Self directed Learning Guide - projectsgallery.eu · En concreto, trabaja con las empresas para identificar sus requisitos (de contratación), y enlazan estas oportunidades con los

Self-directedLearningGuide

Contents INTRODUCTION

1. Welcome to the Job Broker Self-directed Learning Guide! 4

1.1 Introduction 4

1.2 Who is this Guide for? 4

1.3 The Job Broker Occupational Profile 5

1.4 So what exactly is a Job Broker? 6

1.5 Why Broker? 10

1.6 Who has designed this Guide? 12

1.7 Why is a Self-directed Learning Guide necessary for Job Brokers? 12

2. Using the Self-directed Learning Guide 15

2.1 The Five Elements of the Guide 15

2.2 The Chapters and the Learning Objectives 16

2.3 Narratives, Exercises and Feedback 20

2.4 An initial check – where do you stand? 23

CHAPTER 1 – CURRENT EU LABOUR MARKET CONTEXT AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

What is this chapter about? 34

Learning objectives 35

1.1 Describe current labour market trends and needs and conduct conversations with job-seekers accordingly 38

1.2 Identify relevant sources of information (labour market trends, training and employment support schemes, employment opportunities, labour law) and select relevant information working with job-seekers 48

1.3 Describe networking techniques and use them to build up long-term relationships with employers and possible cooperation partners and/or funding bodies for support measures for job-seekers. 55

1.4 Describe relevant public policies and priorities in relation to funding and organisation of Job Brokering services. 65

1.5 Understand the interface between the employer, job-seeker and funder of job brokerage services. Illustrate possible role conflicts and demonstrate the means to overcome them. 78

1.6 Specify and explain the use of Job Brokering services for key employers, employer associations, sector bodies or industry specialists. 86

1.7 Conclusion and further reading 96

CHAPTER 2 – WORKING EFFECTIVELY WITH EMPLOYERS

What is this Chapter about? 101

Learning Objectives 101

2.1 Select and apply recruiting methods (direct, indirect, third party methods) to reach out to potential candidates 104

2.2 Describe occupational profiles and list corresponding occupational requirements 115

2.3 Design, conduct and participate in networking events and activities to create strong links to employers 122

2.4 Utilize existing support schemes to generate maximum benefit for employers 129

2.5 Develop job profiles in cooperation with employers and match them with personal profiles of potential job candidates 137

2.6 Demonstrate the ability to deliver, monitor and evaluate employer satisfaction as a means of continuous service quality improvement 144

2.7 Progress Assessment - Learning Need Analysis 154

2.8 Further Reading: resources and webography 156

CHAPTER 3 – WORKING WITH JOB-SEEKERS


Learning objectives 1655

3.1 Specify and demonstrate the empowerment approach 167

3.2 Describe and differentiate methods for profiling and assessment of job-seekers and choose methods appropriate for specific contexts and/or job-seekers 175

3.3 & 3.4Outline different coaching techniques and use them to optimally support job-seekers in finding a job and apply appropriate communication techniques across settings, purposes, and target groups 183

3.5 Develop an action plan in cooperation with the job-seeker 201

3.6 Explain sources of conflicts with and de-motivation of job-seekers and apply appropriate conflict management and motivation techniques 206

3.7 Identify specific and specialist job-seeker support needs that are a barrier to a successful job placement (psychological, debt, housing, welfare) and referring them for relevant expert or detailed support 213

3.8 Progress Assessment – Learning Needs Analysis 222


CHAPTER 4 - TAKING A JOB-SEEKER FOCUSED APPROACH (CASE MANAGEMENT)


Learning Objectives 228

4.1 A Job-seeker-focused Approach – The processes of Job Brokering services 230

4.2 Identify providers of related support services (e.g. debt management, training providers) and refer job-seekers according to their needs 239

4.3 Categorize different target groups of job-seekers/employers and their specific needs 243

4.4 Develop effective procedures, protocols and standards for all phases of the brokering process including follow-up activities after the initial placement 249

4.5 Utilize relationships to stakeholders and especially other job broker in providers in order to concentrate organisational resources and to develop Job Brokering services that best serve the needs of specific target groups 265

4.6 Self-evaluate and reflect about the own professional practice as a mean for continuing professional development and psycho hygiene 270

4.7 Progress Assessment - Learning Need Analysis 272


Guíaautónomadeaprendizaje

IntroducciónalaGuía

AutónomadeAprendizajedeJobBroker

Self-directedLearningGuideIntroduction

3|P á g i n a

1. WELCOMETOTHEJOBBROKERSELF-DIRECTEDLEARNINGGUIDE!.........................4

1.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................4

1.2 WhoisthisGuidefor?...............................................................................................4

1.3 TheJobBrokerOccupationalProfile.........................................................................5

1.4 SowhatexactlyisaJobBroker?................................................................................6

1.5 WhyBroker?............................................................................................................10

1.6 WhohasdesignedthisGuide?................................................................................12

1.7 WhyisaSelf-directedLearningGuidenecessaryforJobBrokers?.........................12

2. USINGTHESELF-DIRECTEDLEARNINGGUIDE.........................................................15

2.1 TheFiveElementsoftheGuide...............................................................................15

2.2 TheChaptersandtheLearningObjectives..............................................................16

2.3 Narratives,ExercisesandFeedback........................................................................20

2.4 Aninitialcheck–wheredoyoustand?...................................................................23

GuíaAutónomadeAprendizajeIntroducción

4|P á g i n a

1.¡BIENVENIDOALAGUÍAAUTÓNOMADEAPRENDIZAJEDEJOBBROKER!

1.1 Introducción

LaGuíaAutónomadeAprendizajedeJobBrokerhasidodiseñadaparaayudarleadesarrollar

susconocimientosysushabilidadesenrelaciónconelpuestode«jobbroker».Asegúresedeleer

primero las dospartes del capítulode introducción, puestoqueexplican la guía y cómo todo

encaja.

1.2 ¿Paraquiénesestaguía?

La Guía autónoma de Aprendizaje tiene como objetivo respaldar a los profesionales con, al

menos,dosañosdeexperienciaayudandoalossolicitantesdeempleoya losempleadores.Si

tienemenosexperiencia,puedequenoestéfamiliarizadoconpartedelcontenidoypuedeque

notengalaexperienciasuficienteparapodercubrirtodoslosejercicios.

Enestaguía,hablamosdelperfillaboraldel«jobbroker»eidentificamoslas«áreasprincipales»

de una profesión que está emergiendo y cambiando de maneras diversas en los diferentes

países,enfuncióndelamaneraenquelosserviciospúblicosdeempleoydeFPseorganizan,y

delafinanciaciónquereciben.

Siestaguíaesparausted,estátrabajando,dealgunaforma,consolicitantesdeempleoycon

empleadores, explorando maneras mediante las que reunirlos. Puede que sea un job broker

experimentado,opuedequesupuesto implique funcionesdel jobbroker,mientrasqueotras

partespuedenresultarlemenosfamiliares.Puedequedescubraquedesempeñatareaspropias

de un job broker en su trabajo; puede que tenga mucha experiencia y que, he hecho, esté

cualificadoenalgunasáreas,peroquenotengaexperienciaenotras,osí.Tambiénpuedeser

que tenga algo de experiencia en ciertas áreas del trabajo, pero que todavía tenga algo que

aprenderenmuchasotrasoentodasellas.


5|P á g i n a

Hablaremosmás sobreelpapeldel jobbrokermásadelanteeneste capítulo.Mientras tanto,

una de las cuestiones que sabemos que surgen cuando emerge una nueva profesión, son las

diferentes respuestas de los mercados laborales. Algunos países europeos tienen menos

regulaciónenloqueaprofesionesserefiereydejanqueelmercadopermitalaaparicióndelas

mismas. En otros países, los trabajos se regulan mucho más: las nuevas profesiones han de

definirse y regularse, y sedeben tener licencias. Sinembargo, amedidaqueemergennuevas

profesiones, sepueden requerir ciertos tiposdehabilidadesy competencias, y combinaciones

de habilidades y competencias que no habían estado presentes en el mismo trabajo. No

obstante, a menudo, puede darse el caso de que las personas con dichas profesiones se

encuentren con que no hay una formación amedida para el tipo de papel que ahora deben

desempeñar.

Laguía sehadiseñadode talmaneraque respalde suautodesarrolloa travésdelenfoquede

«aprendizaje abierto»,medianteel quepuede trabajar con la guía y los ejercicios a su ritmo,

concentrándose en aquellas partes de las quemás puede aprender y, también, «saltándose»

aquellasquecreequeconocebien.

Porlotanto,cadacapítulocomienzaconunAnálisisdeNecesidadesdeAprendizaje(untipode

AnálisisdelasNecesidadesdeFormación)paraayudarleaidentificaraquellasáreasdesulabor

quepuedemejorarespecialmentesiusaestaguía.

El propósito de la Guía Autónoma de Aprendizaje Job Broker es darle la oportunidad de

autoevaluar su nivel actual, y las habilidades y conocimientos en relación con la labor de job

broker,operfilocupacional,comolohemosidentificado.

1.3 Elperfilocupacionaldeljobbroker

EstaguíahasidodiseñadapararespaldarelPerfilOcupacionalylosEstándaresdeJobBroker.

Esta laboresacordecon losniveles5 y6delMarcoEuropeodeCualificaciones (EQF), loque

significa que usted debería estar trabajando a nivel profesional. Puede encontrar el Perfil


6|P á g i n a

Ocupacional y los Estándares de Job Broker aquí: http://www.projectsgallery.eu/job-

broker/occupational-profile/

El Perfil Ocupacional y los Estándares del Job Broker fueron diseñados siguiendo un extenso

programadeinvestigaciónbasadoenelanálisisdelasnecesidadesparaidentificarlosdiversos

contextosen losquesedaelpapeldel jobbrokerenunaseriedepaísesde laUE.Duranteel

análisis de las necesidades también se entrevistó a job brokers para realizar un perfil más

preciso. También se estudiaron los requisitos, incluidas las competencias, del personal que

trabaja en los distintos entornos en los que los programas públicos se han organizado para

«mediar» entre las necesidades de los solicitantes de empleo y las de los empleadores, y se

registraron una serie de casos prácticos que ilustraban el tipo de formación que ofertan los

proveedoresdeformaciónprofesionalylasorganizacionesdeapoyoalempleo.

Esta guía no se centra en los «principiantes» que nunca han trabajado con solicitantes de

empleo,asíquedamosporhechoquetieneexperienciaenestaárea.Sinembargo,puedeque

algunoselementosdelaguíaleresultenvaliososcomopartedeunaintroducciónmásampliaa

su trabajo, si ha comenzado recientemente, o como parte inicial del programa de desarrollo

profesionalquepuedequeestéemprendiendo.

1.¿Quéesexactamenteun«jobbroker»?

Normalmente,un jobbroker trabajacon lasempresas localesy lossolicitantesdeempleoque

estén en el paro para reunirlos. En concreto, trabaja con las empresas para identificar sus

requisitos (de contratación), y enlazan estas oportunidades con los solicitantes de empleo

locales,queestán,amenudo,cursandooacabandounprogramadeformaciónprofesional(FP)

oqueparticipanenalgúntipodeprogramadeapoyoalempleo.

Elpapelprofesionaldeljobbrokeryelserviciode«jobbrokerage»sonrelativamenterecientes.

Eljobbrokeragepuededarsedemuchasformasyesampliamentedescritocomounserviciode

enlacedelosdesempleadososolicitantesdeempleoconlasvacantesactuales.Noobstante,va

másalládeese«enlace»,puestrabajaactivamenteparaqueesosenlacesseanlosadecuados.


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Normalmente, los jobbrokers trabajancon lasempresas localespara identificar sus requisitos

(de contratación) y enlazan estas oportunidades con personas de la zona, que estarán

registradosenelServiciodeJobBrokerage,ytrabajanconlasdospartes(yconcualquierotra

parte interesada pertinente, como los servicios de apoyo de los proveedores de FP) para

establecerymantenercolocacioneslaborales.

Asimplevistapuedeparecerquehayalgunassimilitudesentreeltrabajorealizadopor los job

brokers y los servicios ofrecidos por las agencias privadas de empleo, que son agencias

especialistasquetrabajanconlasempresasparacubrirsusvacantes.Sinembargo,lasagencias

privadas de empleo operan con un servicio de contratación disponible para las personas

«preparadasparaeltrabajo»,esdecir,aquellasqueyatienenlashabilidades,lascualificaciones

y la experiencia laboral pertinentes. Estas agencias operan generalmente solo por razones

comerciales,esdecir,cobranunatasaalaempresaempleadoraoalossolicitantesdeempleo,o

a ambos. Además, no solo trabajan con desempleados, sino que muchas de las personas

registradasyaestántrabajandoybuscanmejorarsusituaciónlaboral.

Losjobbrokerstrabajanconpersonasqueestánbuscandotrabajoperoque,dealgunamanera,

no están necesariamente «preparadas para el trabajo» y, en consecuencia, necesitan apoyo

específico. Por lo tanto, una de las diferencias es que el papel del job broker se da

específicamenteenprogramasdefinanciaciónpúblicaparaapoyaralossolicitantesdeempleo,

comolosserviciospúblicosdeempleonacionales,losprogramasdelFondoSocialEuropeo(ESF)

osimilares.Lafinanciaciónconfondospúblicosdelosserviciosdeljobbrokeresunadistinción

importanteporque,adiferenciadelosservicioscomercialesdelasagenciasprivadasdeempleo,

eldineropúblicoseinviertenormalmenteenprogramasqueapoyanalossolicitantesdeempleo

abordando los problemas estructurales de los mercados laborales. Esta inversión puede

obedeceramuchasrazones,como,porejemplo:

• Los solicitantes en los que se centran los job brokers se enfrentan a determinados

obstáculos a la hora de conseguir un trabajo debido a su situación de desempleo y

necesitaninformación,asesoramientoyorientación(IAG)paraconseguiruntrabajo.


8|P á g i n a

• Algunos de los solicitantes de empleo llevan mucho tiempo en el paro y necesitan

asistenciaparticular:onuevaformaciónolaactualizacióndesushabilidadesmediantela

FP,restablecersuconfianza,ayudacon lashabilidadesparaencontrartrabajo(comola

elaboración del CVo lamejora de las habilidades de comunicación, de presentación y

preparaciónparalasentrevistas,etc).

• Tambiénpuedeque los solicitantesdeempleo tengan características específicas yque

necesitenapoyoparaencontrartrabajo.Porejemplo,puedentenerdiscapacidades,ser

de comunidades minoritarias o inmigrantes, ser cuidadores o mujeres que vuelven al

mercado laboral tras encargarse de responsabilidades familiares que les impedían

trabajar;despedidosdeunsectorquenotienenhabilidadestransferibles,oserjóvenes

quenohantrabajadonunca.

Por lo tanto, las personas que se encuentren a símismas, de unamanera u otra, trabajando

comojobbrokerspuedenhacerloendiversosentornos.Ladeljobbrokeresunalaborcadavez

másreconocida,yelcontextoenelqueoperavaríamuchoentodaEuropa.Enconsecuencia,es

difícildefinirunperfilocupacionalcomún.Eljobbrokerpuedetenerpuntosencomúnconotras

profesionescomo ladeorientador laboral, trabajadorsocial, trabajadordeagenciaprivadade

empleoyespecialistaenrecursoshumanos.

Aveces,elpersonaldeFPtienequedesempeñarelpapeldejobbrokerparaencontrartrabajoa

sus estudiantes, pero no se ha formado para hacerlo. Los profesionales que desempeñan

algunasotodaslasfuncionesdeljobbrokerpuedenser,entreotros:

• Consejerosdelosserviciospúblicosdeempleo

• Asesoreslaborales

• Orientadoresprofesionales

• Trabajadoresdeserviciosdeinformación,asesoramientoyorientación


9|P á g i n a

• Psicólogoslaborales

• Organizadoresdeformaciones

• Formadores de FP, personal de apoyo en las organizaciones de FP y compañeros

responsablesdeayudaralosestudiantes(desempleados)aencontrartrabajo.

• Personal de «cuidado posterior» (es decir, que continúa apoyando a los estudiantes

desempleadoscuandoacabaelprograma)

• Responsables de las colocaciones laborales – que organizan «pruebas» o experiencias

laborales para solicitantes de empleo que estén desempleados o estudiantes de los

programasdeFP.

• Trabajadoresjóvenes

• Trabajadoresderehabilitación

¿Encajasutrabajoconalgunodelosanteriores?

Lacapacidadparatrabajarconéxitocomojobbrokerpuedeimplicarsaber«unpocodetodo»,

como recursos humanos y contratación, legislación laboral, el mercado laboral local y tener

conocimientossobreel sector.Puederequerirhabilidadesdepublicidadyventas; igualdadde

oportunidades, diversidad y gestión de proyectos; garantía de calidad y salud y seguridad; y

adquirir nuevas habilidades que incluyen la negociación eficaz, las habilidades de entrevista,

comunicación, gestión del tiempo y desarrollo de las descripciones laborales y las

especificacionespersonales.

Elpapeldeljobbrokerescadavezmásimportanteenelcontextoactualdedesempleomasivo

entodaEuropaydebidoalacrecientepresiónsobreelmercadolaboral,quehacequealaFP,a

los programas de empleo público y a los programas públicos de «vuelta al trabajo» les sea

mucho más difícil colocar a los solicitantes de empleo en puestos de trabajo sostenibles.


10|P á g i n a

Trabajarcomo jobbrokerpuedeimplicartrabajarconsistemasdegestióndeinformaciónyde

resolucióndeproblemas,combinarlaempatíayelentendimientodelsolicitantedeempleocon

lacapacidaddeestablecerrelacionescreíblesysosteniblesconlasempresasylosnegocios.Esto

significaque los recursosy los serviciosque tienencomoobjetivoayudara los solicitantesde

empleotienenqueevolucionarycambiar,paraestarmuchomáspersonalizadosycubrirasílas

necesidadesdel empleador si sonefectivas. Para sereficaz, el jobbroker necesita conoceren

profundidad las necesidades de cada empleador y tener información detallada sobre los

sectores comerciales e industriales pertinentes. De todas formas, si cualquier cosa de lo

anteriormentedescritoesrelevanteparaeltrabajoquerealizaoqueesperarealizar,entonces

estaguíaesparausted.

1.5 ¿Porqué«broker»?

PuestoquehemosestadotrabajandoconjuntamenteenelproyectoJobBroker,hemossabido

quealgunaspersonasleatribuyenconnotacionesnegativasalapalabra«broker».Paraalgunos,

lapalabra«broker»recuerdaal«stockbroker»(corredordebolsa)queenglobaideascomoWall

Street, especulación y comportamiento irresponsable por parte del mercado bursátil, lo que

llevóalsufrimientodemillonesdepersonascomoresultadodelacrisisfinanciera.

Sinembargo,nuestraideanopodríaestarmásalejadadeeso.Eninglés,porelejemplo,elverbo

«broker» simplemente significa «mediar o negociar» (un acuerdo) 1. Un «insurance broker»

(corredordeseguros),enteoría,trabajaconelclienteparaencontrarelmejorseguroposible,

queencajeconlasnecesidadesdelclienteyselespagaunacomisiónsielclienteestásatisfecho

y contrata el seguro. El término «honest broker» (intermediario honesto) es incluso más

evocador:serefiereaunapersonaofunciónquepretendeayudaralaspersonasaresolveruna

disputa o a llegar a un acuerdo hablando con todas las partes implicadas y averiguando qué

quieren sin favorecer a ninguna de las partes. Para ser un honest broker tiene que haber

confianza,dehecho,es imposiblequeseconsidereaunapersonahonestbrokeranoserque

todaslaspartesconlasquetrataconfíenenella.

1 Oxford English Dictionary


11|P á g i n a

Asíquemuchasdeestasideassetransfierenalconceptodejobbroker,quetrabajaennombre

delsolicitantedeempleoparaobtenerunbuenresultado(yaseaentrarenelmercadolaboralo

volveraél)enelcontextodeunprogramadelmercadolaboralfinanciadoconfondospúblicos.

Parapoderteneréxito,eljobbrokernecesitaráganarseelrespetoylaconfianzadelsolicitante

de empleo. Tendrá que entender sus necesidades y ser capaz de realizar una evaluación

profesionaldelamejormaneradeapoyaryaconsejarparaobtenerunbuenresultado.

Almismotiempo,eljobbrokertendráqueganarseelrespetoylaconfianzadelasotraspartes,

enconcreto,delaquecontrata,esdecir,losempleadores.Elempleadortendráquesentirqueel

jobbrokersehamolestadoencomprendersusnecesidadesyquenomalgastarásutiempocon

candidatos que no son adecuados para las vacantes. Es más probable que el empleador

desarrolle una relación duradera y con éxito con el job broker (lo que dará lugar a más

oportunidades para más solicitantes de empleo), si los job brokers muestran interés por el

progresodelsolicitantetraslacolocaciónlaboralinicialysiguenactuandocomopuntodeunión

sisurgendudasodificultades.

Porúltimo,hayotraspartescon lasquepuedequeel jobbrokerdebaestablecerunarelación

activaparaobtenerresultadospositivos.Porejemplo,sieljobbrokeresasignadoauninstituto

o a una organización de FP que forma a personas desempleadas, puede que deba hablar

directamente con los profesores para entender bien las habilidades que se desarrollan y las

necesidades de los estudiantes. También puede que el job broker deba recurrir a agencias

especialistas, como organizaciones que proporcionan apoyo lingüístico, o al apoyo de un

especialista (por ejemplo, gestión de deudas, asesores financieros, ayuda psicológica) para

complementarsuspropiashabilidadesysuexperiencia.

Porlotanto,serjobbrokerpuedesuponerunreto.Comprender,organizar,negociar,comunicar,

a vecesescucharyempatizar, a vecesanimarypersuadir.Verá, apartirde lasactividadesde

estaguía,queel trabajode jobbrokercubremuchascuestionesyaptitudes.Enconsecuencia,

requiereconocimientosyhabilidadesenunaampliavariedaddeámbitosqueimplicantrabajar

eficazmenteconpersonasmuydiferentes.


12|P á g i n a

1.6 ¿Quiénhadiseñadoestaguía?

Estaguíahasidodiseñadacomopartedeunproyectoeuropeodecolaboracióntransnacional

llamado«DesarrollodeCompetenciasyAprendizajeparalosJobBrokersenlaUE».Elobjetivo

de este programa de Eramus+ es desarrollar, diseñar y validar una serie de desarrollos

relacionadosconlaFPparaapoyaralrecientementesurgidoperfilocupacionaldeljobbrokeren

Europa.Esco-financiadoporelprogramaErasmus+delaUniónEuropea,concretamentebajoel

proyecto«AcciónClave2AsociaciónEstratégica(FormaciónProfesional),nºdereferencia2015-

1-UK01-KA202-013713.

LosproyectosdeAsociaciónEstratégicaenlaFPdeEramus+sonfinanciadosparadesarrollary

transferirnuevassolucionesaniveltransnacional,atravésdelacolaboracióndeorganizaciones

dediferentespaíses.Enel casode JobBroker,organizacionesdeReinoUnido,Grecia,Chipre,

Italia, Alemania, Islandia y España están trabajando conjuntamente. Todos los socios tienen

experienciaenlaFP,serviciosparasolicitantesdeempleoyformacióndepersonaldocente.

