps to plan for all potential and actual engagements with employers and to consider how you can respond quickly to what employers want.
For Healthy Working Lives Advisors this section provides advice and guidance on:
For Employability Advisors this section provides advice and guidance on:
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