It is important to be able to respond effectively to objections that an employer might raise. Objections are not always negative responses and can simply be a request for more information. Being able to pre-empt objections and preparing responses in advance can help you to effectively answer an employer’s concerns.

Some of the common objections are likely to be:

“We don’t need to recruit very often
and so this isn’t very relevant to us”

There are a range of ways that employers can become involved that do not have to involve directly recruiting staff. You could explain the range of pre-employment options open to employers, such as offering work experience/placements or providing interview skills training/coaching. Click here for more information about pre-employment.

Additionally, you could explain to the employer that making what can be relatively simple and straightforward adjustments to their recruitment procedures could mean that when they do need to recruit, they are able to attract a wide range of suitable candidates.

“It sounds as though it could be
very time-consuming and possibly costly”

It will help if you can demonstrate how effective engagement with employability organisations could actually save them time and money in the recruitment process. For example:

• Jobcentre Plus and many employability organisations will advertise vacancies for free and this could therefore cut the costs of recruitment advertising.
• Many employability organisations will pre-screen potential candidates to ensure that they meet the requirements of the post before contacting the employer - this can save time during the shortlisting process and help to ensure that candidates have the skills needed by the employer.
• The Access to Work programme run by Jobcentre Plus can provide grants to help employers meet additional costs that can result from employing someone with a disability. Click here for more information about Access to Work.

“I’ve had a bad experience with
recruiting from these groups before”

Take the time to explore with the employer what went wrong and consider how you could address their concerns. For example:

• You could encourage them to ‘test the water’ by becoming involved in pre-employment initiatives that do not require them to commit to employing someone.
• Work Trials arranged through Jobcentre Plus allow employers to try someone out for up to 15 days on a trial basis. Click here for more information about the Work Trial Programme.

“It sounds as though it could be really hard work"

You should talk to the employer about the range of support that could be available to them from employability organisations. This could include pre-screening and job matching of candidates and the provision of aftercare support once a client starts work.

It will help if you are familiar with the range and type of support that is available to employers from employability organisations in your local area.