Puede encontrarmás información acerca de las organizaciones socias en el siguiente enlace:

http://www.projectsgallery.eu/job-broker/coordinator-and-partners/.

1.7 ¿Porquéesnecesariaunaguíaautónomadeaprendizajeparalosjobbrokers?

Talycomohemosdestacadoantes,elpapelocupacionalemergentedeljobbrokerenEuropase

daenmuchosydiferentescontextosorganizativos(formaciónprofesionalyserviciospúblicosde

empleo). Aunque algunas de las competencias de la profesión se pueden encontrar en otras

profesiones relacionadas, no hay una formación reconocida ni un programa de aprendizaje

acreditadoquecubralaampliagamadecompetenciasyloscontextosespecíficosenlosquevan

atrabajarmuchosde los jobbrokers,esdecir,mediandodirectamenteentre losempleadores,

los solicitantes de empleo y los proveedores (FP y programas de empleo) en los mercados

laborales.

Estaguíahasidodiseñadademaneraquesirvadeapoyoalosjobbrokersparaqueidentifiquen

ydefinansuspropiasnecesidadesdedesarrolloyaquellasáreasquepretendendesarrollar.El

papel del job broker emerge a medida que se producen cambios en la provisión pública de


13|P á g i n a

servicios a los desempleados en toda Europa, pero, dado que la amplia combinación de

habilidades, conocimientos y competencias que se requieren para realizar el trabajo está

creando una nueva «profesión», actualmente no hay una «formación» reconocida o

«cualificación»aniveleuropeoquecubraesteámbito.

Nos gustaría cambiar esto.Mientras tanto, como parte delmismo proyecto que ha diseñado

esta guía, los socios ya han desarrollado, probado y publicado un Programa Curricular, que

contiene una serie de módulos y material de aprendizaje, diseñados para respaldar la

consecucióndelosobjetivosdeaprendizajeque,asuvez,sehanalineadoconlosrequisitosdel

perfilocupacionaldeljobbroker.

Elprogramacurricularestádiseñadoparaquelosjobbrokerslousendemaneraflexible,conun

aprendizajeabiertoyen«sesionesdeacción-aprendizaje»,enlosquelosgruposdejobbrokers

existentes, los aspirantes y otros profesionales que cumplen uno o más aspectos del perfil

puedan trabajar conjuntamente en los ejercicios de aprendizaje para desarrollar sus

conocimientosyhabilidades.

A largo plazo, las organizaciones en la asociación Job Broker se comprometen a poner en

prácticaloaprendidoapartirdeldesarrollodelCurrículo,yelaboraryprobarlosmaterialesde

aprendizajeparaestudiarcómosepuedevalidarycertificarelmismo.Enúltimainstancia,esto

darábeneficios,como lagarantíadeque lossolicitantesdeempleorecibanapoyodeprimera

clase de profesionales cualificados, consejeros especialistas que tendrán conocimientos

independientes,evaluadosyactualesde laprácticayde lasoportunidadesde trabajoen red.

Dichosbeneficiosayudaríanaatraerapersonalaltamentecualificadoyquedichopersonal se

quedeenestaprofesiónemergente.

PuedeobtenermásinformaciónacercadeldesarrollodelcurrículoJobBroker,ymantenerseal

día con nuestros planes de crear nuevas calificaciones y certificaciones para los job brokers a

nivel europeo uniéndose a nuestra red y accediendo a nuestra página web:

http://www.projectsgallery.eu/job-broker.


14|P á g i n a

Sinembargo,sabemosquehaymuchosprofesionalesenEuropaquetrabajancomojobbrokers

demaneraaislada,yquenopuedenbeneficiarsedelaorganizacióndecursosdeformaciónque

sebasenennuestroProgramaCurricularoparticiparenuna«sesióndeacción-aprendizaje»con

compañeros. En otras palabras, está desempeñando un trabajo exigente, pero en lo que se

refiere al desarrollo profesional específico, está solo. Por lo tanto, hemos diseñado estaGuía

AutónomadeAprendizajecomorecurso«autónomo»paraquelousesinnecesidaddeungrupo

detrabajoodeparticiparenunprogramaocursoestructuradodeaprendizaje.

Comprendemosquealgunaspersonasestaránmuycualificadasenalgunosaspectosotendrán

muchaexperienciaenciertasáreasdirectamenterelacionadasconestepapel,peropuedeque

les falten conocimientos o experiencia en otras. De esta manera, la guía está diseñada para

«centrarseenelaprendiz»yseadaptaparacubrir lasnecesidadesindividuales,enfuncióndel

puntodepartidadecadajobbroker.

A continuación, exponemos algunos de los beneficios que puede tener el aplicar la Guía

AutónomadeAprendizajeenrelaciónconelpapeldeljobbroker:

Suorganizaciónobtiene Usted

• Personalcualificado,loquesuponeun

activoparalaorganización

• Tenermáscompetencias

• Unamayorproductividad • Tenermásconfianzaensupapeldebrokerage

• Unaventajacompetitiva • Desarrollarconocimientosespecíficos

• Estándaresdetrabajomásaltos • Concienciasobrelasnecesidadesdedesarrollo

• Desarrollar habilidades que le ayuden en su

progresolaboral

• Intercambiar conocimientos y experiencias con

otros

• Serpartedeunaredemergentede jobbrokers

en tu propia localidad y (a largo plazo) en

Europa


15|P á g i n a

Enestecontexto,losempleadoreslocales,lossolicitantesdeempleoylasorganizacionesdeFP

sebeneficiantodosdeladisponibilidaddeunaGuíaAutónomadeAprendizajeparajobbrokers.

2. USODELAGUÍA

2.1 Loscincoelementosdelaguía

Hemosdiseñadoestaguíaparaque sea fácilusarlademaneraautónoma.Simplemente léala,

haga los ejercicios y reflexione sobreel feedback. En las siguientespáginas, descubriráque la

guíaestácompuestaporcincoelementos:

• Capítulos– cadacapítulodefineunáreadeconocimiento,habilidadesycompetencias

relevantesparaserunjobbroker.

• Objetivosdeaprendizaje–cadacapítuloincluyeunconjuntodeobjetivosdeaprendizaje

paraesaárea.

• AnálisisdelasNecesidadesdeAprendizaje(LNA)–medianteelquepuederealizaruna

autoevaluaciónenrelaciónconlosobjetivosdeaprendizaje,paraverenquépuntoestá,

yleaconsejamosquealfinaldelcapítulovuelvaalanálisispararepetirlaautoevaluación,

unaveztrabajadoelcapítulo.

• Informaciónyejercicios–laguíaproporcionainformaciónpertinenteparaquelaleay

despuéslepidequerealiceunejercicioparacomprobarquéhaentendido.

• Feedback – a cada ejercicio le seguirá una sección de feedback para que se tenga en

cuenta.

La cantidad de tiempo que necesite para la guía dependerá de usted. Por ejemplo, cuando

realicelosLNA,puedequedecidacentrarseenciertasáreasysaltarseotras.Sinembargo,por

normageneral,estimamosque,sileetodalainformación,completatodoslosejerciciosyrevisa

completamenteel feedbackdecadaejercicio,completarcadamódulo le llevaráentre25y40

horas.


16|P á g i n a

2.2 Loscapítulosylosobjetivosdeaprendizaje

Los capítulos de la guía están diseñados para que los job brokers sean capaces de adquirir e

identificar todos los conocimientos, habilidades y competencias que son importantes para

realizarunbuentrabajocomojobbroker.Loscapítuloscubrencuatroáreas:

Capítulo1–Contextoactualdelmercadolaboraleuropeoyoportunidadeslaborales

Eljobbrokertrabajaenelpuntodecontactoentreelempleador,elsolicitantedetrabajoylos

requisitosdelaspolíticas,losprogramasylafinanciaciónespecíficasdelmercadolaboral.Porlo

tanto,estecapítuloponeencontextoelpapeldeljobbrokerenEuropayexploraalgunasdelas

cuestionesytendenciasactualesenestaárea.

Los organismos públicos de financiación pueden ser locales (autoridades

locales/ayuntamientos), regionalesoagenciasdelgobiernocentral, incluidoelServicioPúblico

deEmpleo (PES).Cadaunodeellos tienesuspropios requisitos sobrecuál (los solicitantesde

empleo)debeserelpúblicoobjetivo,cómosedebenproporcionarlosserviciosyquéactividad

es considerada «elegible». Muchos tienen incluso diferentes definiciones de lo que es un

trabajo.Una tendencia emergentees el creciente interéspor lasmedidas relacionadas conel

rendimiento en lo referente al progreso laboral y la sostenibilidad, conforme a la cual los

serviciossoncontratadosatravésdeunprocesode«pagomedianteresultados».Cumplircon

las obligaciones y los requisitos contractuales para dar lugar a los pagos es, por lo tanto,

fundamentalparalasagenciasylosproveedoresdejobbrokerage.

Objetivosdeaprendizaje

1.1Describirlastendenciasylasnecesidadesactualesdelmercadolaboralymantener

conversacionesconlossolicitantesdeempleoenconsonancia.

1.2Identificarfuentesrelevantesdeinformación(tendenciasdelmercadolaboral,planesde

apoyoalaformaciónyalempleo,oportunidadeslaborales,legislaciónlaboral)yseleccionarla


17|P á g i n a

informaciónpertinenteparatrabajarconlossolicitantesdeempleo.

1.3Describirtécnicasdetrabajoenredyusarlasparaconstruirrelacionesduraderasconlos

empleadores,conposiblessociosparalacooperaciónyorganismosdefinanciaciónpara

desarrollarmedidasdeapoyoalossolicitantesdeempleo.

1.4Describirlaspolíticasyprioridadespúblicaspertinentesenrelaciónconlafinanciaciónyla

organizacióndeserviciosdejobbrokering.

1.5Entenderelpuntodeencuentroentreelempleador,elsolicitantedeempleoylos

organismosdefinanciacióndelosserviciosdejobbrokering.

1.6Especificaryexplicarlautilidaddelosserviciosdejobbrokeringparalosempleadores,las

asociacionesdeempleadores,organismosdelsectoryespecialistasdelsector.

Capítulo2–Trabajardemaneraeficazconlosempleadores

En el segundo capítulo de la guía, analizamos el trabajo con aquellos que dan trabajo a los

solicitantes de empleo, los empleadores. Las áreas que se abordan incluyen: publicitar los

solicitantes de empleo ante los empleadores, emplear el feedback de los empleadores para

mejorarel servicio,aconsejara losempleadoresen lacontrataciónyel«apoyoenel trabajo»

paralosreciéncontratados.

Losproveedoreseficacesdejobbrokeragedebensermuyproactivosalahoradeentenderlas

necesidadesdelosempleadores.Eltrabajodirectoconlosempleadoresincluye,engeneral, la

búsqueda de vacantes, la planificación de los recursos humanos, el análisis detallado de las

funcionesydelasespecificacionespersonales,asignarlasvacantesalossolicitantesdeempleo,

hacerunacribade losparticipantes,ayudaren lasentrevistasyponeraprueba.Por lo tanto,

buscamossabercómoestablecerymantenerbuenasrelacionesconlosempleadoresyqueestos

estén satisfechos, así como tener en cuenta los incentivos de financiación pública para los

empleadores.


2.1Seleccionaryaplicarmétodosdecontratación(directos,indirectos,terceraspersonas)para

poderllegaralosposiblescandidatos.


18|P á g i n a

2.2Describirlosperfilesocupacionalesyhacerunalistadeloscorrespondientesrequisitos

ocupacionales.

2.3Diseñar,llevaracaboyparticipareneventosdetrabajoenredyenactividadesparacrear

vínculosfuertesconlosempleadores.

2.4Utilizarlosesquemasdeapoyoexistentesparalograrelmáximobeneficioposibleparalos

empleadores.

2.5Desarrollarperfileslaboralesencooperaciónconlosempleadoresyrelacionarlosconlos

perfilespersonalesdelosposiblescandidatos.

2.6Demostrarlacapacidaddeconseguir,controlaryevaluarlasatisfaccióndelempleadorcomo

medioparalacontinuamejoradelacalidaddelservicio.

Capítulo3–Trabajarconlossolicitantesdeempleo

Nocabedudadequeunade lasprincipales funcionesdel jobbrokeres trabajardirectamente

con losdesempleadosparaayudarles a identificar y a abordar losobstáculosque les impiden

accederaltrabajoyteneroportunidadeslaborales.Lossolicitantesdeempleonecesitanmucho

apoyoanivelesdiferentesdecomplejidadyestánendistintosnivelesenloqueapreparación

paraeltrabajoserefiere.Laspersonasdesempleadaspuedensercomplejasypuedequeeljob

broker encuentremuchos obstáculos a la hora de introducirles en el mercado laboral, como

problemasdesalud,adiciones,deudasoviviendaprecaria.

Por lotanto,estecapítulocubre lanecesidaddedar información,consejoyorientacióny,a la

vez, comprender la importancia de capacitar a los solicitantes de empleo para que se hagan

responsables de sus vidas. También busca averiguar cómo prepararles para trabajar, cómo

asignarles las vacantes y utilizar herramientas TIC para ello, cómo mantenerles motivados y

cómoapoyarlesparaasegurarresultadossostenibles.Laevaluacióninicialdelasnecesidadesy

losplanesdeacción son fundamentalesparaesteproceso,quedebería seruna identificación

sistemáticadetodaslasnecesidadesdelsolicitantedeempleo,incluidaslashabilidadesbásicas,

las habilidades profesionales e interpersonales como la confianza y la autoestima, que

generalmentevaloranmucholosempleadores.


19|P á g i n a


3.1Especificaryprobarelenfoquedeempoderamiento.

3.2Describirdiferentestécnicasdeorientaciónyusarlasparaapoyardemaneraóptimaalos

solicitantesdeempleoaencontrartrabajo(realizacióndesolicitudes,preparaciónparalas

entrevistas).

3.3Describirydiferenciarlosmétodosparaelaborarperfilesyevaluaralossolicitantesde

empleo,yelegirlosmétodosapropiadosparacontextososolicitantesdeempleoespecíficos.

3.4Explicarlasfuentesdeconflictoydeladesmotivacióndelossolicitantesdeempleoy

aplicarlastécnicasdegestiónymotivaciónapropiadas.

3.5Identificarlasnecesidadesdeapoyoespecíficasquesuponenunobstáculoparalos

solicitantesdeempleoalahoradeconseguirunacolocaciónlaboral(problemaspsicológicos,

deudas,vivienda,bienestar)yderivarlesalexpertopertinente.

3.6Desarrollarunplandeacciónencooperaciónconelsolicitantedeempleo.

3.7Aplicarlastécnicasdecomunicaciónadecuadasenfuncióndelentorno,lospropósitosy

losgruposobjetivo.

Capítulo4–Adoptarunenfoquecentradoenelsolicitantedeempleo(gestióndecasos)

Porúltimo,unaspectoimportantedeltrabajodeljobbrokeresadoptarunenfoquecentradoen

elsolicitantedeempleo,queincluyatodoslosaspectosdelagestióndeproyectos.Dadoqueel

jobbrokertienequecombinarmúltiplestareasycolaborarconmúltiplespartesinteresadas,y,a

menudo, tienequecumplir conplazos,estecapítulo leproporcionará laorientaciónnecesaria

para saber cómo planificar y priorizar el trabajo, categorizar los grupos objetivo, reflexionar

sobrecómomejorareltrabajo,promovereltrabajoenequipo,ymuchomás.


4.1Explicarelenfoqueparalagestióndecasosyorganizarlosprocesosdejobbrokeringen

consonancia.


20|P á g i n a

4.2Identificaralosproveedoresdelosserviciosdeapoyorelacionados(porejemplo,gestiónde

deudas,proveedoresdeformación,etc.)yderivaralossolicitantesdeempleoenfuncióndesus

necesidades.

4.3Categorizarlosdiferentesgruposobjetivotantodesolicitantesdeempleo,comode

empleadoresysusnecesidadesespecíficas.

4.4Desarrollarprocedimientos,protocolosyestándareseficacesparatodaslasfasesdel

procesodebrokering,incluidaslasactividadesdeseguimientotraslacolocacióninicial.

4.5Utilizarlasrelacionesconlaspartesinteresadasy,concretamente,conotrosproveedoresde

jobbrokeringparaconcentrarlasfuentesorganizativasydesarrollarlosserviciosdejob

brokeringquemejorcubranlasnecesidadesdelosgruposobjetivoespecíficos.

4.6Autoevaluaryreflexionarsobrelaprácticaprofesionalpropiaparacontribuiralcontinuo

desarrolloprofesionalyalbienestarpsicológico.

2.3 Información,ejerciciosyfeedback

Estaguíaautónomahasidodiseñadaparaayudarleaidentificarydesarrollarlosconocimientos,

las habilidades y las técnicas relevantes para su trabajo como job broker, y para que pueda

comprender mejor la situación laboral del job brokering. Contiene cocimientos previos

importantesyejerciciosquelepermitiránmejorarsushabilidadescomojobbrokerendiversas

situaciones.

Todos estos capítulos incluyen ejemplos, caso prácticos y actividades de aprendizaje que le

ayudaránatrabajary,cuandocorresponda,acomprendermejorlosconceptosrelacionadoscon

laprofesióndejobbroker.Unavezhayaterminadolaguía,deberátenerunaideacompletadel

perfil de la profesión, sus diversos aspectos y cómo trabajar como job broker con éxito. Las

actividades y el feedback están estructurados de manera que le permitan centrarse en las

situaciones reales y los retos a los que probablemente va a hacer frente, y que proporcione

solucionesyplanesparasucontinuodesarrollo.

EnestaGuíaAutónomadeAprendizajeencontrarámaterialdeaprendizajequehemosdiseñado

para apoyarle. Elmaterial de aprendizaje ha sido diseñadopara promover la auto reflexión y


21|P á g i n a

animarle a explorar, investigar y revisar. Contiene tareas, ejercicios y reflexiones. También

sugiereciertasáreasparainvestigaryparaencontrarreferencias.

CadacapítuloempiezaconunaEvaluacióndeNecesidadesdeAprendizaje.Elpropósitodeesta

autoevaluacióninicialesayudarleaidentificarelpuntohastaelquetienequedesarrollaráreas

específicas en relación con el perfil ocupacional del job broker y los objetivos de aprendizaje

propuestoselcapítulo.

Trabaje en ello atentamente y piense detenidamente en ello, puede que le sorprenda la

cantidaddecosasquecreequeya sabe,asíqueserá interesanteverquéopinaunavezhaya

terminadoelcapítulo.

Alolargodelcapítuloencontrarálassiguientesactividades:

CASO PRÁCTICO – de personas, servicios o situaciones. A los

casos prácticos les sigue, normalmente, una serie de ejercicios

paraqueloscompleteconsusobservacionessobreelcaso.

EJEMPLO–alahoradedebatirconceptosocuestiones,aveces

nohaymejormaneradeilustrarlascosasquedandounejemplo.

TAREA – Ahora toca trabajar. Cuando vea este símbolo,

significará quedebe realizar una tarea, normalmente en forma

deredacción

INVESTIGACIÓN–selepediráquerealicesupropiainvestigación

sobreuntema.


22|P á g i n a

RESOLUCIÓN DE PROBLEMAS– le presentamos un reto. ¿Es

capazdedarconlasolución?

LISTAS–aquíseencontraráunalistaenlaqueselepediráque

decidaquéaplicaroquedescribalospuntosfuertesodébilesu

otrascaracterísticasqueseaplicanaesospuntosdelalista.

Lealaguíadetenidamenteysigalas instruccionescadavezqueselepidarealizarunejercicio.

Losejercicioshan sidodiseñadosde talmaneraque sepresuponequeesustedun«aprendiz

autónomo»,esdecir,quenoformapartedeningúncurso,aunqueenalgunaocasiónpuedeque

se le pida ponerse en contacto con alguien para completar el ejercicio. Dado que realiza los

ejercicios demanera autónoma, una vez que lo haya hecho encontrará esto al final de cada

ejercicio:

Encadacaso,trascompletarunadelasactividadesexpuestasanteriormente,laguíaresumirá

ciertospuntosdelfeedbackparaquelostengaencuenta.Normalmente,elfeedbackno«está

bienomal»,sinoqueestádiseñadoparaanimarleareflexionarsobrecómoharespondidoel

ejercicio.

Cada capítulo concluye con laEvaluacióndeNecesidadesdeAprendizaje. La ideaesquevea

hasta qué punto le ha ayudado el capítulo a abordar cualquiera de las necesidades de

aprendizaje que había identificado previamente. También puede darle la oportunidad de

reflexionar sobre sí su evaluación inicial era correcta o si sobrevaloró o infravaloró sus

conocimientosyexperiencias.


23|P á g i n a

Porúltimo, tengaencuentaqueelmaterialdeaprendizajenopretendeserunsustitutopara

llevar a cabo el trabajo de job broker con los solicitantes de empleo reales. Sin embargo,

esperamosquelesirvadeayudayquecomplementeymejoresuexperienciapráctica.

2.4 Verificacióninicial–¿enquépuntoseencuentra?

EmpecemoshaciendounaautoevaluaciónrápidaconelPerfilOcupacionalylosEstándaresdel

Job Broker. Se ha hecho referencia a ello anteriormente en el capítulo y, a modo de

recordatorio, puede encontrarlo aquí: http://www.projectsgallery.eu/job-broker/occupational-

profile/

Lea el perfil y tenga en cuenta todos sus aspectos. ¿Le resultan familiares los diferentes

elementos?¿Algunasáreassonnuevasyotrasno?Paraabordarestodemaneramáscientífica,

empecemoshaciendounAnálisisdeNecesidadesdeAprendizajedetallado(similaralAnálisisde

NecesidadesdeFormacióoTNA).

Enlasiguientetablaencontraráenlacolumnadelaizquierdacadaunadelasáreasprincipales

deactividadquesedefinenenelperfil.Reflexionesobreellasdeunaenuna,e indíqueseasí

mismoenlacolumnadeladerechahastaquépuntocreequedebedesarrollarcadaárea.Estole

dará un «resumen» de cómo ve su propio nivel en cuanto a conocimientos, habilidades y

experienciaencadacaso.

PerfilocupacionalyestándaresdeJobBroker

–Áreasdeactividad

¿Hacefalta

desarrollarlomás?

Sí Quizás No

COMUNICACIÓNEFECTIVA • Conocimientossobrecomunicaciónescrita,oralya

travésdelasTICparasimplificaryclarificartodalacomunicaciónconlossolicitantesdeempleoylosempleadores.

• Conocimientosenelcampodelosrecursoshumanosparasercapazdeayudaralossolicitantesdeempleodemaneraprofesional.


24|P á g i n a



¿Hacefalta

desarrollarlomás?

Sí Quizás No

• Conocimientossobreelmercadolaboral;cómoevaluarlasituaciónactualyfuturaparaayudaralosempleadoresacontrataryformaralossolicitantesdeempleoenloscamposadecuados.

• Conocimientossobreorientaciónparaayudaralossolicitantesamejorar,desarrollar,adquirirnuevashabilidades,lograreléxitopersonalyconseguirsusobjetivos.

• Habilidadesparalasentrevistas,escuchaactiva,conversacióninspiradorayresolucióndeproblemas.

• Habilidadesdecomunicacióncondiferentesnacionales,diferentesmentalidadesydiferentesreligionesparaevitarlosprejuicios.

• Habilidadescomercialesparapoderconvenceralossolicitantesdeempleoyalosempleadoresparabuscaroportunidadesenelmercadolaboralenrangomásamplio.

