by David Hoff and Kathy Petkauskos

The two general sessions at the Massachusetts Job Developer's Conference in December 2008 featured a number of employer presentations: a morning keynote by Felicia Nurmsen, Branch Manager at Adecco and at the end of the day, an interactive panel of three employers featuring Patrick Flavin of The TJX Companies, Inc., Lisa Trearchis of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, and Joseph Maglione of Genzyme Corporation. Audience members may have thought they would come away with new job development approaches for the Internet and high-tech age.

However, what they heard was that while we might be in the age of modern information technology, it is still important to stick to the basics: relationship building, networking, understanding the needs of business, and being persistent.

While these are strategies often discussed in training for job developers, and that many audience members had likely heard before, to hear this information directly from the employers themselves helped to reinforce the idea that there are no magic answers, and that job development in the modern age is not radically different from how it's always been. In addition to these common themes, the employers offered a few thoughts on current issues, such as electronic applications, and the use of the Internet. Here are a few highlights of what they shared:

·        The importance of persistence: Persistence was a key theme, and was particularly emphasized by Felicia Nurmsen of Adecco. During her presentation, Felicia shared the story of how when she was originally approached by Bill Allen about working with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, she just wasn't interested. At that point, Bill could've given up. However, he continued to follow-up with Felicia, and built a solid relationship over time. As a result, Adecco has not only hired numerous individuals with disabilities, but Felicia is now a real champion for the cause.

·        Start by identifying employer needs: Another common theme among all the business representatives was the importance of identifying and understanding the employer's needs before presenting a candidate. This was emphasized by Lisa Trearchis of Raytheon, who described her experience with job developers and placement specialists, who start off a conversation by focusing only on how Raytheon can help them (by hiring the candidate they represent), instead of taking the time to understand the general issues and needs the business is dealing with, and their specific requirements in terms of staffing. Instead she recommended a problem-solving approach with employers, encouraging job developers to approach employers with a view that their role is to assist employers to solve business problems, not just placing candidates.

·        Personal relationships - more important than ever: With the Internet and email as a primary mechanism for contacting employers and submitting job applications, there may be a sense that personal relationships with employers are no longer necessary or possible. All of the presenters emphasized that nothing could be further from the truth, and in fact that personal relationships are probably now more important than ever. Each of the employer representatives noted that among the advantages of having a personal relationship with a job developer, is the ability to have a better mutual understanding of each other's needs, along with the opportunity to ask employers to take a closer looker at applications submitted by the job seekers which otherwise might get "lost in the pile".

·        Networking is key: So, how do you build those personal relationships that are still so critical? Through good old-fashioned (and some new-fashioned) networking. All of the businesses reinforced the importance of job developers using professional and personal networks to make contacts and build relationships. As part of this discussion, use of business networking sites on the Internet was noted as an important new tool, with Joe Maglione of Genzyme particularly emphasizing the use of LinkedIn stating that anyone from the conference who went on LinkedIn and asked to be part of his network would be accepted. At the same time, it was clear from the employer comments that while Internet networking sites are a great new tool, they are a supplement, not a replacement for traditional networking strategies, such as meeting employers at business events, and using personal connections.

·        Yes, you can negotiate: Job developers may often view employers, particularly large corporations, as inflexible and impersonal. What was clear from the presentations was that there is room for negotiation during the hiring process. However, in conjunction with the previous points, the ability to negotiate requires a personal relationship with the employer. While employers vary in what is and is not negotiable due to company policies and other requirements, all the employers emphasized that if they are made aware of issues that job seekers are encountering in the hiring process (e.g., difficulties with on-line applications, a need to modify job requirements, etc.), these can be discussed and options considered. In response to a specific question regarding the ability of employers to carve out or create positions, and an often repeated perception that employers are unwilling to "job carve", one employer particularly emphasized that his company's job descriptions are flexible, and gave numerous examples of positions that have been carved in their stores. The other employers noted that they also had some flexibility in this regard.

·        Getting help: In conjunction to the previous point, all the business representatives noted the importance of making them aware of issues that arise. For example, if a job developer is encountering issues with the hiring manager, the job developer should not hesitate to discuss the issue with an HR representative at the corporate office, to see if there is some level of flexibility.

In summary, while today's technology may have changed some of the basic mechanics of business communication, a clear message from all the employers was that the fundamental strategies of job development haven't changed. Those job developers who are willing and able to build contacts through networking, develop personal relationships with employers and take the time to understand and respond to business needs, combined with the ability to negotiate in a way that results in mutual understanding and resolution, will be the ones that are able to best meet the needs of the businesses in their local community and the job seekers they represent.