• Habilidadesparainterpretarlasexpresionesfacialesyellenguajecorporalparacomprendermejorlosmensajesrealesdelossolicitantesdeempleoydelosempleadores.

• Manejarlasemocionesdelossolicitantesdeempleo,encaminándolesasíhacialadireccióndeseadaparaconseguirlosobjetivosdeseados.

• Teneriniciativayestarorganizadotrabajandoenunespectroampliodesolicitantesdeempleoyempleadores.

COMPROMISO • Conocimientossobrepolíticasdepublicidadytécnicas

detrabajoenred.

• Identificarlainformaciónsobreelmercadolaboralactualenloqueserefiereatendenciasynecesidades

• Conocimientossobrelaformaciónylosplanesdeapoyoalempleo,incentivosparalasprácticasyotrosprogramasdeapoyo.

• Tenerconocimientossobrevariosmétodosdecontratación(directos,indirectos,terceraspersonas)parallegaralosposiblescandidatosyponerseen


25|P á g i n a



¿Hacefalta

desarrollarlomás?

Sí Quizás No

contactotantoconlossolicitantesdeempleocomoconlosempleadores.

• Tenerconocimientossobrecontrataciónyelprocesodeselección.

• Describirlalegislaciónlaboralbásicaylosprerrequisitos.

• Diseñar,organizaryparticipareneventosdetrabajoenredyactividadesquetengancomoobjetivoeldesarrollodevínculosfuertesparalossolicitantesdeempleo(solicitantes–empleadores).

• Diseñaraccionesparaimplicaralosempleadoresendiferentesactividadesparaaumentarlaefectividaddelaentradaenelmercadolaboral.

• Combinarlasnecesidadesdelossolicitantesdeempleoconlosplanesdeapoyoexistentestantoparalossolicitantesdeempleocomoparalosempleadores.

• Aplicarvariosmétodosdecontrataciónparacombinarlasnecesidadesdelosempleadoresconlosperfilesdelossolicitantesdeempleo.

• Identificarnuevasoportunidadescomercialesyconvertirlasenpuestosvacantesdemaneraeficaz,enfuncióndelasnecesidadesdecontrataciónylasexpectativasdelosempleadores.

• Controlarlosprocesosdeempleoqueconectanalossolicitantesdeempleoconlosposiblesempleadores.

• Instruiralosempleadoresenlacomprensiónycombinacióndesusnecesidadesdecontratación.

GESTIÓNDECUENTAS • Seleccionar–Conocimientossobrecómoseleccionarla

informaciónimportantesobrelossolicitantesdeempleoyelmercadolaboral.

• Resumir–Tenerconocimientossobrecómoresumirtodoslosconocimientosylainformación.

• Entrevistar–Realizarunaentrevistaalossolicitantesyalosempleadores.

• Apoyar–Tenerconocimientosparaapoyardeformaóptimaalossolicitantesdeempleoyalosempleadores.

• Evaluar–Conocimientossobrecómoevaluarlasnecesidadesdelossolicitantesdeempleoylosempleadores.

• Estimar–Conocimientossobrecómoevaluarlasituacióndelmercadolaboralylaposicióndelsolicitantede


26|P á g i n a



¿Hacefalta

desarrollarlomás?

Sí Quizás No

empleo.

• Evaluar–Evaluarlascaracterísticasylasnecesidadespersonales(elaboracióndeperfiles).

• Equilibrar–Equilibrarlasnecesidadesdelossolicitantesdeempleo(solicitantesdeempleoyempleadores)escogiendolarutadefinanciaciónatentamenteparaasegurarquelasobligacionescontractualesnolesllevanapuestosqueapenasconocen.

• Comparar–Compararelpotencialdecadasolicitantedeempleoconlosdeseosyexpectativasdelosempleadores.

• Recomendar–Recomendaralossolicitantesdeempleopropuestaspersonalizadasparalacolocaciónlaboralcorrecta.

• Apoyar–Respaldarlasexpectativasylasnecesidades(solicitantesyempleadores)enlaidentificacióndelasmejoressolucionesparalacontratación.

• Proponer–Proponeralossolicitantesdeempleolospasosadecuadosparalaplanificacióndeacciones(gestióndelainformación),lasmejoresmedidasparaavanzarhaciaeltrabajoyeltrabajocorrecto.

• Organizar–Lacapacidaddeorganizarse,organizareltrabajo,todoloquelossolicitantesdeempleoylosempleadoresnecesitanparaunacolocaciónlaboraladecuada.

• Solucionar–Encontrarlasmejoressolucionesposibles(solicitantesdeempleoyempleadores).

ORIENTAZIÓNYTUTORIZACIÓN • Conocimientosycomprensiónsobreasesoramiento

laboralpersonal

• Conocimientosycomprensióndelacomunicaciónenloqueserefierealacomunicacióndeinstrucciones,proporcionarfeedbackyescucharparacomprender.

• Conocimientosyconcienciadelamejoradelrendimientodelusuariomedianteelestablecimientodeobjetivosderendimiento,trabajandoenlareflexión(aclaracióndedichosobjetivos,mejoramediantelarecompensa,lidiarconelfracasoatravésdelamotivaciónyevaluacióndelospuntosfuertesydelosdébiles).


27|P á g i n a



¿Hacefalta

desarrollarlomás?

Sí Quizás No

• Conocimientosycomprensióndelasrelacionesenloqueserefierealaempatíaparacrearconfianza,motivaralosusuarios,trabajarconsusproblemaspersonalesyhacerfrentealassituacionesdifícilesdelamaneracorrecta.

• Comprendercomogestionarrespondiendoapeticionesespecíficasdelosusuariosyrealizarunseguimiento.

• Proporcionarorientación,feedbackyguiarparaasegurarunbuenrendimiento.

• Establecerydejarclaroslosobjetivosconelusuario.

• Desarrollarunplanparacumplirconlastareasylasresponsabilidades.

• Asegurarsedequelosmiembrostienenunadefiniciónclaraycomprendensupapelysusresponsabilidades.

• Alinearlasexpectativasconlosmiembros.

• Promoverelfeedbackparalamejora.

• Motivaralossolicitantesdeempleoparaqueestablezcanobjetivosdefinidos.

• Empatía–Bluetooth/inteligenciaemocionaltantoconlossolicitantesdeempleocomoconlosempleadoresparaalinearsusobjetivosylograrlos.

TRABAJOENCOLABORACIÓN • Losprogramasyserviciosdeapoyoexistentesparalos

solicitantesdeempleo,asícomolosplanesdefinanciaciónparaapoyaralossolicitantesdeempleo.

• Lossectorescomercialesoempleadoresespecíficosquedanoportunidadeslaboralesalossolicitantesdeempleo(condiscapacidad).

• Otrosproveedoresdeserviciosdejobbrokeringenlaregión(compararlosserviciosofertados).

• Categorizardiferentesgruposobjetivo(solicitantesdeempleoyempleadores)ysusnecesidadesespecíficas.

• Distinguirlasdiferentespartesinteresadas(solicitantesdeempleo,empresas,proveedoresdeserviciosdejobbrokering,institucionesdeFP,organismospúblicosdefinanciación)ysusfundamentos.

• Identificaragruposobjetivoespecíficos,aposiblessociosparalacooperaciónyalacompetencia,asícomonichosenelmercadolaboral.

• Establecerrelacionesalargoplazoconposiblessocios


28|P á g i n a



¿Hacefalta

desarrollarlomás?

Sí Quizás No

paralacooperaciónyconorganismosdefinanciaciónparadesarrollarmedidasdeapoyoalossolicitantesdeempleo.

• Utilizarlasrelacionesconotrosproveedoresdejobbrokering,organismosdefinanciación,etc.paraidentificarlasbrechasenlaprovisióndelserviciosdejobbrokeringparalossolicitantesdeempleo(condiscapacidad)ygruposespecíficosdesolicitantesdeempleo.

• Discutirconotrosproveedoresdejobbrokeringlosgruposobjetivoespecíficosdesolicitantesdeempleoydeempleadoresenlosquedeberíanconcentrarselosdiferentesserviciosyparaadaptarlosserviciosdelapropiaorganizaciónparaoptimizarlosparacubrirnecesidadesespecíficasollegaradeterminadosgruposobjetivo.

• Desarrollar conjuntamente procesos de comunicación,procedimientosdetrabajoyestándarescomobaseparaunserviciodejobbrokeringdecalidad.

• Serelresponsabledeestablecerrelacionesalargoplazoydecooperarconotrosproveedoresdejobbrokering,empresasyproveedoresdemedidasdeapoyoalossolicitantesdeempleo,institucionesdeFP,organismospúblicosdefinanciación,etc.

• Serelresponsabledeutilizarlasrelacionesconotraspartesinteresadasy,concretamente,conotrosproveedoresdejobbrokeringparaconcentrarlosrecursosorganizativosydesarrollarlosserviciosdejobbrokeringquemejorcubranlasnecesidadesdelosgruposobjetivoespecíficos.

PROFESIONALIDAD • Explicarquésignificalaconductaprofesional.

• Enumerarlosposiblesvaloresprofesionales(porejemplo,responsabilidad,integridad,confidencialidad,etc.).

• Recordaryexplicarprincipiosytécnicasavanzadasdeatenciónalcliente(porejemplo,escuchaactivayempatía).

• Enumerarlastécnicasparaconstruirlaconfianzaenunomismoparaunmayoréxitoeneltrabajocomojobbroker.


29|P á g i n a



¿Hacefalta

desarrollarlomás?

Sí Quizás No

• Describireltonodevozyellenguajecorporalquedeberíausarseencasodeconflicto.

• Definirlaculturadelugardetrabajoyenumerarsuscaracterísticas.Explicarporquéesimportanteserconscientedelaculturadellugardetrabajocuandosetrabajacomojobbroker.

• Enumerarlosprincipiosfundamentalesdelagestióndeltiempo.

• Describirlosprincipiosdeuntrabajoenequipoeficaz(porejemplo,elequipocomoentidad,valoraracadamiembro,papelesclaros,objetivosgrupales,comunicacióneficiente,iniciativasyrecompensas,trabajoenequipocomoprocesodeaprendizaje,etc.).

• Establecercriteriosparalaautoevaluación.

• Aplicarprincipiosytécnicasavanzadasdecuidadodelcliente,comolaescuchaactivaylaempatíaparaasegurarlasatisfaccióndelcliente.

• Evaluarlasexpectativasdelclienteusandodiversasherramientasytécnicas.

• Comunicarseyrealizartransaccionescomercialesdentrodelosmarcoséticos.

• Aplicarconéxitolosprincipiosderesolucióndeconflictospararesolverproblemasconlosempleadoresylosclientes.

• Identificarlasposiblessolucionesparaproblemasconempleadoresyconlosclientesyaplicarlastécnicasdetomadedecisionesparaevaluarlasopcionesparadarconlamejorsolución.

• Emplearlosprincipiosdecolaboraciónparalograrlosmejoresresultadosposiblesparalosempleadoresyparalosclientes.

• Planeareldíaparaasegurarquesecumplentodoslosplazos.

• Autoevaluarsebasándoseenloscriteriosdeautoevaluaciónydecidirmejorar.

• Demostrartenercompromisoorganizativotantoalosempleadorescomoalosclientes.

• Probarquesetienelacapacidaddelograrlasatisfaccióndelclienteycontrolarlayavaluarlacomomediodeconstantemejoradelacalidaddelserviciodeatenciónalcliente.

• Apreciarlaimportanciayprobarquesetieneconciencia


30|P á g i n a



¿Hacefalta

desarrollarlomás?

Sí Quizás No

sobrelaculturadellugardetrabajo.

¿Qué leparece?¿Puede identificar lasáreasdelperfilen lasquemáshaprofundizado?¿Cree

quedeberíadesarrollarmásalgunadeellas?Lerecomendamosquevuelvaaestacomprobación

inicial cuandohaya completado la guía y revise sus respuestas. La experiencianosdemuestra

quepuedequeenelprocesodetrabajodelmaterialdeaprendizajelosjobbrokerssobrevaloren

oinfravalorensusconocimientosendiferentesáreas.

Cada uno de los capítulos que sigue a esta introducción tiene su propia Evaluación de

Necesidades de Aprendizaje, que está estructurada de manera diferente. En ella, tendrá la

oportunidadderealizarunaevaluacióndeacuerdoconelcapítuloenelqueestéypuntuarse,y,

cuandohayacompletadoelcapítulo,deberávolveralaevaluaciónyrealizarladenuevoparaver

si puede identificar en qué han progresado sus habilidades, sus conocimientos y su

comprensión.Estossonloscapítulos:

Capítulo1–Contextodelmercadolaboraleuropeoactualyoportunidadeslaborales

Capítulo2–Trabajardemaneraeficienteconlosempleadores

Capítulo3–Trabajarconlossolicitantesdeempleo

Capítulo4–Adoptarunenfoquecentradoenelsolicitantedeempleo(gestióndecasos)

¡Bien!–¡Yaestápreparado!


31|P á g i n a

Notas


32|P a g e

Chapter1

CurrentEULabourMarketContextandEmployment

Opportunities


Chapter1-CurrentEULabourMarketContextandEmploymentOpportunities

33|P a g e

Contents

Whatisthischapterabout?...............................................................................................34

Learningobjectives............................................................................................................35

1.1Describecurrentlabourmarkettrendsandneedsandconductconversationswithjob-seekersaccordingly.......................................................................................................38

1.2Identifyrelevantsourcesofinformation(labourmarkettrends,trainingandemploymentsupportschemes,employmentopportunities,labourlaw)andselectrelevantinformationworkingwithjob-seekers..................................................................48

1.3Describenetworkingtechniquesandusethemtobuilduplong-termrelationshipswithemployersandpossiblecooperationpartnersand/orfundingbodiesforsupportmeasuresforjob-seekers.....................................................................55

1.4DescriberelevantpublicpoliciesandprioritiesinrelationtofundingandorganisationofJobBrokeringservices................................................................................65

1.5Understandtheinterfacebetweentheemployer,job-seekerandfunderofjobbrokerageservices.Illustratepossibleroleconflictsanddemonstratethemeanstoovercomethem...........................................................................................78

1.6SpecifyandexplaintheuseofJobBrokeringservicesforkeyemployers,employerassociations,sectorbodiesorindustryspecialists..............................................................86

1.7Conclusionandfurtherreading.....................................................................................96



34|P á g i n a

Whatisthischapterabout?

The Job Broker role operates at the interface between the employer, the job-seeker and the

requirementsofspecificpublic labourmarketpolicy,programmesandfunding.Thereforethis

ChapterputstheroleoftheJobBrokerinitsEuropeancontextandexploressomeofthecurrent

issuesandtrendsinthisarea.

Public funding bodies can be local (local authorities/municipalities), regional and central

government agencies, including the Public Employment Services (PES). Each funder has their

own requirements about who (the job-seekers) must be targeted, how services should be

deliveredandwhatisdeemed’eligibleactivity’.Manyevenhavedifferentdefinitionsofwhata

job is.Anemergingtrend is the increasedfocusonperformancerelatedmeasures intermsof

jobprogressionandsustainability,wherebytheservicesarecommissionedthroughaprocessof

‘PaymentsbyResults’.Meetingcontractualobligationsandrequirementstotriggerpaymentsis

thereforevitalforJobBrokerageagencies/providers.

So,JobBrokersdonotexistinavacuum!Workingwithjob-seekersandemployerstobrokerjob

solutions takes place in local labour markets and knowing where the jobs are – and just as

importantly, knowingwhere to look for sources of help – is an importantweapon in the Job

Broker’sarmoury.Aswellasbeingabletolocatespecificemployersandtheirvacancies,being

abletoidentifywhatishappeningtothejobsmarketcanbeveryuseful:whichjobsectorsare

ontheup?Whichjobsectorsareindecline?Whatdoindustryspecialistsorresearchstudies

sayaboutwhatemployersarelookingforthesedaysfromnewemployeesandjobentrants?Do

someemployers,orgroupsofemployers,have specificprogrammes tohelpgiveunemployed

job-seekers a chance?Are thereanyparticular rulesor employment laws thatwill specifically

affectnewjobentrants?

Furthermore, itcanbevital tobuildupyourknowledgeofschemesandprogrammesthatare

availabletoassistjob-seekerswithimprovingtheirskillsandqualifications,inordertoimprove

theirchancesinthelabourmarket.Publicly-fundedschemescomeinallshapesandsizes,and

willoftenhavespecificeligibilityrules.Forinstance,somewillonlybeopentothosethathave



35|P á g i n a

been unemployed for a certain period of time (e.g. long-term unemployed); others may be

aimedatcertainagegroups,or targetedtoassistparticularcommunities;somemayoffer the

change to obtain relevant vocational qualifications, or be aimed at jobs in particular sectors

(suchasI.T.orthehospitalitysector).Theremaybesomeschemesthatofferthechancetobe

paidwhilelearning‘inwork’,whileotheroptionsmaybemoreCollege-basedorpart-time.

Yourabilitytoidentifyandunderstandasmuchofthiskindofinformationaspossiblewillmean

thattheservicethatyouprovideasaJobBrokerwillbemoreholistic.AsaJobBroker,youmay

alsofindthatyourperformanceisassessedbythosethatemployyou–particularlyiftheyhave

targets to deliver or are under some pressure to achieve results. This kind of pressure is

becomingincreasinglywidespreadinpublicly-fundedemploymentandtrainingprovision.

Learningobjectives

In order to address the above, therefore, this Chapter has the following specific learning

objectives:

1.1Describecurrentlabourmarkettrendsandneedsandconductconversationswithjob-

seekersaccordingly.

1.2Identifyrelevantsourcesofinformation(labourmarkettrends,trainingandemployment

supportschemes,employmentopportunities,labourlaw)andselectrelevantinformation

workingwithjob-seekers.

1.3Describenetworkingtechniquesandusethemtobuilduplong-termrelationshipswith

employersandpossiblecooperationpartnersand/orfundingbodiesforsupportmeasuresfor

job-seekers.

1.4Describerelevantpublicpoliciesandprioritiesinrelationtothefundingandorganisation

ofjob-brokeringservices.

1.5Understandtheinterfacebetweentheemployer,job-seekerandfunderofJobBrokering

services.Illustratepossibleroleconflictsanddemonstratethemeanstoovercomethem.

1.6SpecifyandexplaintheuseofJobBrokeringservicesforkeyemployers,employer

associations,sectorbodiesorindustryspecialists.



36|P á g i n a

Beforewe lookat thisarea indetail, let’sbeginwitha self-appraisalofyourknowledge, skills

andunderstandinginthisareawiththeLearningNeedsAssessmenttablebelow.

Usingascalewhere1=poor (developmentfullyneeded),5= fair/satisfactory(development

partiallyneeded)and10=excellent(nodevelopmentneeded).Considereachrequirementin

turn,andestimateyour‘level’ineachcase:so,towhatextentcanyou…?

Jobrequirement Levelofknowledge,skills,experienceor

understanding(asappropriate).

Identifyissuesthatarisefromusingknowledgeofthe

trendsinthelabourmarket,intermsof(a)identifying

growingareasofskillsshortagesandjobvacanciesand

(b)seekingto‘match’thejob-seeker(s)tothesetrends

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describecompetencesorqualitiesthatcanbe

developedrelativelyquicklyinjob-seekersinorderto

respondtopotentiallybeneficiallabourmarkettrends

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifytheissuesthatthejob-seekersmayfacewhen

consideringworkopportunitiesthatarenotlocaland

workwiththemtoassessiftheseopportunitiesare

realisticorpracticalforthem.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Specifytheresourcesthatyouneedtoprepareforwork

withthejob-seeker(s)inordertoidentifyrelevant

vocationaleducationandtrainingproviders/schemes

andpublicemploymentprogrammes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Recognisethedifferenttypesofprovisionand

programmesthatarerelevanttoallofthejob-seekers,

anddistinguishwiththosewhichtargetspecificneeds

andspecificgroups.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifythesourcesofguidanceandinformationthat

canbemadeavailabletoemployersandindustry

associationstosupportthemintakingonunemployed

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



37|P á g i n a

job-seekerstofillvacancies

Explainthemaintechniquesto(a)brokeremployment

betweenunemployedjob-seekersandemployers(b)

stayintouchwithbothpartiestosupportthe

sustainabilityofthearrangement.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifythemainindicatorsthatareusedtomeasure

theimpactandeffectivenessofyourservice(including

any’paymentbyresults’arrangements).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifyatleast3mainpublicpoliciesthataffectJob

Brokerageservicesinyourcountryanddescribethe

waysthattheyaffectyourwork.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describethe“paymentbyresults”system(i.e.could

youlistatleast3‘results’aJobBrokermightbe

expectedtoachieve.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Compare3positiveand3negativeaspectsofpayment

byresults

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Distinguishtheexpectationsof:

A)anemployerb)employeec)funders

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describehowyouwouldinvolvejob-seekersand

employersforthebenefitofallpartiesinvolvedina

publicfundedprogramme

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describe3typicalconflictsthataJobBrokermayhave

todealwithinordertoachieveasatisfyingoutcomefor

allpartiesinvolved

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Preparea20’presentationtoaprospectiveemployerin

ordertosellyourbrokerageservicetothem

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ListofalltheservicesthataJobBrokermayoffertoan

employer,comparinghowtheseservicesareprovided

now,andwhyJobBrokerageisabettersolution

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifythechallengesthatyouthinkmostprobablya 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



38|P á g i n a

JobBrokerwillfacewhenhavingtoexplaintheuseof

brokeringservicestokeyemployers,employer


Inthesectionsbelow,wewillprovideyouwithsomenarrativeandaskyoutocompleteasetof

exercises.Eachonehasfeedback–makeanoteofyourresponsesandyourthoughtsaboutthe

feedback–sinceattheendoftheChapterwewillaskyoutoreturntothisNeedsAnalysistosee

ifanyofyourresponseshavechanged.

1.1Describecurrentlabourmarkettrendsandneedsandconductconversationswith

job-seekersaccordingly.

Someonemaysaythatitis“statingtheobvious”whenadvocatingthattheabilitytobeeffective

as a Job Broker is partly determined by the overall state of the economy and levels of

unemployment. Lifewould certainly be easier if thereweremore than enough full-time and

part-timejobstogoaroundforeveryone,irrespectiveoftheircircumstances,qualificationsand

skills! However, if thosedayseverexisted, theyare longgonenow. Unemployment levels in

somepartsoftheEUhavebeenpersistentlyhighandthesituationdeterioratedfurtherwiththe

adventoftheglobalfinancialcrisisin2008.

However, despite this situation, there are also reports of skills shortages –where employers

cannotfindthepeoplethattheyneedtodothe jobsthattheyhave. Thereasonsforthisare

complex–sometimesthese‘skillshortages’areduetoreasonsoflowpay,oranti-socialhours,

andtheycanalsobeevidenceofpoorplanningintheapproachtoskillstrainingprovisionand

economicforecasting.

Nonetheless,thereareoftenjobsandopportunitiestobefoundifsomeofthesebarrierscanbe

overcome,andallpartiesareflexible,adaptableandcreativeintheirapproach.

Inordertoinvestigatewhatthesituationis‘ontheground’andtoinformthenextstepsofthe

project,in2016eachoftheJobBrokerpartnersundertookaresearchstudyintheirown



39|P á g i n a

country.Thiswasacomprehensiveexerciseandaconsiderableamountofdetailwasgathered

and analysed. You can find the results of this analysis of the website of the project

http://www.projectsgallery.eu/job-broker

ACTIVITY1.1.1

Considertheresultssetoutintheanalysisonthewebsitelinkabove.Whatisthe

unemploymentsituationinyourcountry?HowdoesitcomparetootherpartsofEurope?

Whyistheresuchdifference?



40|P á g i n a

Canyoufindthe10mostpopularvacanciesinyourcountry?InotherpartsofEurope?

Nowcanyoualsofindthemostpopulareducationalpathwaysforeachofthosevacancies?

Aretheeducational(qualification)requirementsthesameforeachvacancyineachcountry–

orarethereanydifferences?

Iftherearedifferences,howcouldyouhelpjob-seekerstoaddressthem?



41|P á g i n a

This exercise is intended to help Job Brokers to use their knowledge in order to gain amore

holistic approach of the overall educational and employment situation both in their own

countries and in other parts of Europe. The information needed to do this can be found in

relevantwebsitesoftheEuropeanCommission,forinstance

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics

Internationalinformationisalsoavailableonthesiteofseveraleconomicblogsande-zines:for

instanceForbeswww.forbes.com,ortheInternationalLabourOrganisation(ILO)www.ilo.org.

Bycomparingthedifferenceintheunemploymentrates,youcanunderstandhowthedifferent

economic,educational,socialsituationsareaffectingthelabourmarketandthereforeimpacting

upon the job-seeker. Researching both the popular vacancies and the education and training

requirements to meet them will help you to identify whether there is an incompatibility

betweentheeducationrequirementsandthevacanciesonoffer.Thisisactuallyasituationthat

variesconsiderablyamongcountries,andifyoulookabitdeeperyoumayidentifythoseskills

thatmaybetransferableamongstdisciplinesandasaresultcomeupwithaplanofhowyoucan

addressthesedifferences.

For example: In Greece acquiring and a University Degree in Economics science is very

prestigiousandthereforesought-after.However,aneconomicsgraduatehasaverytheoretical

knowledge of several disciplines. They have the professional entitlement to work as

accountants,but theymaynothave the capability; aneconomistmaypossess the theoretical

knowledge of accounting but lack enough practice hours. Therefore they may not have as

thorough knowledge as a graduate of a University of Applied science – which may not be

traditionallyseenasbeingasprestigious-butwithaccountingbeingaverypopularvacancyat



42|P á g i n a

themoment,aJobBrokercouldofferseveralchoicesforaneconomisttoentertheaccountancy

job market, such as vocational training courses, non-formal adult education or internships,

whichwillhelp themtoget their footon theaccounting ladder,withhaving theprestigeofa

Universitydegree.

TransferableSkills-Whenseekingemploymentandafterhavingfollowedaspecificeducation

and employment route, someonewho finds themselves out ofworkmay think that a lack of

relevant, industry-specificexperiencewillstopthemfromgettinga job-butthis isnotalways

thecase.Whetherajob-seekerwouldliketochangecareer–orisperhapsforcedtoconsidera

change;whethertheyhaverecentlygraduated,orarelookingfortheirfirstjob,andarenervous

abouthowtheirskillswillmatchtotherequirementsofthecurrentjobmarket,theJobBroker

hasamotivatingroletohelpthemtounderstandthatoneofthekeyattributesthatisfoughtby

employersis‘potential’.

Itisvital,therefore,thattheycanidentifytheirownpotentialbydemonstratingthetransferable

skills that theyhavedevelopedalready.Employersareoften looking forabilitiesandqualities

that they recognise to be present in themost effective employees. These soft skills, such as

beingabletocommunicateeffectivelyinavarietyofsituations,showinginitiative,creativityand

integrity,andhavingagoodworkattitude,arevaluableacrossallindustries.



43|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.1.2

Fromyourexperience,canyouidentifyfivetypicalcompetencesthataretransferableorcan

quicklybedevelopedamongstyourjob-seekers?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Wereyouabletoidentifyfive?Canyouthinkofanymore?



44|P á g i n a

When completing this activity, of course youmayhavehad a specific groupof job-seekers in

mind.However,thecommonfeaturesofthegroupmaynothavetodowiththecompetences

andskillsperse.Theymaybe,forexample,youngunemployedpeopleonavocationaleducation

programme,ortheymayhavehighereducationdegrees.Agoodwaytostartistofindoutthe

skillsthatthosepeoplewithdifferenteducationalbackgroundshaveincommonandhowthose

skills were developed. They may have acquired them through previous employment,

school,apprenticeships,internships, formal and informal training,hobbies,and volunteer

experiences.

The PrincetonUniversity career service suggests that those skills fall under the categories of:

interpersonalskills,organisationskills, leadershipskillsandcommunicationskills.This listdoes

notincludethe‘hard’ortechnicalskillsthatarespecifictoaveryparticularjob.Whilesomeof

these acquired skills can also be transferable, “soft skills” are widely transferable between

occupations;ahairdresserandasalespersonare twoexamplesofwherepeoplecanusetheir

good“peopleskills”.

Theimportanceofthesekindofskillsandtheknowledgeandaptitudesthatcomewiththemis

setoutin,forinstance,theEuropeanReferenceFramework(ERF)forLifelongLearning.TheERF

sets out eight key competences that are all considered important, because eachof them can

contributetohavingasuccessful lifeinourmodern,knowledge-basedsociety.Theseeightkey

competencesare:

1. Communicationinthemothertongue

2. Communicationinforeignlanguages



45|P á g i n a

3. Mathematicalcompetenceandbasiccompetencesinscienceandtechnology

4. Digitalcompetence

5. Learningtolearn

6. Socialandciviccompetences

7. Senseofinitiativeandentrepreneurship

8. Culturalawarenessandexpression

YoucanfindthewholeERFhere:https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/file/272/download . TheERF

wascreatedasareferenceframeworkforcountriestousewhendesigningorrevisingtheir

educationandtrainingsystems.Youshouldthereforebeabletoseethesecompetences

expressedinsomewayinyourownsystemfortrainingandeducation.

Movingforemployment-Alotofpeoplearemigrating,andalotmorearethinkingaboutit,in

ordertofindemployment.Migrationtofindworkisaveryoldphenomenonandhasbeenwith

usformanyforcenturiesnow.Nowadays,thereisincreasinglyaglobaljobmarketandbothsoft

andhardskillscanbetransferrableinjobsinthesameordifferentsectors,indifferent

countries.TheEuropeanUnionwantstomakethisprocesseasier–attheveryleastitwantsto

removebarrierstoit–andisconstantlytryingtoalignqualificationsthroughoutEuropewith

toolsasECVETandECTS,withalignmentofdegreesobtainedindifferentcountriesaroundthe

globe,throughtheuseofNARICoffices,aswellasthefreemovementofEUcitizensin

employmentpositionsthroughouttheEU.



46|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.1.3

Youhaveajob-seekerthathe/sheareunemployedforquitesometime.Theyareatthepoint

ofconsideringmigratinginordertofindemployment.Whatwouldyouadvisethemtodo?

Howwouldyouguidethemtotakeadecisionthatisbothpracticalandrealisticforthem?



47|P á g i n a

Afterconsideringtheoptionswithyourjob-seeker,youmaybothhavereachedtheconclusion

thatrelocatingtoanothercountryforemploymentisanoptionfilledwithpotentialbutalsofull

of uncertainties. Your job-seeker is likely to ask questions, just some of which may include

“Would I be able to copewith the new language?What are the job prospects? How is the

money? What about the social and health systems?How easy is it to be accepted in a new

society?WillIbeabletocreateagoodnetworkthere?WhataretheimplicationsifItakemy

family?”

A good tool that can provide a starting point to help them is EURES

https://ec.europa.eu/eures/public/homepage . The job-seeker,with the Job Brokers help, can

findextensiveinformationonhowtoworkandliveinanothercountryinEurope.Furthermore

thereareseveral forumsandsitesthataJobBrokercanutilizewherethosethathavealready

migratedprovideadvicetothosewhomayfollowthem,concerningworkingandlivinginother

countries.Someexamplesinclude:

https://www.expatica.com/;

http://www.expatforum.com/;

https://www.iamexpat.nl/

Discussingwithpeoplethatarealreadyexperiencinglivingandworkingabroadisagreatwayto

find out more about the ‘pro’s and con’s’ and whether it is something that job-seekers are

willingtodoorevenlookingforwardtodoing.

Itisimportantforjob-seekerstounderstandthattheymightfacedifficultiesbutthereisalways

helpavailableandthatthereisalwaystheoptiontochangetheirminds.



48|P á g i n a

1.2Identifyrelevantsourcesofinformation(labourmarkettrends,trainingand

employmentsupportschemes,employmentopportunities,labourlaw)andselect

relevantinformationworkingwithjob-seekers

Career choice is developed as a result of one’s surroundings, family, friends, circumstances,

personal beliefs, motivation and other considerations. All these factors are elements that

influence a career path and employment opportunities. Therefore those concepts are seldom

simplya‘straightline’.Goalsthatcanseemclearatthebeginningofaconsiderationcanbecome

ambiguousandnewonesconstantlydevelop.Againandagainanindividualhastomakechoices.

The nature of the labour market forces people in this position more than before. Lifetime

employmentisnolongerthenorm.Thishastobefullytakenintoaccountincareercounselling

andguidance.TheJobBrokerneedstobeawareofeachjob-seeker’ssituationinordertohelp

themaccordinglybyprovidingtailoredadviceandspecificandindividualstepsoftheindividual

job-seeker.

ACTIVITY1.2.1

Shorifulisajob-seekerinBelgium*.Shoriful,whoisinherearly50s,wasborninBangladesh.

She studieduntil shewas 15 and left schoolwith somequalifications. She came toBrussels

withherhusbandin1975.Shehasfivechildrenwithagesrangingfromearly20stolate30s.

Oneofherchildrenhas learningdisabilitiesandneedsconstantcare.Shehasspenthertime

raising the children and caring for her son. The care of the children took all of the time of

Shoriful and she did not have time to study in Belgium. She took the occasional work

opportunities fromtimetotimeasacleaner,babysitter,andpersonalassistant.All the jobs



49|P á g i n a

were acquired in the local community through the contacts. Shoriful has participated in

languageclassesbutnotconsistentlyandhassomeproblemswiththeFrenchlanguage.Sheis

activeinlocalwomen’s’organizationsandworksasavolunteerfornewlyarrivedimmigrants

at her local community centre. Through municipality and different projects Shoriful has

developed her French language skills, computer skills and gained some work experience

throughvolunteering.Nowshehasdecidedtogetaprofessioninordertoachievehergoalof

findingemployment.

Task:

WriteareportoranActionPlanwithall the informationthatwillhelpyoufacilitateShoriful

into achieving her goals. Which are the relevant vocational education and training

providers/schemesandpublicemploymentprogrammesthatyoucoulduseinordertosupport

yourjob-seekertoaddressherlackofknowledge,skillsorcompetencestotakeadvantageof

labourmarkettrends?

*YoumaychangeBelgiumtowhicheverrelevantcountry.

Inordertofacilitatethepreparationofthereportyouneedtoanswerthefollowingquestions

(basedontheavailableinformation):

Bearinmindthattheremaybeadifferencebetweengoalsofthejob-seekerandthegoalsthata

JobBrokerwouldformulate.Thisinvolvessomeconsiderationofthemanagementof

expectations,particularlyinrelationtowhatmaybeunrealisticgoalsonthesideofthejob-

seekerandhowaJobBrokercoulddealwithit.



50|P á g i n a

1. WhatkindofgoalscouldaJobBrokerpropose,basedonhis/herexpertiseand

experience?

Accordingtoyourexpertiseandsituationyoumayconsiderthefollowing:

2. Aretheobjectivesbetweenthejob-seekerandtheJobBrokerlikelytobesimilar?

Whatarethedifferences?

3. Whattypeofrelevantactivitiesmayexisttosupportthejob-seekeratthisstage?

4. Whatdoesthejob-seekerneedtodotosetupandselfmonitoranactionplanto

achievetheobjectives?

5. Doesthejob-seekerneedtailor-madesupportfromthenetwork?

It is important to keep inmind that given the situation of the job-seeker (current education,

employment, volunteerwork) and the availability of VET providers, certification schemes and

public employment programs the job-seeker and the Job Broker will manage to formulate a

realistic goal acceptable bybothparties. If notwe should revisit thedifferencebetween the

goalandtheoverallobjectiveandfindwhatismissingtoclosethegap.

Differentprogrammesfordifferentpeople-Setagainstthecontextofhighunemployment

acrossEurope,particularlyinthesouth,–butalsoinacontextwheretherearesignsofrecovery

andevenskillsshortagesandunfilledvacancies,theroleoftheeffective‘JobBroker’isemerging

asakeyplayerinvocationaleducationandtraining(VET)provision–aprofessional,workingina

varietyofcontexts(PublicEmploymentServices,JobCounselling,VETorganisations)identifying

andmatchinglearnersonpubliclyfundedVETandemploymentprogrammesintosustainedjob

opportunities.



51|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.2.2

DescribethedifferenttypesofVETprovisionandVETprogrammesinyourcountrythatare

relevanttoallofyourjob-seekersandwhichtargetspecificneedsandspecificgroups.



52|P á g i n a

Itisimportanttounderstandhowyourjob-seekersmayconsistofjob-seekersthatsharequitea

lotoftheircharacteristicsandneeds-butalsotheyhavespecificneedsandmaybelongtoother

subgroups.

Forexampleagroupofyounguniversitygraduates,whichmayalsobepeoplewithdisabilities,

immigrants,minorities,singlemothersetc.Thismeanstheyhavedifferentneeds,anditmaybe

thattheycantakeadvantageofdifferentpublicly-fundedprogrammesthathavebeenorganised

orfundedtosupportthemintermsofpromotingtheiremploymentandeducation.Thus,allof

themcouldtakeadvantageofaprogrammethathasbeendesignedandfundedtohelpyoung

graduatestobecomeentrepreneurs-butonlythesinglemotherscouldtakeadvantageofaVET

programmedesignedtohelpyoungmotherstodeveloptheirnetwork.

Aftercompletingthisassignmentyoucouldusetheresultstocategorisethosepertargetgroup

andupdate your information according to newpublic fundedprogrammes, VET programmes,

qualification and certification schemes and other provision. Furthermore it would be really

interesting to see how you may be able to combine each of these in order to get the best

outcomeofeachjob-seeker.

Asa JobBrokeroperating ina specificenvironment it isunderstandable thatyouwillbe,and

become evenmore, experienced in specific groups thus, having categorized the programmes

accordinglywillhelpyousavetimeinthefuture,timethatcanbeusedinotheraspectsofyour

occupation.



53|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.2.3

MakealistofthefivegroupsthatyouaremostexperiencedasaJobBrokerinassistingand

withthefivegroupsthatyouareleastexperiencedinhelping.

Mostexperienced

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Leastexperienced

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Whydoyouthinktheaboveisthecase?



54|P á g i n a

Makealistoftheapproachesthatyouconsidertobeuniversalandthosethatmayneedto

differaccordingtogroupsandcircumstances.

Universal

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Different

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Pleasedescribewhythisisthecase:



55|P á g i n a

After completing this exercise you will have given some structured consideration to

understandingyourjob-seekersandhowyouareabletohelpeachgroup.

Thereareseveralwaysthatyoumayusethisinformation:Ontheonehandyoumaydecideto

concentrateandspecialisemoreonthegroupsthatyouaremorefamiliarwith,especiallyifyou

feel that this is an outcome of the current situation in your country, and that those are the

groupsthatyouwillbedealingmostlyfortheyearstocome.

However, youmay recognise some groups that you are least experiencedwith, but they are

salient in your country and itwouldbe smart toput somemoreeffort inorder to gainmore

experienceabouttheirneedsandsituation.Inthatwayyoucouldgetbroadenyourexperience

aswellasthatofyourjob-seekersandasaresult,havebetterresultsasaJobBroker.

1.3Describenetworkingtechniquesandusethemtobuilduplong-termrelationships

withemployersandpossiblecooperationpartnersand/orfundingbodiesforsupport

measuresforjob-seekers.

AcommonchallengeforJobBrokersisobtainingandkeepinganetworkofpotentialemployers

andworkplacestheycanmatchwithjob-seekers.Someagenciesmaykeeptrackofthestateof

theregionallabourmarket,whileothersmaynot.Butevenifthiskindofinformationisavailable

atforinstancetheregionallabouroffice,theJobBrokermayhavestillbeableto“translate”that

information for their own use, in a way that can also benefit and help develop the entire

networkofserviceproviders.



56|P á g i n a

Finding updated and relevant information concerning the requirements of the labourmarket

and finding the specific employersmight be difficult, asmany sectors are rapidly changing in

accordance to employment policies, technology developments and up and downscaling of

businessesandorganizations.TheJobBrokersneedtohavealotofinformationathandinorder

tobeabletouseknowledgeandinformationforthedevelopmentofanindividualactionplan

fortheirjob-seekers.Thisshouldconsiderwhatpositionstheemployerscanofferyouthtohelp

themprogress,whilealsobebasedonthecoach’sknowledgeaboutthecompetenceandskills

levelofthejob-seeker.

One way of getting information first-hand is through having direct relations with the labour

market; in the sameway that the Job Brokers need to know their job-seekers, theywill also

benefit greatly if they knowhow toobtain information about the labourmarket, andhow to

communicateefficientlywithemployers.Thefollowingsectionwillprovideanoutline inorder

for Job Brokers to be able to become aware ofwhat information they do have aswell as to

challengethemtobecreativeaboutotherwaysoffindinginformation.



57|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.3.1

Doyouknowthesourcesofinformationandguidancethatcanbemadeavailabletoemployers

inordertosupportthenintakingoninexperiencedjob-seekerstofillvacancies.Specifybelow.

Atyourconvenience,approachacolleagueandopenadiscussiononyourfindings?Trytofind

outwhethertheyagreeoriftheyaddsomething?



58|P á g i n a

A lot of employers, especially when it comes to SMEs, probably won’t have an in-house

recruitmentofficer,arenotawareoftheadvantagesofhiringyoungpeople.TheJobBrokermay

takeadvantageofthatinordertohelpboththeemployersfindtherightpersonforthejoband

job-seekertofindanappropriateplacement.So,apartfromtheinfothatcouldapplytoallkinds

ofcandidategroups(CVs,educationalbackground,professionalbackground,skills,competences

etc.),theJobBrokermaymakeavailableinformationthathavetodospecificallywiththegroup

thattheywouldliketopromote.

Forexamplethattherearesomepublicfundedprogrammesthataresubsidisingtheemployerin

order to hire inexperienced unemployed job-seekers or interns, with not a lot of experience

couldbeeasieralignedtothecultureofthecompany,astheyarenotbiasedbytheirprevious

job.

HoweverasaJobBrokeryouhavealwaystocombinewhatisbestforbothemployersandjob-

seekersanduseyourresourcesandnetworktoachievethebestpossibleoutcomes!Developing

anetworkwithcommittedemployers,willhelpthelocalnetworktocreatecreativesolutionsto

developworkexperience, training, jobandcareerorientation,voluntaryworketc. forthe job-

seekersandthushelpthemtoadvanceintheircareerpath.Anessentialpartofbuildinglonger



59|P á g i n a

lastingrelationsinnetworksisbymakingsurethatrelevantandnecessaryinformationiseasily

accessibletoall,andisupdated,andthatcommunicationisfacilitatedbetweenthosewhoneed

it.Allofthoseinvolvedshouldhaveanequalpossibilitytoraiseissuesandbeheard.Moreover,

dependingon theemployers’motivation forbeing in thenetworkof employer contacts, they

mighthavedifferentneedsforwhattheywantoutofsuchanetwork.Somemighthavecapacity

tobe“actively”involved,whileothersmightnothavesuchcapacityatall.

It is thus important for the Job Brokers to maintain good relationships with the employer

networkandmakesuretheycanfindcommonground,whereallcanbenefit.Onetypicaldriving

motivation for an employer to become part of a network of employers in a job placement

programis“socialresponsibility”.Thisistheideathatbusinessesshouldbalanceprofit-making

activitieswith activities that benefit society; it involves developing businesseswith a positive

relationshiptothesocietyinwhichtheyoperate.



60|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.3.2

Make a list of five different techniques that you could think of keeping in touch with the

employers in your network and maintaining the contacts in order to have a sustainable

relationship.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Nowthatyouknowhowtomaintainyournetworklistfivedifferenttechniquesthatyoumay

useinordertobrokeremploymentbetweenunemployedjob-seekersandemployers.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.



61|P á g i n a

Depending on the nature of the employer network, employers (individually and in larger

networks)canbeinvolvedinseveralways.

Forinstance–herearesomeexamples:

• through ‘Memoranda of Understanding –where local Job Brokering organisations and

local employers sign a commitmentonhow theywillwork together for thebenefit of

job-seekers

• newsletterswithinformationonactivities,updatesand“bestpracticestories”

• Throughscheduled (annual/bi-annual)meetingswhereemployersandother interested

stakeholderscanupdateeachother(e.g.policychanges,resultsachievedetc.)aswellas

createaforumwheretheycannetworkamongsteachother,seewhatothersaredoing

andshareexperiences.

FurthermoreitisimportantasaJobBrokertohavespecifictechniquesthatyoumayturnatany

timeinordertobrokeremployment.Incontinuancesomeonecoulduseacombinationofthese

techniquesinordertocomeupwithatailormadesolutionforeachsituation.

Somepopulartechniquesthatyoumaybeusing–oryoumayliketoconsider-are:

• The Recruitment Cycle https://www.topechelon.com/blog/placement-process/what-is-

full-cycle-recruiting/

• Public speaking–atworkshops,events, conferencesor informalgatherings - toattract

bothjob-seekersandEmployers



62|P á g i n a

• Acquiredatabasesfromothercompanies,whenpossible.

• Useonlineavailabledatabases/socialmediasuchasLinkedIn

• Postjobadvertisements

• Searchforemployeereferrals

• Administerpre-employmenttests

• Meetwithnewpotential job-seekers and conduct interviews to seewhat is needed in

yourarea

• Findvariouswaystopresentyoursuccessfuloutcomes

• Takepartintheselectionprocess,assistingtheemployers

Ofcourse,thefinaloutcomewouldbeaccordingtoyourjob-seekers’needsandacombination

ofvarioustechniques.

Indicatorstomeasureeffectiveness-Jobbrokerage,asanyotheroccupation,needstomeasure

itseffectivenessbyspecific indicators.Those indicatorsmaybequalitativeorquantitativeand

be set against ametric standard that the JobBroker is using formeasuring his/herwork and

according to thequalityplan that is inplace,orcouldbepredefinedbyapublicprocurement

that the Job Broker has undertaken as a subcontractor and is implementing on behalf of the

state.



63|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.3.3

Howawareareyouofthekindofperformancemeasuresthatmaybeusedbyapublicbody

thatisfunding,commissioningormonitoringJobBrokerageservices?

What kind of success criteria (i.e. how to measure if the service is performing) can you

identify?

Whydoyouthinkthesecriteria/measureshavebeenchosen?

Nowyouhavereflectedonthatquestion,canyouthinkofmore?



64|P á g i n a

For completing this exercise you might have come across a public procurement about job

placement,careertraining,VEToradulteducationguidanceandprovision,networkdeveloping

andfacilitating,etc.orevenacombinationofthose.Eachprocurementopportunityand/oreach

contractwillforeseedifferentmetricsindicators–inotherwords,howtheeffectivenessofthe

services is to be assessed andwhat kind of performancemeasures and results are expected.

Someofwhichmaybe:

ü Recruitment of Participants (in terms of total numbers, length of employment,

background,age,gender–oracombination)

ü InitialAssessmentofParticipants(undertakingaspecificassessmentoftheirneeds)

ü Participationinalearningorjob-seekingprogramme(howmanytakepart,andforhow

long)

ü Completionofthelearningprogramme(howmanyofthosethatstartedcompletedtheir

programme)

ü Participationinanaccreditationprocedure(forinstance,howmanywhocompletedthe

programmeundertooksomeformoffinalassessmentorexaminationortest?)

ü Accreditationachievement(…andhowmanyofthemweresuccessful?)

ü Achievement of a job start / initial placement (how many of those who started the

programmewentontostartajob?)

ü Jobretention(howlongdidtheystayemployede.g.for6,12oreven24months?)



65|P á g i n a

1.4Describerelevantpublicpoliciesandprioritiesinrelationtofundingand

organisationofJobBrokeringservices.

WhatdoyouknowabouthowyourJobBrokerageserviceisfunded?Doyouthinkyouneedto

know? In some cases, the way that services are funded is a matter of open and public

knowledge. Inothercases,contractsandgrantagreementsareconfidential,andyoumaynot

knowhowyourworkisfundedevenifyouwantedtoknow!

Ononelevel,itisnotnecessarytoknowthedetailsofhowyourJobBrokerageserviceisfunded

inordertodoyourjob.However,allpublicfundingrequiresaccountabilityonsomelevel,and

thewayyourservice is fundedmayshapetheprioritiesofyourorganisation,oreventheway

thatyouaremeanttodeliveryourservice.

Research undertaken by the Job Broker Erasmus+ partners highlighted not only that the Job

Brokerroleexists indifferentforms inmanyEUcountriesbutalsothattheemergingworldof

‘paymentbyresults’(increasinglycommoninpublicprogrammes),ischangingthefocusofthis

roledramatically.Inthelastactivityandthefeedback,weprovidedanindicationofthekindof

‘results’ that provide these measures. This is particularly marked in the UK, where ‘output’

fundingiscommon–insomecircumstanceswith100%ofthepublicfundscontingentuponthe

supported/unemployed learnersecuringandretaininga job. This trend in the ‘system’ isalso

beginningtoappearinsomedifferentwaysinothercountriesforcingVETprovidersto‘re-think’

traditional approaches – as funding is no longer granted only for the running of courses, but

increasinglyrequiressuccessfuljobentryandjobretention.

This factor,alongwithothers,means it isno longerenoughto just trainpeopleupor ‘match’

candidatestojobs:VETprovidersarehavingtodeployresourcesindifferentways,toworkmore

closelywithemployersto‘broker’-andevensustainthejoboutcomeafterithasbeenachieved.

AsaEuropeanErasmus+project,JobBrokerhasbeendevelopedtoaddressanumberofareas

ofconcerntoEuropeanpolicy.



66|P á g i n a

Forinstance,the‘BrugesCommuniqué’(2010)callsonEUmemberstatestoimprovethelabour

market relevance of VET; to make it more outcome-orientated; and to develop a 'common

language' bridging education, training and the world of work. Furthermore, one of the key

objectivesoftheEuropeanUnion’sstrategicframeworkforEuropeancooperationinEducation

andTraining(ET2020)includesacallforactionsthatcontributetowardsimprovingthequality,

efficiencyandrelevance(attractiveness)ofVETtotheneedsofthelabourmarket.TheEurope

2020strategycalls for jobs for75%of thepopulationaged20-64tobe inwork.Thechanging

world of work is also highlighted in the European Commission’s ‘New Skills for New Jobs’

initiative.

Jobbrokering,andmatchingskillstolabourmarketneeds,isinitselfoneofthenewtypesofjob

that is emerging. In previous times, people left school and undertook VET programs for a

specifictypeofjoborsector–andwouldoftenworkinthatsector-orthatjobeven–forthe

rest of their lives. For many, this has become a thing of the past, and there has been an

increasingrecognitionthatpeoplehave,orneedtodevelop,manydifferentskillsforthelabour

market. These are often referred to as ‘transferable skills’ andmuch of current EU policy is

aimed at calling onpublic employment services policies in themember states to identify and

supportthedevelopmentoftransferableskillsforthemodernworldofwork.

GiventhesenewpolicycontextsandchangesinVETpolicies,theJobBrokerprojectisaimingto

makeitsowncontributiontothesepolicies.BydevelopingaJobBrokerCurriculumProgramme,

theintentionistoraiseknowledgeandskillsthatwillhelpVETproviders intheEUtoincrease

their success rate in securing sustainable jobs for their learners (the job-seekers). However,

there are many challenges for how the Job Broker role is to be developed, trained for, and

ultimately validated and accredited – not least that there is such a difference in the labour

marketsituationineachmemberstateandnotwogovernmentsoperatethesamepoliciesand

programmes.



67|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.4.1 Identifyat least3mainpublicpolicies thataffect JobBrokerageservicesinyourcountryanddescribethewaysthattheyaffectyourwork.

WrittenAssignment

Identifythreemainpublicpoliciesconcernedwithsupportingjob-seekers inyourcountry(for

instance, different kind of wage subsidy schemes; vocational training; active labour market

measuresofvariouskinds).

Howdoeseachoftheseimpactonhowyoudeliveryourserviceandyourfunding?Howdoyou

takethisintoaccountwhenworkingwithyourjob-seekers?



68|P á g i n a

Sonowyoucanclearlyseethathowyourbrokerageserviceisfundedcanaffecthowyoudeliver

the service to your job-seekers. Youmayhave very specificmonthly targets anddeadlines to

meetforoutcomes;somepeoplewillfindthismotivatingandotherwillfinditasourceofstress!

In some instances, the JobBroker isnot just simplygetting the job-seeker intowork,butalso

looking to offer on-going in-work support to ensure that the job-seekers’ sustain their

employmentoveragivenperiodoftime.Itisfairtosaythatthishasaddedanotherelementto

the Job Broker role for some theywill need to up-skill to take on these new responsibilities.

Indeed,insomecountries(e.g.theUK)where‘paymentbyresults’hasbecomecommonplace,

thishasaffectedtheverywaythatpublicemploymentandevenvocationaleducationprovision

isorganised. Toput it simply, ifyouarepaid forcertainresults, thenthat iswhatwillbe the

priorityforhowyourserviceisorganised.Thiscanhaveveryprofoundeffects,notonlyonhow

yourorganisationdecidestomanageitswork,butinparticularhowyouprioritiseyourtime.

Additionally,thereisevidencetoshowthatofferingearlysupportforanyissuesarisingbetween

theemployeeandtheemployercanmeanthedifferencebetweensomeonenotjuststayingin

workbutimprovingtheirsituationtoincreasehoursorpaysuccessfully.Indeed,ifsomeofthe

funding isonlypaidby thepublic sectorafteraperiodof time in the job, then thisplacesan

incentiveontheprovidertoprovide ‘aftercare’support– i.e. information,advice,counselling

and‘brokering’aftertheinitialjobplacement.Thiscanbearadicaldepartureforthosewhoare

usedtothe ideathattheirworkwiththejob-seekerhasendedoncethejob-seekerhasfound

work–unless,ofcourse,theybecomeunemployedagainandreturntothemasajob-seeker!



69|P á g i n a

TheexamplebelowisbaseduponthetermsofacontractthatwasissuedbyaUKpublicbody

thatcommissionsVETprovisiontoaVETprovider.Thecontractwasaimedatunemployedjob-

seekersaged18–30yearsofage.

Thecontractwastosupportupto500job-seekersandoperatedfor24months.Thepayment

scheduleinthecontractwasasfollows:

Milestone/Result Amount€Maximum

numbers

Participantundertakesinitialassessmentonprogramme 100 500

Beginsnon-accreditedlearningprogramme 50 200

Beginsaccreditedlearningprogramme/VETcourse 75 200

Completionofnon-accreditedlearningprogramme 150 150

Completionofaccreditedlearningprogramme/VETcourse 50 200

AttainmentofvocationalqualificationatLevel2 250 400

Achievementofjobstart 150 400

Sustainedjob–4weeks 250 300

Sustainedjob–6months 750 250

Sustainedjob–12months 750 250



70|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.4.2

ReadthefollowingcaseaboutJupiterTrainingandthenanswerthequestions.

Jupiter Training has just received their new contract as per the payments by results example

above. They have six Job Brokers who normally work quite intensively with job-seekers who

oftenhaveamultiplesupportneeds,inadditiontoneedingtofindajob.

Theirpreviouscontractshadallowedmorefreedomandtimeinhowtheycouldworktosupport

the job-seekers, theyalsoassistedwithother issuesby referring to specialist support services

whererequired.Thismeantthattheyprovidedaholisticserviceforeachperson,whowasthen

moreabletofocusmorefullyontheirjobsearch.

ThenewcontractmeantthattheJobBrokershadtothinkmuchmoreabouttheamountoftime

theyspentwitheachperson,howmanysessionstheycouldprovideandhowquicklytheyhadto

progressthemtoeitherworkorsomeformoftrainingactivitytoachieveanoutcomeandget

paid.

AlloftheJobBrokersweregivenmonthlytargetstoworktowardswhichaddedanewelement

ofpressuretotheirjobroles.

1. What issues do you think that the Job Brokers might encounter in delivering this new

contract?



71|P á g i n a

2.HowmightthisimpactonJupiterTrainingasabusiness-andwhatcouldbetheoutcome?

3.Canyounameatleast5outcomesthattheJobBrokerswillbeexpectedtoachieveaccording

tothescheduleintheexample?

4.Howmightthisimpactontheservicebeingofferedtojob-seekers?

5.CanyouseeanychangesthatJupitertrainingmightneedtomaketotheirservicesinlightof

thenewcontract?



72|P á g i n a

Asyoucanseeformthecasestudyandtheexampleadaptingtothepaymentsbyresultsmodel

canbringnewchallengesforallconcerned,thatarebothpositiveandnegative.

Forsomelargerproviderstheymayfinditeasiertoadapttothismodelasnotalltheirdelivery

willbebasedsolelyononesourceoffunding.Similarly,theymaybeofferingmultipleprovision

thathasdifferentcontractrequirementsoradditionalsourcesofincome.

Smaller or more specialist providers may find that if they cannot achieve the number of

outcomeswhenexpectedthattheirincomecouldbeseverelyaffected-whichcouldimpacton

the entire service provision, including the number of staff employed and the level of salaries

paid.Inotherwords,jobsandservicescouldbeatrisk.

Theotherobviousissueisthatsomejob-seekersaremucheasiertogetintoworkthanothers,

and thismay affectwho Jupiter Trainingdecides toprioritise for their services. In the above

model, therewouldbeno incentivetotakeon job-seekerswithmultiplebarriers. Inpractice,

however,oftenthistypeofschedulepays‘supplements’forthosethathavemoreneeds–for

instanceforthosewithoutqualifications,orthosethathavebeenoutofworkforlonger.

Butitisnotallbadnewsbecauseitcanalsomeanthatstaffgettolearnnewskillsandwaysof

workingtoadapttheirdelivery,theymaybemotivatedbyhavingtoachievetargetseachmonth

andrisetothechallenge.



73|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.4.3

Given the payment by results situation compare the threemore salient positive versus the

threemostsalientnegativeaspectsthatcouldarise

Threepositivepoints:

1.

2.

3.

Threenegativepoints:

1.

2.

3.



74|P á g i n a

Lookingatthepaymentbyresultsschedulegiven,youcanseethata‘result’canbewhenajob-

seekerstartstheprogramme,orsomeotherformofmilestone–suchasthenbeingreferredon

toandstartingatrainingprogramme.

However, itcanbeseenthatby far the largest fundingamounts inthisexamplearebasedon

resultsthatare ‘end-loaded’– i.e. theycomeafteractivityhastakenplace–suchasgettinga

qualification at the end of the course, or staying in a job after the initial job placement is

secured.

More generally, some studies have suggested that running payment by results in job seeking

contractscanhavesomeadvantages,including:

• Everythingisclear–itcanhelphavingtofocusonspecificresultsandtargets

• Flexibility–howsomethingisdone,orwhatisdone,islessimportantthanhoweffective

itis

• Efficiencyandreward–providersarepaidonwhattheyachieve,orthe‘outputs’oftheir

service,ratherthanwhattheyspend,orthe‘inputs’.Iftheyareefficient,theycanmake

surpluses from the funding, which can be used in flexible ways or to reinvest in the

service.

However, some studies have suggested a number of disadvantages with payment by results

schemesinpublicemploymentprogrammes.Thesecaninclude:



75|P á g i n a

• Financial risks for providers – it can be difficult to predict with any certainty how

‘successful’ any programme can be and therefore theremay not be any guarantee of

coveringcostswithpayments.Inotherwords,providerscanlosemoney!

• Waitingfortheresultpaymenttobeachieved,andthenclaimedandverifiedcancause

cash-flowchallengesforproviders,anditcanalsorequiresignificantfinancialandhuman

resourcesinvestmentbothpre-contractandduringthecontractbeforebeingpaid.

• “Cherry picking” – where providers are reluctant to take on job-seekers with more

complexproblems,forfearofitbeingharderto‘getaresult’andthereforeappeartoget

poorer results (i.e. lower job placement rates) – or not get paid. This can lead to

‘parking’and ‘creaming’–wheresuch job-seekersaresetasideorneglected (parking),

whileotherswhomaybeeasier to ‘geta result’ are focusedupon,asproviders target

‘easier’job-seekersforattention(‘creaming’–i.e.‘takingthecream’).

• Forcing providers to concentrate on getting specific results to get paid can discourage

innovationandtryingsomethingdifferentordifferenttoseeifitsucceeds.



76|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.4.4

Find out how the Job Brokerage service you work for is funded: you may need to speak

managers,yourcolleaguesandevenyourjob-seekerstoanswerthefollowingquestions:

1. Howmanyjob-seekersareyouexpectedtosignupoverthedurationofthecontract?

2. Whatareyourtargetsforjobandtrainingoutcomes?

3. Areyouexpectedtomeetdeadlines,whatarethese?



77|P á g i n a

4. Howareyoumeasuredagainstthoseoutcomes?

5. Whataretheconsequencesofnotmeetingyourtargets?

6. Have you experienced any issues with this style of delivery, how have you overcome

these?



78|P á g i n a

Yourresearchmayhaveuncoveredsomethingsthatyouwerenotawareofaboutyourfunding

situationandhowthatimpactsonhowandwhyyoudoyourroleinsuchaway.Beingawareof

this informationmay assist you to do a better jobor performyour role in a differentway to

ensure that youmeet the needs of your job-seekers, your employers and your business. You

may even have realised that there is a more effective or efficient way of approaching your

servicedelivery.

Perhapsyoucouldbringthisupatyournextteammeeting?Whoknows, itcouldmake it less

stressful,morecosteffectiveandinterestingforeveryone!

Perhaps you could show the results/outcome of this in any Job Broker forum in which you

participate,asitcouldbeotherJobBrokersmightbeabletobenefitfromyourexperience?)

1.5Understandtheinterfacebetweentheemployer,job-seekerandfunderofJob

Brokerageservices.Illustratepossibleroleconflictsanddemonstratethemeansto

overcomethem.

Anypartnershipworkorrole,whichinvolvesasubstantialamountofcollaborativeworkwitha

numberofdifferentpartners,couldalsohavevariousconflictsarising.

ManyJobBrokerswillalsoperformsotheractivitieswithjob-seekers–someofferinganelement

ofemployabilitysupportlikeinterviewtechniquesor1-1/groupguidancesessionsorsupportfor

otherissues.



79|P á g i n a

Togetthejobdonetheywilloftenhavetoworkwithawiderangeofotherprofessionalswho

willallhavedifferentdeadlinesandpriorities,e.g.

• Employersofdifferentsizes

• Healthworkers

• Socialworkers

• Stafffrombenefitsagency

Theserviceyouworkformayalsobedeliveringaspartofapartnership,whereyouwillprovide

theJobBrokerageandsupportbutanotherproviderperhapsfurthereducationorVET,willoffer

short non accredited courses or longer accredited courses to up-skill the jobseekers in

preparation for work. There may also be other “referral partners” who are there to offer

specialistinterventionsthatmayberequiredi.e.counsellingortherapy.

Alloftheseorganisationswillcomewithdifferent“agendas”,whichwillmeandifferentpriorities

intermsofwhattheyseeasthemostimportantpartoftheworktobedone.FortheJobBroker

it will be the progressing the job-seeker into a training opportunity or job as seamlessly as

possible.Butthiscancauseconflictandwillneedcarefulhandlingandcommunicationbetween

allpartiestoensurethatanyissuesaredealtwithprofessionallyandswiftlytoavoiddisruption

totheserviceprovided.

TheJobBrokerwillhavearangeofinternalandexternalcustomerstokeephappyanditisoften

acareful“jugglingact”toensurethatthisisdoneeffectively.



80|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.5.1Categorizetheexpectationsthatthe3differentgroups,employersandjob-seekersandfundersmayhave,asseenfromtheJobBrokerperspective.

Job-seekerexpectations Employerexpectations Funderexpectations

1

1 1

2

2 2

3

3 3

4

4 4

5

5 5

6

6 6



81|P á g i n a

Canyounowsee that theprioritiesof thesedifferentgroupscouldbeasourceofconflict in

yourwork?Youmightwanttothinkabouthowyouovercometheseiftheydoarise,arethere

any things in place in the organisation that you work for e.g. steering group meetings,

partnershipmeetings,teammeetings,wherethingscouldbeopenlydiscussedandagreed?

Ultimately,itwillbedowntoyouandyourskillsasaJobBrokertoresolveasmuchofthisas

possiblewitheachpartyasandwhenorifitarises.

However,ifyoufeelthatthereareissuesthatareoutofyourlimitations,areasofexpertiseor

authoritythenyoushouldreferthistoyourmanagerortheteamleader,sothatyoucanget

guidancefromthem.



82|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.5.2

Choose one public funded programme for Job Brokerage services and describe how you

wouldinvolvejob-seekers,andemployersforthebenefitofallpartiesinvolved.



83|P á g i n a

Whatdidyoudiscover?

HasitmadeyouthinkdifferentlyabouthowyouareworkinginyourownJobBrokerage?You

might have realised that someof the ideas that youhavedescribed could be applied to the

brokeragewhereyoucurrentlywork.

Clearlytherearebenefitstoinvolvingservicesusers,inthiscasejob-seekers,evenatthemost

basic level – to gain valuable feedback and insight in to their individual experiences of the

servicedelivery.Theirviewsandexperiencescanassistyouinfuturedesignanddeliveryofthe

services.

Cold you also have job-seekerswho sit on the board? Perhaps this could be away of them

paying something back after using the service or you could reimburse them for their time?

What about thembecoming “mentors” to your current job-seekers or coming back to share

theirtipsonwhatmakesasuccessfuljobsearchaspartofaworkshop?

Similarly,employerscouldassistwithdesigningdeliveryofservices infactbringingemployers

into deliver specific themed workshops or take part in mock interviews makes the whole

experienceforthejobseekermore“real”.Therearemanywaysyoucandiversifythedelivery

andcontentofyouremployabilitysessions.

Perhaps you can share your ideas on the Job Broker forum and see what other ideas Job

Brokershavecomeupwith?



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ACTIVITY1.5.3

Fromthecasestudybelow,canyoufind3probableconflictsthattheJobBrokermayhaveto

dealwithinordertoachieveasatisfyingoutcomeforallpartiesinvolved?

Describehowyouwoulddealwiththeseissues.

YouhavebeenworkingasaJobBrokerfor3yearsandhaverecentlyjoinedJupiterTraining

asoneoftheJobBrokersontheirteamofsixpeople.

Yourjob-seekerscomefromarangeofbackgroundswithvaryingdegreesofskills, levelof

qualificationsandjobreadiness.Theyoftenpresentwithotherissues,whichwillaffecttheir

ability to focuson their jobsearch.Mostof the job-seekershavebeenoutofwork forat

least12monthsandareaccessingbenefitssotheywanttosecureemploymentassoonas

possible.Oftentheydonotknowwhattheywanttodotheyjustneedajob!

The employers who you work with offer a range of opportunities but some are very

specialist, requiringspecialist trainingor sometimesdegree levelqualifications.Employers

donotpaythebrokeragefortheirservicesbutoftengetquitefrustratedthattheyarenot

getting theright typeofcandidates for thevacancies theyhave.Asa JobBroker thisalso

impactsonyouachievingyourtargetstodeadline–howwillyouresolvetheseissuesforall

concernedandwhatarethepossibleconflicts?

Writeyouranswersdownonaseparatesheet.



85|P á g i n a

Asyouwill knowfromcompleting thisexerciseandalso thinkingaboutyourownday today

work,conflictswillariseandtheyarenotalwayseasytoresolveanditwilloftentakepatience,

problem-solvingskillsanddiplomacytomakesurethatallpartiesgettheirdesiredoutcome.

TheJobBrokerroleisaboutmanagingeveryone’sexpectations–thejob-seekerneedshelpto

finda job, additionally theymay requireother support for issues thatweall experience,but

somefindthattheycannotresolvethemwithoutthesupportofotherprofessionals;allofthis

canbeverystressful.Theemployerneedstofillajobvacancyusuallyasquicklyaspossible,but

withthebestavailablecandidate,theydonothavetimetowaste,becausetimeasweallknow,

ismoney!

Equally, as a Job Broker you will have deadlines and targets to meet not getting the right

candidateswiththerightskillsorhavingtodealwithanirateemployercantakeupyourtime

andkeepyoufromfocusingonthejobathand.

If you find this area of your work difficult, it may be worth seeing if there are any courses

offeredlocallytoenhanceyourskillsaroundassertivenessanddealingwithdifficultsituations.

OryoucouldtryspeakingtotheotherJobBrokersinyourteam/organisationorlocalnetwork

toseeiftheyhavehadsimilarproblems–howdidtheyovercomethem?

PerhapsyoucoulduseanonlineJobbrokerforumandsee ifanyoneontherecouldgiveyou

somesupport?



86|P á g i n a

1.6SpecifyandexplaintheuseofJobBrokeringservicesforkeyemployers,employer


It is perhaps stating the obvious that your ability to be effective as a Job Broker is partly

determined by the overall state of the economy and levels of unemployment. Life would

certainlybeeasierifthereweremorethanenoughfull-timeandpart-timejobstogoaroundfor

everyone, irrespectiveof theircircumstances,qualificationsandskills! However, if thosedays

everexisted,theyarelonggonenow.UnemploymentlevelsinsomepartsoftheEUhavebeen

persistentlyhighand thesituationdeteriorated furtherwith theadventof theglobal financial

crisisin2008.

Partofyour role,asa JobBrokerwillalsobeaboutconvincingemployers to subscribe touse

yourbrokerageservicessothatyouhaveenoughvacanciestooffertoarangeofcandidatesina

rangeofsectors.Youmayneedtothinkaboutthe“pitch”youmaketoprospectiveemployers

andthinkaboutwhytheymightbuyintoit,ratherthanuseanotherformofrecruiter.

Oneofthereasonssomeemployerswillbeattractedtousingyourserviceisthatoftenfunded

Job Brokerage programs are free of charge, whereas a more commercially-run recruiter will

chargeafeewhentheysuccessfullyplacesomeone.



87|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.6.1

YouhaveanappointmentwithamajoremployerandyouhavetoexplaintothemwhataJob

Broker does. Employers are often very busy andhavemanypressures that compete for their

attention. In this case, theemployerhas set aside just 20minutes for you. In that time, you

havetoexplainwhatyoudoasaJobBrokerandhowitcanbeofbenefittotheemployer.

Haveyouheardofthe“elevator‘pitch’??”Intheworldofmarketing,thisisanideawhereyou

have someone’sattention for thedurationofoneelevator ride. In that time,howdoyouget

acrossyouroffer?Whatisyour"uniquesellingpoint-USP"?”

Planoutyour‘pitch’totheemployer:–rememberyouhavejust20minutestomakeanimpact!



88|P á g i n a

How did you find this? If you are still unsure about how to approach it, perhaps you could

practiseononeofyourcolleagues?Theymaybeabletogiveyousomeusefultips.

Rememberhowyoupitchyourservicestoanemployermightvarydependingonwhatyouthink

theirexpectationsareintermsoflevelofservice,frequencyofuseandotherfactors.Obviously,

youwanttomakeagood impressionbutyoudon’twanttomisleadtheminanywayorover-

promise,whichcouldleadtodisappointment.

Unlikeacommercialrecruiterwhereoftencandidatessignuptousetheirservices,thetypeof

job-seeker that you will be dealing with is unlikely to be fully “job ready” and will require

anythingfromafewweekstoseveralmonthsofpreparationbeforeyouareabletosubmitthem

forasuitable jobrole. Berealisticwithyouremployers,andbeopenaboutthestrengthsand

limitationsofyourvariouscandidatestothem.

Oneof themost powerful influencerswith employers is evidence that youhave alreadybeen

abletosecuresuccessfulplacementsfromjob-seekersforotheremployers.

Thisareacanbeaverydifferentskilltothetypethatareoftenbuiltupincounsellingprofessions

and it isalwaysgood to shareexperiencesandapproacheswithothers ina JobBroker forum.

Sharingyourexperienceofhowyougotonwithyourpitchesorpresentations toanemployer

canhelpothersavoidanypitfalls–whereasotherssharingwithyoucanhelpyoutoavoidthem

aswell!



89|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.6.2

WhatservicesmightaJobBrokeroffertoanemployer?Writeyourlisthere:

Who else might also be providing these services to employers, how will you convince the

employerthattheJobBrokerageserviceisthebetteroptionfortheirbusinessneeds?Canyou

writealistof‘ProsandCons’?



90|P á g i n a

For some of the employers who contact your Job Brokerage your services will fulfil all their

needs,butforothersitmaynotproveadequateastheymayhaveahighvolumeofrecruitment

needs with very specific requirements. They may be better placed contacting a commercial

recruiterwhospecializesinacertaintypeofrecruitmentandoftenathighvolumestoo.

Maintainingagoodrelationshipwithyouremployerswillmeanthatyouwillneedtorecognize

whatyourlimitationsareasabrokerageandknowwhentoreferthemonorrecommendother

services. Surely, it’s better not to waste their time trying to do something that you’re not

equippedtodoordonothavetheexpertisetodoeffectivelyorwithinthetimescalerequired.

PerhapsthismighthighlightsometrainingopportunitiesforyouandotherJobBrokers?

As previously highlighted the fact that your services are provided free of charge will be

attractive to employers. However, this could also cast some doubt in theirminds about the

quality of your service and how it compares to a paid recruitment service; youmay have to

workhardtoconvincethemandearntheirbusinessandrespectwhenplacingcandidates.

Sometimes working with smaller employers can work better for you and them, as their

demandsintermsofrecruitmentwillbelowerinnumbersandperhapslessfrequent.Butthat

doesn’tmeantosaythatyoushouldn’tapproachthelargeremployersifyouhavethecapacity

tofulfiltheirrecruitmentneeds;someofthiswillbedependentonthesizeofyourbrokerage.

CanyoushareyourresultsofthisexerciseontheJobBrokerforumwithotherJobBrokers?You

might want to ask how they have overcome any objections from employers to assist you

if/whenthishappens.



91|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY1.6.3

Writtenassignment:IdentifythechallengesthatyouthinkmostprobablyaJobBrokerwillface

whenhavingtoexplaintheuseofbrokeringservicestokeyemployers,employerassociations,

sectorbodiesorindustryspecialists.



92|P á g i n a

Whenyouaretryingtosellanyservicethenyouwillnodoubtcomeacrossmanyobjections,you

mayalreadyhaveexperiencedthisaspartofyourwork.

Buttherearealsootherchallenges,someemployerswillbesuspiciousofsomethingthatfreeto

use,theymightthinkthatyourservicewillbeinferiortothosewhereyouhavetopayafreeto

theagency.Theymaybeputtingyoutothetesttoseeifyoucanactuallydeliver,soifthisis

yourfirsttomewitthisemployeritisimportanttogetitright-astheymaynotcomebacka

secondtime!

Theymayalsohavedoubtsaboutthecalibreofyourcandidatesbecausetheyarenotworking

andmaynothaveeverworkedorbeenoutofworkforsometime.Ifyoudonotgiveagood

impressionabouttheorganisationyouworkforthentheymaydoubtyourknowledgeandskills

asaJobBroker.

Theemployermayhaveatightdeadlinefortheirrecruitmentandmaywanttoknowhowsoon

youcansendthemsomeviablecandidateCVs.Youmightnothaveanyoneonyourcurrent

caseloadwhofitsthespecification–sowhatwillyoudo?

Yourdeadlinesandtimelinesmightbeverydifferenttoalargecorporateemployer.

Ofcoursetheotherthingthatissometimesoutofyourcontrolwhendealingwithemployers

andjob-seekersisthatasmuchasyoucanbriefthejob-seekersyouhavenocontroloverwhat

actuallymighthappenonthedayofaninterview!Willtheybelate,notshowupatall,come

acrossliketheyhavenotdoneanypreparation?Allyoucandoispreparethemadequately,

hopeforthebest–andthenmakesureyoufollowup.



93|P á g i n a

Sometimesanemployermightnotseektoappointanyofyourcandidates,don’tassumethat

thisisyourfaultorthatofthejob-seeker.Sometimesduringtherecruitmentprocessemployers

changetheirmindaboutwho,andwhat,theywantorjustdecidenottorecruitatall!Tryto

ensurethatifyourcandidatesareunsuccessfulthenyougetasmuchfeedbackaspossibleabout

why.Someemployersarereluctanttodothistoanydegreebutifyoudon’tknowyouhaveno

ideawhattoworkonwiththejob-seekerfortheirnextinterview.Makesureyouseekfeedback

fromthecandidatestooabouttheirexperienceoftheinterview,assometimestheywilloffera

verydifferentperspectivetotheemployerone!

Theemployeroffersyourcandidatetherole-buttheydon’twantit!Ifthishappens,haveade-

briefingwithyourcandidateimmediatelytofindoutwhathappenedattheinterview.Thisisa

difficultone,asthecandidatemayhaveheardsomethingattheinterviewthatturnedthemoff

ofthejob,butyouwillneedtoinvestigateandfindoutwhattheissueis.Coulditbeasimple

misunderstanding-orsomethingmoresinister?

ProgressAssessment–LearningNeedAnalysis

AndnowthatyouhavecompletedtheactivitiesandexercisesinthisChapterandreviewedall

theFeedback,let’sreturntotheLearningNeedsAssessmentthatyoucompletedatthestartof

theChapter.

Inthetablebelow,repeattheself-appraisalofyourknowledge,skillsandunderstandinginthis

area.Asbefore,considertherequirementandestimateyour‘level’ineachcase.

Hereisaquickreminderofthescale:Usingascalewhere1=poor(developmentfullyneeded),

5=fair/satisfactory(developmentpartiallyneeded)and10=excellent(nodevelopment

needed)



94|P á g i n a



Identifyissuesthatarisefromusingknowledgeofthe

trendsinthelabourmarket,intermsof(a)identifying

growingareasofskillsshortagesandjobvacanciesand

(b)seekingto‘match’thejob-seeker(s)tothesetrends

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describecompetencesorqualitiesthatcanbe

developedrelativelyquicklyinjob-seekersinorderto

respondtopotentiallybeneficiallabourmarkettrends

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifytheissuesthatthejob-seekersmayfacewhen

consideringworkopportunitiesthatarenotlocaland

workwiththemtoassessiftheseopportunitiesare

realisticorpracticalforthem.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Specifytheresourcesthatyouneedtoprepareforwork

withthejob-seeker(s)inordertoidentifyrelevant

vocationaleducationandtrainingproviders/schemes

andpublicemploymentprogrammes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Recognisethedifferenttypesofprovisionand

programmesthatarerelevanttoallofthejob-seekers,

anddistinguishwiththosewhichtargetspecificneeds

andspecificgroups.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifythesourcesofguidanceandinformationthat

canbemadeavailabletoemployersandindustry

associationstosupportthemintakingonunemployed

job-seekerstofillvacancies

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Explainthemaintechniquesto(a)brokeremployment

betweenunemployedjob-seekersandemployers(b)

stayintouchwithbothpartiestosupportthe

sustainabilityofthearrangement.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifythemainindicatorsthatareusedtomeasure

theimpactandeffectivenessofyourservice(including

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



95|P á g i n a

any’paymentbyresults’arrangements).

Identifyatleast3mainpublicpoliciesthataffectJob

Brokerageservicesinyourcountryanddescribethe

waysthattheyaffectyourwork.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describethe“paymentbyresults”system(i.e.could

youlistatleast3‘results’aJobBrokermightbe

expectedtoachieve.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Compare3positiveand3negativeaspectsofpayment

byresults

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Distinguishtheexpectationsof:

A)anemployerb)employeec)funders

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describehowyouwouldinvolvejob-seekersand

employersforthebenefitofallpartiesinvolvedina

publicfundedprogramme

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describe3typicalconflictsthataJobBrokermayhave

todealwithinordertoachieveasatisfyingoutcomefor

allpartiesinvolved

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Preparea20’presentationtoaprospectiveemployerin

ordertosellyourbrokerageservicetothem

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ListofalltheservicesthataJobBrokermayoffertoan

employer,comparinghowtheseservicesareprovided

now,andwhyJobBrokerageisabettersolution

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifythechallengesthatyouthinkmostprobablya

JobBrokerwillfacewhenhavingtoexplaintheuseof

brokeringservicestokeyemployers,employer


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Now,compareyourtwosetsofscores–thoseyoudid‘before’andthoseyoudidafterworking

throughthispartoftheGuide.Whatareyourmainconclusions?



96|P á g i n a

Wouldyousaythat,basedonhavingusedthematerialinthisChapter,youunder-estimatedor

over-estimateyourskills,knowledge,understandingand/orexperiencethefirsttimeyoudid

thisassessment?

So,ifyouscoredsomerequirementslowerafterfinishing–isthatbecauseyourealiseyoustill

haveareastodevelop?

Ifyouscoredsomerequirementshigher–isthisbecauseyoufeelmoreknowledgeableor

confidentaftercompletingtheexercises?

WouldyousaythattheChapterconfirmedyouroriginalestimates–orwerethereany

surprises?

Canyouidentifyareaswhereyoustillneedtoseekoutfurtherprofessionalsupportor

development?

1.7 Conclusionandfurtherreading

ThepurposeofthisChapterhasbeentoplaceyourworkasaJobBrokerinthecontextofthe

European labour market and employment opportunities in Europe. In doing so, we have

exploredtheinterfacebetweenthekeystakeholdersthatimpactonyourwork–theemployer,

job-seeker and public funder. We have also reviewed how policies, funding, schemes and

programmes, labourmarket informationandemployment regulationsall surroundand impact

onJobBrokerageservices.

Finally… although JobBrokerage is an emerging and relatively new concept in EuropeanVET

legislation,therearevariouspublicationsandresourcesrelevanttotheissuesdiscussedinthis

module.Manyofthesewillbeinyourownlanguageandarerelevanttoyourowncountry–so

dolookthemup!

Inthemeantime,andtohelpyoulookfurther,wehavelistedsomerelevantinformationsources

attheEuropeanlevelbelow:



97|P á g i n a

• CEDEFOP:‘SkillsPanorama’athttp://skillspanorama.cedefop.europa.eu/en

• European Commission: ‘EURES – The European Job Mobility Portal’ at

https://ec.europa.eu/eures/public/homepage

• EuropeanCouncil:ResolutiononANewSkillsAgenda foran InclusiveandCompetitive

Europe(2016/C467/01).

• European Training Foundation / CEDEFOP / International Labour Office: ‘The role of

employmentserviceproviders:Guidetoanticipatingandmatchingskillsandjobs’(2015).



98|P á g i n a

Notes


99|P a g e

Chapter2

WorkingEffectivelywithEmployers


Chapter2–WorkingEffectivelywithEmployers

100|P á g i n a

ContentsWhatisthisChapterabout?…………………………..…………………………………………………………………..95LearningObjectives……...…………………………………………………………………..……………………………….952.1Selectandapplyrecruitingmethods(direct,indirect,thirdpartymethods)toreachouttopotentialcandidates..........……………………………………………………………………………..982.2Describeoccupationalprofilesandlistcorrespondingoccupationalrequirements................................................................…………………………………………………………1092.3Design,conductandparticipateinnetworkingeventsandactivitiestocreatestronglinkstoemployers........................................................................................................1152.4Utilizeexistingsupportschemestogeneratemaximumbenefitforemployers.................................................................................................................................1222.5Developjobprofilesincooperationwithemployersandmatchthemwithpersonalprofilesofpotentialjobcandidates……………..……………………………………………………………………..1302.6Demonstratetheabilitytodeliver,monitorandevaluateemployersatisfactionasameansofcontinuousservicequalityimprovement…………………………………………………………..1372.7ProgressAssessment-LearningNeedAnalysis……………………………………………………………….1472.8FurtherReading:resourcesandwebgraphy…………………………….…………………………………….149



101|P á g i n a

WhatisthisChapterabout?

In the secondChapter of theGuidewe look atworkingwith thosewhoprovide jobs for job-

seekers–theemployers.ThepurposeofthischapteristoplaceyourworkasaJobBrokerinthe

context of how to work with employers and job-seekers in a proper quality way to achieve

successbyunderstandingeachones’needs,matchingthoseneedsandcreatingacollaborative

environmentwhichwillallowyoutocreateastablenetworktodevelopyourwork.Theareas

coveredinvolvemarketingjob-seekerstoemployers,usingemployerfeedbacktoimproveyour

service,advisingemployersonrecruitmentand'inworksupport'fornewrecruits.

Effective JobBrokerageprovidersmustbehighlyproactive indevelopinganunderstandingof

employers’ needs. The Job Broker’s direct workwith employers includes, in general, vacancy

sourcing, human resource planning, detailed analysis of job roles and person specifications,

matchingjob-seekersto jobs,siftingapplicants, interviewassistanceandtesting.Wetherefore

lookathowtoestablishandmaintaingoodrelationshipswithemployersandachieveemployer

satisfaction,aswellastakingintoaccountpublicfundingincentivesforemployers.

Youwillfindattheendofthischapter(“furtherreading”section)someusefullinksthatwillhelp

you with the drafting of the activities proposed within this self-learning guide chapter. We

suggestyouconsulttheselinksbeforeaccomplishingeachactivity.

LearningObjectives

Inordertoaddresstheabove,thischapterhasthefollowingspecificlearningobjectives:

2.1Selectandapplyrecruitingmethods(direct,indirect,thirdpartymethods)toreachout

topotentialcandidates.

2.2Describeoccupationalprofilesandlistcorrespondingoccupationalrequirements.

2.3Design,conductandparticipateinnetworkingeventsandactivitiestocreatestrong

linkstoemployers.



102|P á g i n a

2.4Utilizeexistingsupportschemestogeneratemaximumbenefitforemployers.

2.5Developjobprofilesincooperationwithemployersandmatchthemwithpersonal

profilesofpotentialjobcandidates.

2.6Demonstratetheabilitytodeliver,monitorandevaluateemployersatisfactionasa

meansofcontinuousservicequalityimprovement

Beforewelookatthecontentsindetailandwepracticeourskillsthroughthedifferentactivities

proposed, let’s beginwith a self-appraisal of your knowledge, skills andunderstanding in this

areawiththeLearningNeedsAssessmenttablebelow.

Usingascalewhere1=poor (developmentfullyneeded),5= fair/satisfactory(development

partiallyneeded)and10=excellent(nodevelopmentneeded).Considereachrequirementin

turn,andestimateyour‘level’ineachcase:

Jobrequirements Levelofknowledge,skills,experienceor


Jobdescriptionanalysisandinterviewingskills.

E.g.: capability to describe and make

appropriate questions according to the job

specificationstocompilerelevantinformation

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledgeofwrittencommunication,ICTand

dissemination channels: for job

advertisementsdevelopmentanddistribution.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Communication and organizational skills for

planning and implementing recruiting

processes (including preparation of selection

test,groupdynamics,etc.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

KnowledgeandskillstohandleEuropeantools

to search for potential candidates: E.g. ISCO

professionalcatalogueandEURESjobmobility

portal.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



103|P á g i n a

Capability to categorize the employer needs

and cooperate with them by

exploring/assessing the demand and labour

market development, to provide customised

guidanceandsupporttothem.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledgeandskillstoactivateadministrative

proceduresnecessaryfortheaccesstosupport

schemesandprogrammes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Capability toguideemployers towardsupport

measures fitting to theirneedsand todeliver

relevant information about rights and

obligationscomingfromsupportschemes.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledge and skills for the effective

matching of job demand and job offer (e.g.

capability to analyse work processes, detect

occupational needs, develop job profiles and

conductskillsassessmentprocesses).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Communication and analytical skills to

effectively communicate with customers in

order to ensure and assess their overall

satisfactionaboutprovidedservices.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledge and skills to design standard

procedures forquality implementationand to

manageprocesseslinkedtoqualitymonitoring

andimprovement.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10







104|P á g i n a

2.1Selectandapplyrecruitingmethods(direct,indirect,thirdpartymethods)toreach

outtopotentialcandidates.

Wesuggestthatyoureadcarefullytheinformation/narrativespresentedbelowastheyarethe

basisforagoodperformanceoftheactivitiesstatedthatyouwillfindinthissection.Please,also

remembertocheckthewebographyprovidedforacomprehensiveknowledge.

Whatisarecruitmentprocess?

It could be described as “the set of activities and processes used to legally obtain a

sufficient number of qualified people at the right place and time so that the people and the

organisation can select each other in their own best short and long term interests”

(Schuler,RandallS.:PersonnelandHumanResourceManagement).

Stepstobetakeninarecruitmentprocess

− Recruitmentplanning:todraftacomprehensivejobspecificationforthevacantposition.

− StrategyDevelopment:todefineasuitablestrategyforrecruitmentofthecandidates.

− Searchingcandidatesinternallyorexternally.

− Screeningapplicationsreceivedandselecting.

− Evaluationoftheprocess:levelofsuccess.

Selectionofdifferentrecruitmentmethods

• Internal,madethroughthepromotionandtransferofexistingpersonnelorthroughreferrals,by

currentstaffmembers,offriendsandfamilymembers.

Advantagesofthismethodare:

− Familiaritywithownemployees.

− Betteruseofinternaltalent.

− Economicalrecruitment.

− Improvesmoraleofemployees.

− Amotivatorforemployees.



105|P á g i n a

Disadvantages:

− Limitedchoice.

− Discouragecompetitiontooutsiders.

− Stagnationofskillsinthelongrunmayhappen.

− Createsconflictsinternallywhethercandidatesdeserveornotapromotion.

• External: External sources of recruitment lie outside the organization. These could be:

employmentexchanges;employmentagenciesandthusJobBrokers;advertisementandon-line

recruitment;professionalassociationsandhead-hunters;campusandfairsrecruitment;raiding

orpoachingfromarivalfirm.

Advantages:

- Openprocess.

- Availabilityoftalentedcandidates.

- Opportunitytoselectthebestcandidate:selectionprocessbecomescompetitive.

- Provideshealthycompetition.

Disadvantages:

- Expensive and time consuming (except if they use the Job Broker, in which case cost is

covered).

- Unfamiliaritywiththeorganizationofthechosenperson.

- Discourageexistingemployees.

-

Interviewingasthemostcommonlyusedselectiontechnique

Whenusedappropriately, interviewing canbeagoodpredictorofworkperformance. Ideally,

interviewsareconductedbyapanelofpeople.Itisnecessarytodecideiftheemployerwillbe

involved in the process from the very beginning. It is recommendable for the employer to

participateatleastinthefinalstageoftheprocess.

JobBrokerskillsneededforinterviewingwithprofessionalism:

– Howtoconductastructured,behaviourally-orientedinterview.

– Howtoprovideeffectivefeedback.

– Instructionsonnotetaking.



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– Howtoavoidinterviewerbias.

– Howtoselectapplicantsbasedonmerit.

–

Preparingquestionsandconductinginterviews

- Interviewquestionsshouldbebehaviourally-orientedandbasedoneachofthecriticalkey

selectioncriteria(KSC),asdeterminedthroughthejobanalysisprocess.

- Behaviourally-orientedinterviewquestionsarerecommended(e.g.askinganapplicantwhat

theywoulddoifpresentedwithaparticularsituation)aspastbehaviouristhebestpredictor

offutureperformance.Interviewersshouldnoteapplicantresponsesinthefollowingareas:

Situation,Task,Action,Result.

-

Examplesofbehaviourally-orientedquestionsthatencourageSTARbasedresponsesinclude:

STAR Examplequestions

SituationorTask –Describeasituationwhen...

–Whydidyou...?

–Whatwerethecircumstancessurrounding...?

Action –Exactlywhatdidyoudo?

–Describespecificallyhowyoudidthat?

–Describeyourspecificroleintheproject?

–Walkmethroughthestepsyoutook?

Result –Whatwastheresult?

–Howdidthatworkout?

–Whatproblems/successresultedfrom...?

–Whatfeedbackdidyoureceive?

Groupdynamicsasatechniqueforrecruiting



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The processes that take place during a dynamic group exercise reflect communication and

behaviour patterns among the participants. Also, depending on the exercise itmight provide

informationaboutspecificknowledge.Groupdynamicsallowexploringandstudyingprocesses

givenwithinthegroupofcandidates.

It is importanttomakeagoodselectionamongthedifferentgroupdynamicsavailable,soit is

possibleandeasytoobservethekeycriteriaforthepositiontobecovered.Alsoacustomized

versioncanbedevelopedspecificallyifyouareexperiencedenoughtodothat.

Exampleofcommunication/behaviourobservationsheet(basedonBalescategories):

1.-Solidarity:Itgivesevidenceofsolidarity,encourages,helps,andvalorisesothers.

2.-Distension:Triestolessenthetension,jokes,laughs,pleadssatisfied.

3.-Agreement:givesitsconformity,tacitlyaccepts,andunderstands.

4.-Givessuggestionsandindications,respectingthefreedomofothers

5.-Givesopinions,analyzes,expressesfeelingsanddesires.

6.-Orients,reports,repeats,clarifies,confirms.

7.-Requestorientation,information,repetition,confirmation

8.-Requestanopinion,anevaluation,ananalysis;theexpressionofafeeling.

9.-Requestssuggestions,instruction,possiblemeansofaction.

10.-Disagreement:Disapproves,passivelyrejects,anddenieshelp.

11.-Tension:Manifestsatension,asksforhelp,andwithdrawsfromthediscussion.

12.-Antagonism:Givesevidenceofopposition,denigratestoothers,assertsitself.

Theanalysisof the interactions implies also the countof thenumberof communicationunits

emittedbyeachsubject,bothdirected toeachsubjectmemberof thegroup,anddirected to

thesamegroupingeneral.Otherimportantinformationtobecollectedduringtheexerciseare

for instance time control, focusing on solutions, decision making, practical competences,

argumentativeskills,etc.



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Jobadvertisementsforrecruitingcandidates

Once it is clear to you the critical key selection criteria to cover a specific position,

advertisementsareagoodresourcetoreachoutpotentialcandidates.

Therearetwomaintaskstobeconsideredforthispurpose:

- Compilingtherightinformationfortheadvertisement.

- Choosingappropriateadvertisingchannels.

In relationtothedesignofcontents for theadvertisement,pleasetake intoconsiderationthe

followingtips:

- Draftanattractiveandaccuratejobtitle.

- Specifyclearlytherole,summarizingtheposition.

- Distinguishbetweenessentialrequirementsandthedesirableones.

- Provideinformationaboutthecompany,whenpossible.

- Writedirectlytothereaderbyusingtheword“you”.

Regardingitsdissemination:

- Researchthebestmarket fortheadvertisement(e.g.online, localpapers, intheclassified,

tradejournal,fairs,etc.).

- Draftasimpledesign,appropriateinextension(nottoolong,nottooshort).

- Analyzeresultsandbewillingtomakechanges,ifneeded,toreachthenecessarynumberof

potentialcandidates.

Howtoorganizeaninternalrecruitmentprocess

- Determineandkeepinmindtherecruitmentgoals.

- Reviewthejobdescriptionforitsclearandconciseexplanationtothecandidates.

- Developjob-relatedquestions,combiningopen-endedwithclose-endedquestions.

- Developothertoolsforassessingthecandidates,whendesirable.Getreadythematerialsto

beused.

- Sequencetheproceedingstoobtaintheadvisableinformationaboutthecandidates.

- Programming the working session with the actual candidates: create a schedule (hours

arranged for the interviews, timethatwillbededicatedtoeachprocess),people involved,

andprovisionofappropriateenvironmentaccordingtotheactivities.

- Candidates’assessmentreports.



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ACTIVITY2.1.1

Please,describeexamplesforthefollowingtopics:

- Jobspecificationsdescription(positionofyourchoice).

-

- Effectivefeedbackduringaninterview.

-

- Behaviourally orientated questions to be used in an interview for the position selected

above.



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- Jobdescription. Essential information tobe included: job title; area/department (roleof the

area within the company); key company information; main responsibilities of the position

(describeindetailbutinanattractiveway);durationofemployment(permanent,temporaryor

interimmanagementcontract);trainingrequired;experience/career(differentiatetheessential

fromthedesirable);remunerationandbenefits.

- Effective feedback: ¿did you contextualized the conversation? ¿did you describe both-

jobseekerandJobBrokerparticipations?¿Didyoudescribethereasonwhytheexamplegivenis

aneffectivefeedback?

-Didyouincludeavarietyofquestions?Relatedtoasituation,task,action,andresult.



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ACTIVITY2.1.2

Assignment

Draft and design an advertisement for a high qualified position at the hospitality industry, to

promotethisvacancyinbothnewspapersandwebsites.Theadvertisementmustbeattractivein

ordertocatchthejob-seeker’sattentionandsuitableandrelevantintermsofitscontents.

Describespecificationsregardingthepreferablemassmediatobeused,thetargetedposition/

sectionfortheadtobeplaced,anditssizeandtypography.

Designamarketingplanforitsdisseminationandactivitiestofollowitup.



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Thistaskshouldhavebeendevelopedthroughthreemainpoints:

- Advertisementcontents:jobtitle,roleandmainresponsibilities,essentialandalsodesirable

requirements,companyinformation,conditionsoffered.

-

- Design:specificationsaboutsize,typography,designused.Showyouradtosomeoneelse¿Is

itvisuallyattractiveandalsofromthepointofviewof itscontents(writingstyle)?Didyou

mentionatargetedpositiontobeplacedonnewspapers/magazines?

-

- Channels to be used according to the profile we are looking for: list of specific and real

websites and papers/ magazines known by you. Summary with your ideas/plan for its

dissemination.



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ACTIVITY2.1.3

Assignment

Thisactivityconsistsoftwomaintasks:

Task1.Organiseandplanan intenseworkingday: an internal recruitmentprocesstocovera

juniorormiddle-levelsupervisoryvacancyinalogisticsfirm.

- Task2:Theproposalmustinclude,atleast,thedesignofabespokegroupdynamicexercise

witharelevantobservationsheet.



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- Task 1: Schedule for an internal recruitingworking day. Key issues to be approached: goals

definition, level of performance required according to the target group, tasks descriptions

(phases, methods and activities/tests for screening the candidates) - what skills/knowledge/

experienceyoushouldprioritizewhenselectingcandidates?-,whoisinvolved,whereitwilltake

place,when(activitiestimemanagement),howgoalswillbeperformedandachieved(outcome

indicators).

-Task2:Didyourelatethedynamicgroupexercisedraftedwiththeoccupationalprofilegiven

(junior/middlelevelsupervisory;logisticssector)?Didyoudevelopanobservationsheettotake

notesduringitsimplementation?Didyouincludeavarietyofaspectstobeassessed/observed,

such as communication skills, decision making, and technical knowledge or practical

competences?Didyoumention/draftanyotheradditionaltest/exercisetobeappliedinorderto

assessthecandidatesduringtherecruitmentprocess?



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2.2.Describeoccupationalprofilesandlistcorrespondingoccupationalrequirements.



remembertocheckthewebographyprovided,foracomprehensiveknowledge.

DescriptionofanOccupationalProfile

Theoccupationalprofileiscomposedofasetofstandardsthatdescribe:

-Theresultsthataworkerwithaparticularprofilemustachieveinhisperformanceofatwork.

-Thecontextsinwhichthisperformanceoccurs.

-Knowledgenecessary.

-Skillsneeded.

-Transferableworkskillsneeded.

-Theattitudesthatshouldbeshown.

-Theevidencesthatneedtobeappliedtoprovethecompetences(outcomes/results).

Also,itwouldbeinterestingtoreflectadditionalinformationreferredto:itsrelationwithother

associatedtasks,economicprospects,promotion,andadvancementopportunities.



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ACTIVITY2.2.1

Draftaprofessionalmonograph:acompletesurveyreferredtocloudcomputing,oneofrecent

emerging occupational profiles. Apart from the job description and specifications, youmust

includeotherinterestinginformationrelated.



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Tobuildtheoccupationalprofile,thefollowingstepsmusthavebeenaddressed: identification

ofdutiesinvolved,descriptionofthebasicskillsrequired,knowledgeneeded(acquiredthrough

vocationaltraining/universitystudies,etc.),descriptionofgeneralcompetencies.

a)Workcontent:whattodo,howtodoit,whatproblemsneedtobesolvedandhow.

b) Labour requirements: work experience, certifications, age, languages, methodological

attitudes,adaptiveabilities,specifictechnicalskills.

c)Environmental conditions:e.g. locationofwork, risks,employmentsituation, remuneration,

promotionopportunities.

d)Relationships:withotherpeople/job-seekers,withbosses,supervisorsandsubordinates.



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ACTIVITY2.2.2

Youhaveajob-seekerattendingtoyourJobBrokerageservicethathasnopreviousexperience

andwhoisintendingtoworkabroadinthehospitalityindustrysectortoimprovetheirEnglish

languageskillsandgainsomeexperienceinthefield.

Use the EURES tool to provide the job-seekerwith the threebest positions that you can find

according to their interests. List and describe the results below, exposing the search criteria

applied.



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Itisimportantforthisexercisetolistandreflectontheresultsoftheresearchintheinterestof

the jobseeker: possibilities should allow the job-seeker to improve their language skills by

dealingactivelywithjob-seekersandcolleaguesandshouldbeinallcaseswithinthehospitality

industry and not in very qualified positions – given that then job-seeker has no previous

experienceinthefield.

Thedurationof thecontractshouldbe longenoughsohehas timeto improvethe language.

Thepositionslistedshouldincludealongenoughdescriptionwithrelevantinformation.

Did you consider experience options such as internship?Did you find difficulties in using this

Europeanmobilityportal?



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ACTIVITY2.2.3

- Listtheoccupationalrequirementsforanexternalauditoroccupationalprofile.

- Listsomeoftheadvantagesanddisadvantagestoworkinginthisfield.

PositivePoints(advantages):

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.



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Negativepoints(disadvantages):

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

- Didyouincludeabriefjobdescription,specifyingsometasks/dutiesforthisposition?

-

- Didyouincludeinyourlistanyspecificknowledge/accreditationrequired?

-

- Didyoulistanytransferableskills?

-

- Didyoulistbetween4and6suitablequalities:(aptitudes/abilities/interests/values)towork

asanexternalauditor?

-

- Didyou refer someof the requirements to theworkingconditions?E.g. Do theyworkon

theirownorinateam?Dotheyworkremotely?etc.



122|P á g i n a

-

- Didyouclearlydefined3-5advantagesofthiscareer?

-

- Didyouclearlydefined3-5disadvantagesofthiscareer?

2.3Design,conductandparticipateinnetworkingeventsandactivitiestocreatestrong

linkstoemployers.




InorderfortheJobBrokersandenterprisestobecomeandremaininvolvedandengagedwith

oneanother,itisdesirabletolookafterthewaytheyrelatewhichmightincludeparticipatingin

commoneventsandactivitiesofmutualinterest.

Thereareseveralactivitiesthatcanbedevelopedinthatsense,suchas:

- Congresses,toproviderelevantandinnovativeinformativewithinfieldsofinterest,alsothey

areusefulfordebating.

- Seminars,toenhanceknowledgethroughinstructionaltalks.

- Conferences,givenbysectorexperts/experiencedprofessionals.

-

- TrainingSessions,dedicatedtoamonographicsubject.



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- FairsandExhibitions,whereparticipantscanmingleandgettoknoweachotherbetterand

their respective needs. They are a great opportunity to build strong relationships and to

expandcontactnetworks.

- Workshops,consistingoninteractiveactivitiesbetweenthekeyspeakersandtherestofthe

participants.

- Leisureevents/groupdynamicsforteambuilding.

Irrespectiveofthetypeofactivity/eventselectedaccordingtothepurposethatitaimsto,some

oftheadvantagesthattheyofferare:thesemeetings/acts/eventsareeffectivecommunication

tools;theyaddvaluetothebrandingprocesses;theyfosterpersonalrelationships(internaland

external); ultimately, theyallowus todonetworking. Thenetworking is a keyelement inany

companystrategyforitsgrowth.

Inordertoachievealltheirbenefitsassociated,itisanessentialrequirementtoplanthemwell

inadvance.Aspectstokeepinmind:

- Dowehave inmindaclearpurpose? Aretheobjectivesofthenetworkingevent/activity

definedclearly(quantitativelyandqualitatively)?Havewesetthescope?

- Also we should consider when designing the event: to set and agenda; to secure an

appropriate location; organizing logistics; to draft a dissemination plan; to prepare the

participantsinadvancewithrelevantinformationabouttheevent,sotheycangetreadyfor

itknowingwhattoexpect.

- Duringtheevent/networkingactivity,weshouldmakesurethatwefacilitatemingling,we

promoteourselves,andwegetsomefeedback.



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- Aftertheevent,itisimportanttofollowupwithanyleadsorconnectionswemade,inorder

tohelpeachotherwithinourareaofwork,bycooperatingdirectlysupportourrespective

needsor sendingandasking for referrals, for instance.Asorganizers (when itapplies),we

can also obtain some feedback from the participants in order to improve next events (by

usinganonlinesurveyforinstance).Itwouldbealsointerestingtoshareimages/videosof

theactivitiescarriedout,andspreadrelevantinformation.

ACTIVITY2.3.1

Assignment

Searchand/ordeveloptwodifferentgroupdynamicsactivities,tobecarriedoutinaworkshop,

wherebothJobBrokersandcompaniesattend.Theyareice-breakersexercisesthataimtobuild

teamspiritandcooperation.Thetimeestablishedforeachactivityperformance is20minutes

maximum.



125|P á g i n a

Developmentframeworktobeconsidered:

- Descriptionofobjectives(e.g.teamwork,cooperation,strategicplanning,focus,etc.)

- Characteristics:minimumandmaximumofparticipants,duration, levelofdifficulty for the

performance,etc.

-

- Activitydescription(introduction).

-

- Guidelinesforitsoptimalimplementation.

-

- Evaluationmeasuresandfeedback.

ACTIVITY2.3.2

ProblemSolving

WepresentaChallenge-Canyoucomeupwithideasandsolutions?



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The brokerage service you work at detected that one of the business job-seekers, a social

servicescompany, isnotverysatisfiedwiththeprofilessenttocovertheirvacancies. Itseems

likethecandidatesprovideddonotmatchtheirneeds.

Wewantthecompanytotrustusagainandbecomesatisfied,forwhatyouneedtocommitto

improveandstrengthenyourrelationship.Thegoal is toreachthepointwheretheyadvocate

our service.Howwouldyouenhanceyourprofessional relationship incorporatingat leastone

networkingevent/activity?



127|P á g i n a

Themeasures to be taken in order to improve theworking relationship should be described

appropriatelyintermsofobjectives,contents,andstructure.Issuestobeconsidered:

- Arethemeasuresdescribedofdifferentnature?

-

- Didyouofferatleastthreeideas/solutions?

-

- Didyouincludeatleast1networkingevent/activity?

-

- Aretheproposalswelldescribed?DidyouconsiderinyourgoalsettingthecriteriaSpecific,

Measurable,Achievable,RelevantandTime-based?

-

- Are your ideas connected to communication skills, cooperation, planning, continuous

assessmentoranyotherthatcouldcontributetotheirconfidenceandsatisfactioninanear

futurewhentheyrequesttheuseofbrokerageserviceagain?



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ACTIVITY2.3.3

Assignment

Thisactivityhas2twoparts:

1- Research interesting networking events that took place recently in your region/ country

withinemploymentandbusinessfields.Listthempointingatthereasonwhyyouchosethem,

briefly.

2-Nowthatyouhaveadeeperknowledgeaboutnetworkingevents(participatingorganizations,

subjectsapproached,activitiesperformed,dimension,etc.),designanetworkingeventofyour

choice,tocreatestronglinkstoemployers.Youmusttakeintoaccounttheaspectsdescribedin

the“narratives”sectionabove.



129|P á g i n a

-

- Isthereadiversityofevents(intermsoftheirnature),amongthoselisted?

-

- Aretheeventslistedbyanyparticularcriteria(chronologicalorder,location,issue,etc.)?

-

- Are the events selected recent enough (within the last two years), and did you associate

eachofthemtoareasonfortheirselection?

-

- Didyouconsiderinthedesigningofthenetworkingeventofyourchoice,thepracticaltips

given in the“narratives” section?Didyou include inyourplanningaspects referred to the

before,duringandaftertheevent?

-

2.4.Utilizeexistingsupportschemestogeneratemaximumbenefitforemployers.




Whatistherationalebehindemployersupportschemes?



130|P á g i n a

Inthecontextofmajorjoblossesduringthecrisis,manyEUcountrieshaveintroducedorscaled

upsubsidiesthatencouragefirmstoretainorhireworkers.AsignificantshareofMemberStates

hasusedhiringsubsidiesinlinewiththe“social”rationaletogiveincentivestoemployerstohire

groups at risk of labour-market exclusion (such as young people, people with disabilities,

women,olderworkers,etc.).Severalcountrieshavealsousedhiringsubsidies,accordingtothe

“economic”rationale, toaddressgeneralproblemsofhighunemploymentand—inparticular

—high long-termunemployment.Eachschemehasdifferentrulesastowhoiseligibleso it is

importanttocheckthedetailedinformationabouteachscheme.

HowJobBrokerscanhelpemployersinaccessingsupportschemes

There is a general concern about employersbeing able tounderstand the varietyof schemes

available to them (and identify the best option for them when they are in a recruitment

situation), especially in countries that have large numbers of schemes based on different

criteria. Therefore, Job Brokers can give an essential support to employers, guiding them

towardsthemeasuresthatbetterfitwiththeirorganizationandwiththenewemployee.

FurthermoreJobBrokerroleisimportanttosupportemployersinunderstandingcriticismdueto

the ‘paperwork’ involved in obtaining and reporting support measures, and the somewhat

complicatedallocationsystem.

Inordertoeffectivelysupportemployers,youshouldhave:

• anin-depthknowledgeofsupportschemesactiveinhisnational/regional/localcontext;

• a good comprehension of different payment and organizational mechanism linked to

eachsupportmeasure;

• aclearunderstandingofconditionsonemployersrequiredbyeachscheme inorder to

benefitit;

• knowledgeandskillstohandletoolstosearchforexistingornewsupportschemes(e.g.

Informativeportals);



131|P á g i n a

• capabilitytocategorizetheemployerneedsandtoguidehimtowardsupportmeasures

grantingmaximumbenefit;

• capabilitytodescribetoemployersrightsandobligationscomingfromsupportschemes,

identifyinganddeliveringrelevantinformation.

MaintypesofhiringsubsidiesinEurope

Differenttypesofapproachestohiringsubsidiessupportingdemandforlabourinclude:

- hiringsubsidiestosupportjobcreationintheprivate,publicandnon-profitsectors;

- sector-basedhiringsubsidies, i.e.directedtowardsmorespecificoccupations insectors

experiencing economic difficulties, or that need encouragement (green jobs, for

example);

- geographicallybasedhiring subsidies, i.e. focusedonpriority regions, sometimesalong

with investment incentives (e.g. Lithuania focuses subsidies on territories inwhich the

unemploymentrateexceedsthenationallevel);

- support to improve demand for workers in the low-wage sector using a range of

approaches(e.g.combiningworkwithbenefits,wagetop-ups,directsubsidies,etc.);

- conversion incentives and mechanisms to support flexible forms of employment, or

whichencourageparticulartypesofemploymentcontracts;

Hiring incentives can be operationalised bymechanisms that differ for practice the payment

mechanisms,whichcouldbe:

- reduction of employers’ social contributions (i.e. ‘stock subsidies’), instead of or in

combinationwith reductions inwage costs, that hasbeenusedby countries eitheron

theirownorincombinationwithotherincentives;

- part-subsidising employers’ wage costs for individuals (e.g. refunding based on a set

amount per new employee, or a proportion of the actual wage costs, or an amount

relativetoanominalvaluesuchasthenationalminimumwage);

- effectively transferring wage costs from employers (e.g. through employers receiving

accesstonon-wagedemployeeswhocontinuetoreceivebenefits);



132|P á g i n a

- voucherschemesthatimplytheuseofvouchersattestingthatpartorallofthecostof

trainingand/oremployingthevoucher-holderissubsidisedbythestate.

Conditionalityplacedonemployerstobeinvolved

Supportschemesrangefromthosewithnospecificconditionsforbenefittingofthem,tothose

requiringconditionssetbyparticularlegislativebasisofmeasureorOperationalProgrammes,to

those subject toagreements.Thevarious typesof conditions imposedonemployersareboth

pre-subsidyandpost-subsidy,asdescribedbelow.

Pre-subsidyconditions:

• Involvement inotherschemes: limitations foremployers include forexample,noother

apprenticeship at the same time, or in the same field and occupation; limit on the

numberofsubsidised jobs inthecompany;nosubsidygrantedtoemployerswhohave

previouslyreceivedasubsidy;

• Job-creation aspects: recruitment must represent a net increase in the number of

employees;

• Substitutionaspects:conditionsonbusiness-relatedredundanciese.g.noredundancies

in the lastsixmonthsoremployersnotallowedtodismisspeopleduringtheperiodof

thesubsidy;

• Job/workingarrangements:lengthofemploymentcontract;

• Typeofemploymentcontracts:permanent,fullorpart-timecontracts;

• Conditionsonearnings: employedabove themarginal earnings thresholdorwageand

workingconditionsinaccordancewithprevailingcollectiveagreement;

• Supportmeasures:provisionofmentors;trainingplanofprofessionaltraining;

• Competitionaspects:competitionwithintheindustrynotthreatened;

• Conditionsonsizeoffirm:fixedmaximumandminimumnumberofworkers;

Post-hiringsubsidy:

• Guarantee of work post-subsidy: Conditions for employers to continue to employ

workersaftertheendofthesubsidyperiodrange;



133|P á g i n a

ApracticalExampleatEuropeanLevel:theYouthGuaranteeschemes

Hiring subsidiesareparticularly relevant for youngpeople. In the last tenyears youngpeople

who are not in education employment or training – so called ‘NEET’ – became an issue of

concern in the international arena. As a consequence of the crisis, the number of NEETs has

grownincreasinglyinrecentyears.InEurope,accordingtoEurostat,in2017almost16.9million

young people aged 20-34 were not in employment, education or training. Many European

countries are placing emphasis on using hiring subsidies to combat the problem of youth

unemployment.

ACouncil of EuropeanUnionRecommendationhas established in 2013 the YouthGuarantee,

suggestingtheuseof“targetedandwell-designedwageandrecruitmentsubsidiestoencourage

employerstocreatenewopportunitiesforyoungpeople,suchasanapprenticeship,traineeship

orjobplacement,particularlyforthosefurthestfromthelabourmarket”.AtEuropeanlevel,the

launch of a Youth Guarantee, that represents the umbrella that includes a wide range of

measures and actions, has been accompanied by a set of initiatives taken by European

Commission.

Youthguaranteeschemesseektoensurethatallyoungpeoplehaveagood-qualityofferfora

job, apprenticeship, traineeship, or continuededucationwithin fourmonthsof leaving formal

education or becoming unemployed. Although these national schemes are based upon the

EuropeanYouthGuaranteepolicy frameworkandmustmeet certain criteria, theirdesignand

implementation varies widely from country to country. However, despite their national

specificities, all the programmes entail three kinds ofmeasures: i) education and training for

employment, includingtheprovisionofprofessionalguidanceandhelpforearlyschoolleavers

to return to education; ii) employment intermediation services, such as job-search assistance

and personalized follow-up of career plans; and iii) Active Labour Market Policies affecting

labourdemand,suchashiringsubsidies,publicworkprogrammesandstart-upincentives.



134|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY2.4.1

Research and review the different types of support schemes and programmes that you are

aware of that help companies to take on unemployed job-seekers, or job-seekerswith some

formofadditionalsupportneeds.

Ifyourknowledgeinthisfieldisverylimited,dosomeresearchtofindoutwhatisavailablethat

maybedirectlyrelevanttoyourjobbrokerageservices.

Categorizethoseschemesonthebasisoftheirdifferentapproaches–whatexactlyisthekindof

supportthattheyoffer?

Your mapping should have included and distinguished between them the following types of

supportmeasures:generalhiringsubsidies;sector-basedhiringsubsidies,geographicallybased

hiring subsidies; subsidies related to low-wage jobs; conversion incentives. Furthermore, the

categorization should include a distinction between different payment mechanisms, such as:

stocksubsidies,partialortotalwagesubsidies.



135|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY2.4.2

Assignment

On thebasisof theactualandperspective labourmarketdynamics, identifyanddescribe the

maintargetgroupsofemploymentsupportschemes.



136|P á g i n a

You should have considered different target groups, sharing risk of labour-market exclusion,

suchasyoungpeople,NEET,peoplewithdisabilities,inactivewomenormothers,olderworkers,

long-termunemployedpeople,workerswithatypicalcontracts.

ACTIVITY2.4.3

Assignment

Synthesize the support schemes opportunity structure through a SWOT analysis, highlighting

weaknesses and strengths, opportunities and threats that employers may encounter dealing

withthesemeasures.



137|P á g i n a

Youranalysiscouldconsiderthefollowingpoints:JobBrokerageservicesavailabilityarekeyfor

employers in accessing to support schemes; the presence of a great variety of schemeswith

different mechanisms and supporting the recruitment of different categories of workers,

ensuresgreatpossibilitiestomeetemployersneeds;ontheotherside,paperworkrequiredand

thehugenumberofschemescanhinderemployers,especiallySMEs,frombenefittingofthese

schemes.Supportmeasuresarealwaysgoodopportunities foremployers,but the inadequate

comprehensionofobligationsandpost-hiringconditionscanrepresentathreat.

2.5Developjobprofilesincooperationwithemployersandmatchthemwithpersonal

profilesofpotentialjobcandidates.




Understandingemployerneeds

Good Job Brokers are highly proactive in learning the employer’s needs. Understanding and

meeting these needs is the key to developing lasting employer relationships. To meet an

employer’sneedsyouhavetounderstandthebusinesssectoroftheirtargetemployersaswell

asthebusinessenvironmenttheyoperatein.Developingspecialistknowledgeofsectorssuchas

retail, construction, or financial services is a key factor in successful employer relationships.

Havingcomprehensionof the relevant industry, theskills itneedsandthe industry jargonwill

instilasenseofconfidenceandgiveyoutheedge.



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UseoftheJobAnalysisprocessforthedevelopmentofjobprofiles

You should be able to get all needed information from the employer and write down a job

profilethatincludesalltherelevantrequirements.Thedescriptionofvacantornewjobposition

should be based on a job analysis process, taking into account evolutions caused by

organisational change. Job Analysis is a systematic exploration, study and recording the

responsibilities,duties, skills,accountabilities,workenvironmentandability requirementsofa

specific job. It also involvesdetermining the relative importanceof theduties, responsibilities

andphysicalandemotionalskillsforagivenjob.Allthesefactorsidentifywhatajobdemands

andwhatanemployeemustpossesstoperformajobproductively.

MainstepsforconductinganeffectiveJobAnalysisprocessare:

- IdentificationofJobAnalysisPurpose:todetermineemployerneedanddesiredoutput.

- Definition of the Process: Deciding theway inwhich job analysis process needs to be

conducted is surely the next step. A planned approach about how to carry thewhole

processisrequiredinordertoinvestigateaspecificjob.

- StrategicDecisionMaking:It’saboutdecidingtheextentofemployerinvolvementinthe

process,thelevelofdetailstobecollectedandrecorded,sourcesfromwheredataisto

becollected,datacollectionmethods,theprocessingofinformationandsegregationof

collecteddata.

- PreparationofJobAnalysisProcess:Communicatingitwithintheorganizationisthenext

step.JobBrokerneedstocommunicatethewholethingproperlysothatemployersoffer

theirfullsupporttothejobanalysis.Thestagealsoinvolvespreparationofdocuments,

questionnaires,interviewsandfeedbackforms.

- DataCollection:Nextistocollectjob-relateddataincludingeducationalqualificationsof

employees, skills and abilities required to perform the job, working conditions, job

activities, reporting hierarchy, required human traits, job activities, duties and

responsibilitiesinvolvedandemployeebehaviour.

- Documentation, Verification and Review: Proper documentation is done to verify the

authenticityofcollecteddataandthenreviewit.Thisisthefinalinformationthatisused

todescribeaspecificjob.



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- Developing Job Description and Job Specification: Now is the time to segregate the

collected data into useful information. Job Description describes the roles, activities,

dutiesandresponsibilitiesofthejobwhilejobspecificationisastatementofeducational

qualification,experience,personaltraitsandskillsrequiredtoperformthejob.

Keyconsiderationsforthedevelopmentofapositiondescriptionareto:

• clearlyoutlinethetasksrequiredoftherole;ontheorganizationalside,theJobBroker

musthelptheemployertoanalyzethejobthatapersonwillperform,includingessential

tasks,whichareperformedoften,andnonessentialtasks;

• clearlyoutlinetherequisitecapabilities;

• includekeyselectioncriteria(KSC)thatmeasurethecapabilitiesrequiredfortherolein

clearandunambiguouslanguagewithnojargon;theJobBrokerhastosupportemployer

inidentifyingminimumqualificationsandpreferredqualifications.KeySelectionCriteria

might include the knowledge, skills, abilities and years of experience that successful

applicantsmustholdtobeconsideredfortheposition;

• clearly stateorganizationalvalues socandidatescanself-assess theirdegreeof fitwith

theorganization;

• define the work environment and physical demands (i.e., environmental elements,

travel,irregularhours,hazardous/unpleasantworkingconditions,etc.)oftheposition;

• statethejoboutcomes/keyresultareasinthepositiondescription.

Theeffectivematchingbetweenjobprofilesandcandidates

The defined job profile should provide employer and Job Broker with a clear vision of the

requiredandpreferableskillstobecoveredforthevacantposition.

Matching jobseekers and employer is probably the most traditional core function of Job

Brokerage services. Changing labour market conditions are causing profound changes in the

matchingprocess.Jobbrokersneedtoadoptaholisticapproach,whichthatmovesawayfrom

simply evaluating information about an individual employment record, work experience and

formalqualificationsandmovetowardcapturingandassessingbothtechnicalandsoftskills.



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Transversalskillssuchastheabilitytomanagestress,communicationandproblemsolvingskills

are usually relevant for each job position. To effectivelymatch job profiles with the ones of

potential candidates, it is necessary tohavemeasurement tools for the review, identification,

assessment,anddiagnosisofskills.

ConductingaSkillsAssessmentprocess

Avarietyofmethodscanbeemployedwhenconductingskillsassessment:

• Simulation

Thisiswhereaworkplaceissimulatedinaclassroomorworkshopenvironment.Itcaninvolve

hands-on tasks if theemployeesarebeingassessed for their technical skills, or roleplaying if

assessingthosefromacorporateenvironment.

Advantages

-Possibility to test behaviour in emergency situations, not only in usual day-to-day work

environment.

-Oneof themosteffective tools for testingboth technicaland soft skills, as it allows themto

interactwithavirtualenvironment,aswell as characterswhocan test theirunderstandingof

bodylanguage,emotions,andbehaviours.

Disadvantages

-Theawarenesstobeassessedcanaffectthebehaviourofthecandidate.

• Questioning

Thiscantaketheformofanintervieworaseriesofcasualconversations.Here,theassessorasks

in-depthquestionsaboutthecandidate’sperceptionsoftheirroleandtheirgoalsforthefuture.

Advantages

-Itispossibletoacquireindepthknowledgeofthecandidateandtoadaptthequestionsonthe

basisofthepreviousanswers.

Disadvantages

One drawback is that the success of this form of assessment is entirely dependent on the

efficacyofcommunicationstyleandskillsoftheassessor.



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• Testing

Theassessorsetsatest,ideallyinvolvingacombinationoftheoryandpracticaltasks,andmarks

thecandidatesaccordingtoapredeterminedyardstick.

Advantages

Thismethodcanprovideextensiveinformationoncandidates’knowledgeandexperience.

Disadvantages

Themaindisadvantageof thismethod is the sameas inanyexamenvironment: the fact that

some people do better than others under this kind of pressure. It also may not give a true

indicationofanemployee’sabilitiesduetoitslimitednature.

ACTIVITY2.5.1Assignment

Providealistofthejobfactors,whichmaycoveravarietyofareaspertainingtothejob,which

arekeyinthedevelopmentofajobprofile.



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Essentialjobfactorstobeincludedinajobprofileare:qualificationsrequired,pastexperiences

required,analyticalskillsandabilityrequiredforthejob,essentialtaskstobeperformed,work

environmentandphysicaldemands,organizationmissionandvalues,supervisionreceivedand

joboutcomestobeachieved.

ACTIVITY2.5.2

Draftaneffectivejobprofiletemplatethatcanbeusedbyyouandbyothercolleaguesatyour

Job Broker service in daily working routine. Summarise the main points that a job profile

descriptionmustinclude.



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Key elements to be included in the template: Job Title; Department; Grade; Location; Job

Purpose; Key Accountabilities; Job requirements (minimum and desirable qualifications—

education,experience,knowledge,skillsandabilities);Salary/WageRange.

ACTIVITY2.5.3Assignment

Describewhicharethemostcommonskillassessmentmethodologiesanddefinewhichonewill

bemoresuitableinyourworkenvironment.



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Youshouldhaverecalled:

-Simulationtechniques(suchasgroupexercises,in-baskettests,roleplaysandseriousgames);

Questioningassessment;Testingassessment.Inordertoidentifywhichmethodsuitsyoubest,

severalelements shouldbe taken intoaccount, suchas: theaverage time thatyoucanspend

withacandidate,whichsoftortechnicalskillsyouneedtoassesforaspecificjobposition,your

communicationandanalyticskills.

2.6Demonstratetheabilitytodeliver,monitorandevaluateemployersatisfactionasa

meansofcontinuousservicequalityimprovement.




Whyitisimportanttodeliver,monitorandevaluateemployersatisfaction

Despitethewidechoiceofrecruitmentattractionmethodsavailabletoemployerstoday,there

still remainsabigdemand for recruitmentagencies (including JobBrokers) tohelpemployers

attractandrecruitkeystafftotheirorganization.ButforgoodJobBrokerstosuccessfullymeet

his /herorganization’s recruitment requirements, thequalityof the relationshipbetween the

JobBrokerandtheorganizationsneedstobehigh.

Employerswantaquickandefficientservice.GoodJobBrokers tendtoworkwithanaccount

managementmodel,thathelpstofindsolutionsand“bridgesthegap”betweentheemployer’s

worldandthe jobseeker. In thisway, theJobBrokerwill remain incontactwiththeemployer

evenafterplacementofthejobseekertoensurethatthepost-employmentsupportiseffective

andemployersatisfied.Sumptonetal.(EuropeanCommission,2014)agreethat“engagingwith



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employers iskeytoensuringthatmatchingservicesareeffectiveandefficient”. Improvingthe

qualityofyourservicesrequiresanactivequalityassuranceprogramme.

Keysuccessfactorstobuildemployersatisfaction

Thekeysuccessfactorinbuildingsuchrelationshipsistrust,whichevolvesthroughinvolvement

and regular communications on both sides to keepup to datewith objectives, developments

andchangingneeds. Italsodependsonasenseofpriorityandawillingness tosubscribe toa

modelthatrecognizesqualityoverquantity.

Therearekeycharacteristicsthatcanbeidentifiedasreflectingthetypeofrelationshipbetween

enterprisesand JobBrokers that canbenefitbothparties in the creationof the “partnership”

relationship:

• Awareness: This is themeansbywhich theenterprisebecomesawareof a JobBroker

and its position in the marketplace. Equally it is the means whereby a Job Broker

becomes aware of an organization, its brand, employer value proposition (EVP),

objectivesandrecruitmentneeds.

• Trust: Trust takes time to develop. It is built as a result of involvement with and

connectionbetweenthetwoparties–throughpromotingopennessandhonestyintheir

relationship.

• Transaction: This relates to the process of employers appointing a Job Broker as their

recruitmentsupplier,withinoroutsideofapreferredsupplierlist.

• Satisfaction: Satisfaction can be reached as a consequence of agreeable business

interactions,whichmeettherelevantobjectivesandalsothroughthewayinwhichboth

partiesbehavetowardseachother.

• Commitment:adesiretodevelopadeeperrelationship

• Advocacy: thepointatwhichemployersarepreparedtospeakhighlyofa JobBroker’s

services and achievements, and a Job Broker of an employer’s business as a place to

work.



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Keyissuestomeasureemployersatisfaction

Thekeyissuestomeasureemployersatisfactionincludeoverallsatisfactionwiththeservice(e.g.

helpfulness of Job broker support) and placement services (e.g. quality of candidates sent to

prospective employers). A further area of importance is the level of information on service

provision. Online services, consulting services (e.g. consulting on labour law, HR issues) and

networking services (e.g. event organizing, such as job fairs) are other covered areas of Job

brokerageserviceswhenmeasuringemployersatisfaction.

Mostcommonlyusedmethodstomeasureemployersatisfaction

Themostcommonlyusedmethodstomeasureemployersatisfactioninclude:

-onlinesurveys

-“paperandpen”questionnaireson-site

-computer-assistedtelephoneinterviews

-groupdiscussions

-feedbackfromface-to-facesessions(real-timefeedback)

-“paperandpen”personalinterviews(PAPI)

-customermessageboards

Jobbrokerscanalsooccasionallyusesocialmediaandmysteryshopping/actionresearch.

All thesemethods can be effective for themeasurement of employer satisfaction. However,

online surveys are the most popular M&E tools, allowing to easily reach employers beyond

time/spaceconstraintsandtopresentdynamicallyonlyrelevantquestions.

TipstodraftanEmployerSatisfactionSurvey

• Thesurveymustbedesignedquickandeasytocomplete inordertoavoidputtingtoo

muchburdenonemployersand,therefore,toencourageahighresponserate.

• Manyquestionscanbepresentedonlywhenrelevant(i.e.followingaparticularresponse

toanearlierquestion) so that respondentsarenotconfrontedwithquestions thatare

notrelevanttothem.



147|P á g i n a

Servicequalityimprovementstrategies

Following the assessment process a service quality improvement plan should be constructed

that builds on your strengths and addresses areas ofweakness. ServiceQuality Improvement

Plans (QIP)shouldberealistic,but theyshouldalsostretchyou,as JobBroker, toconsistently

improveyourservicestoemployers.

ProcessfordevelopingandimplementingaQIP

ThemainphasesoftheprocessfordevelopingandimplementingaQIP,including:

- identifyingstrengthsandimprovementsneededthroughpreviouslydescribedmethods

forevaluatingemployerssatisfaction;

- planningimprovementsandincludingthemintheQIP

- implementingimprovements

- reviewingprogress

- self-assessment.

PlanimprovementsandincludethemintheQIP

The Quality Improvement Plan must include strategies to address those quality areas noted

duringtheassessmentprocessnotmeetingtheneedsandexpectationsofcustomeremployers.

PlanhowtheservicewillachievetheimprovementsbyincludingthefollowingdetailintheQIP:

- writeagoalforeachoftheimprovementsthattheservicewantstoachieve;

- recordwhetherthegoalislow,mediumorhighpriority;

- setoutthestepsorstrategiesthatwillbeusedtoachievethegoal;

- notehowsuccesswillbemeasured (how the servicewill know that thegoalhasbeen

achieved);

- setatargetdateforachievingeachgoal(thedateneedstobespecificbecausetheaimis

toreachthegoal).



148|P á g i n a

Exampleofpractice:usingtheSMARTmethodtowritetheQIP

One serviceused theSMARTmodelof settinggoals tohelp them to focuswhenwriting their

QIP.

Sis for specific: the serviceensured that thegoalswere clearand specific. Someof the ideas

thattheservicehadbeendiscussingweretoogeneralinnature.TheSMARTmodelhelpedthem

towritegoalsthatwereexplicitandcleartoeveryone.

Mis formeasurable: the service discussedwhat needed to be evident if the goals had been

achieved.

Aisforattainable:thegoalsneededtobeachievableandnotsoaspirationalthattheywouldbe

impossibletoreach.

Risforrealistic:thegoalshadtobesuitedtothesettingandwhatcouldbeachieved.

Tisfortime:tomaintainmomentum,theservicehadtosetdeadlinesforthegoal.

The SMART model also helped the service to stay focused on how and what should be

documented.

Implementingimprovementsandreviewingprogress

Toachievetheservice'sgoals,itisimportanttostayfocusedontheQIPandtostartworkingon

thestepsorstrategiesthathavebeenidentified.Toreviewprogress,youshould:

• monitorthetargetdatesforachievingthegoals;

• if it has not been possible to achieve a goal by the anticipated date, document the

progressachievedsofarandthensetsomenewstrategiesandanewtargetdate.The

goalmayneedtoberewrittensothatitisrealisticandachievable;

• onceagoalhasbeenachieved it isnotpartof theQIPanymoreandcanbe removed.

Anotheridentifiedissuefromtheemployers’feedbackcanthenbeincorporatedintothe

QIP.

Inthesamewaythatemployerssatisfactionmonitoringisongoing,theQIPhastobeadynamic

andevolvingdocument.



149|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY2.6.1

Intermsofthegeneralprincipleofemployersatisfaction,canyouthinkofthreepositive(strengths)andthreenegative(constraints)aspectsthatcouldariseindelivering,monitoringandevaluatingit?

Threepositivepoints(strengths):

1.

2.

3.

Threenegativepoints(constraints):

1.

2.

3.



150|P á g i n a

Youshouldhaveconsideredsomeofthefollowingquestionsinordertofillthelist:

WhatarethereasonsforemployerschoosingJobBrokersingeneral?

Whatareenterprise’skeyselectioncriteriaforchoosingaJobBroker?

Whatistherationalebehindorganizations’differentchoicesofrecruitmentagencies?

What are the differences between building ongoing relationships and satisfying ad hoc

recruitmentneeds?

Whatare the implicationsofqualityoverquantitywhenchoosinga JobBrokerandbuildinga

relationship?

How do enterprises and Job Brokers become and remain involved and engaged with one

another?

HowdoorganizationsmeasureJobBrokers’performance?



151|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY2.6.2

Assignment

DescribemainindicatorsusedinevaluatingtheeffectivenessandefficiencyoftheJobBrokerage

servicestoemployers,asidefrommeasuringthenumberordurationofvacanciesfilled. Ifyou

havealreadyworkedasaJobBroker,self-assesswhathavebeenyourmainevaluationresultsin

recentyears.



152|P á g i n a

Amongthekeyelementstobemonitoredtoeffectivelyassessemployersatisfaction,thereare:

quality of general services; quality of placement services; quality of information provided;

qualityofonlineservices;qualityofnetworkingservices;qualityofconsultingservices.

ACTIVITY2.6.3

Conduct a desk research about different quality improvement approaches: identify the main

features of culture-based, design-based, variation-based, and failure-based improvement

strategies.



153|P á g i n a

Here you can find descriptions of themain distinctive features of each quality improvement

approach: For the culture-based approach, perceptions on the service depend from the

interactionsbetweentheserviceproviderandthecustomer.

Theorganizationalcultureinwhichtheprovideroperatescandeterminehisflexibleandefficient

attitudetowardthecustomerneeds.Designbasedimprovementaddressqualitythroughdesign,

linking the last to customer needs and perceptions or aiming to a direct psychological

manipulationofsatisfaction.

Variation-based approach is built on the use of statistical numerical data to track and guide

services quality. Finally, Failure-based improvements focus on the unconditional service

guaranteeasatooltopreventandrecoveryservicesfailures.



154|P á g i n a

2.7ProgressAssessment–LearningNeedAnalysis

Nowthatyouhavecompletedtheactivitiesandexercises inthisChapterandreviewedall the

Feedback,let’sreturntotheLearningNeedsAssessmentthatyoucompletedatthestartofthe

Chapter. In the table below, repeat the self-appraisal of your knowledge, skills and

understandinginthisarea.Asbefore,estimateyour‘level’ineachcase.

Jobrequirements Levelofknowledge,skills,experienceor


Job description analysis and interviewing

skills. E.g.: capability to describe and make

appropriate questions according to the job

specificationstocompilerelevantinformation

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledgeofwrittencommunication,ICTand

dissemination channels: for job

advertisementsdevelopmentanddistribution.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Communication and organizational skills for

planning and implementing recruiting

processes (including preparation of selection

test,groupdynamics,etc.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

KnowledgeandskillstohandleEuropeantools

to search for potential candidates: E.g. ISCO

professionalcatalogueandEURESjobmobility

portal.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Capability to categorize the employer needs

and cooperate with them by

exploring/assessing the demand and labour

market development, to provide customised

guidanceandsupporttothem.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledge and skills to activate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



155|P á g i n a

administrative procedures necessary for the

accesstosupportschemesandprogrammes

Capabilitytoguideemployerstowardsupport

measuresfittingtotheirneedsandtodeliver

relevant information about rights and

obligationscomingfromsupportschemes.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledge and skills for the effective

matching of job demand and job offer (e.g.

capability to analyse work processes, detect

occupational needs, develop job profiles and

conductskillsassessmentprocesses).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Communication and analytical skills to

effectively communicate with customers in

order to ensure and assess their overall

satisfactionaboutprovidedservices.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledge and skills to design standard

proceduresforqualityimplementationandto

manage processes linked to quality

monitoringandimprovement.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10





thisassessment?


haveareastodevelop?



156|P á g i n a




surprises?


development?

2.8FurtherReading:resourcesandwebography

Inthissectionyoucanfindsomelinksofinterestthatmighthelpyouwiththeaccomplishment

of the activities purposed in this chapter, contributing to expand your practical knowledge in

ordertoperformeffectivelywithemployerswithinyourworkingsettings.

ResourcesforLearningObjective2.1.

-Recruitmentprocess:phasesandscreeningtests.Itincludespracticalexercises(Spanish).

http://www.formacionyempleo.ugt-

andalucia.com/uploads/3_4_Proceso_selección_Fases_Pruebas.pdf

-Stepsindevelopingarecruitingstrategy(English).http://www.ascentii.com/content/pdf/2%20-

%20Steps%20in%20Developing%20a%20Recruiting%20Strategy%20-

%20Part%201%20of%202.pdf

-Job interviews:essentialquestionsandanswersabouttheprofile (personalandoccupational)

andalsokeycompetences.Itincludesreferencestorecommendedvideos(Spanish).

https://ignaciosantiago.com/preguntas-respuestas-entrevista-de-trabajo/

-Ideasfordevelopingadynamicgroupactivity(Spanish).

http://www.emplea.universia.es/informacion/seleccion/dinamica_grupo/ejemplos/

-Howtoredactagoodjobadvertisement.Tips(Spanish).

https://www.trabajemos.cl/2012/10/13/redacta-un-buen-anuncio-de-empleo/

http://blog.talentclue.com/redactar-ofertas-de-empleo-tips-atraer-mejores-candidatos



157|P á g i n a


-Occupationalprofileresearchassignment. Itprovidesanexampleofaqualitystructurefor its

researchanddescription(English).

http://kingscareerclass.weebly.com/uploads/3/7/9/9/37999681/nocassignmentwithjobmarkettr

endsadded_1.pdf

-Templateforprocessingvacanciesatabrokerageservice.The“jobofferdata”sectionprovides

informationaboutoccupationalrequirementstobeconsidered(Spanish).

http://empleoyformacion.jccm.es/fileadmin/user_upload/empresas/SOLICITUD_DE_GESTION_D

E_OFERTA_DE_EMPLEO.pdf

-EuresWebsite:EuropeanMobilityPortal(Spanish).

https://ec.europa.eu/eures/public/es/homepage


-HowtoNetworktheRightWay:eighttips(English).

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2014/07/28/how-to-network-the-right-way-eight-

tips/#62ac811c6d47

-FacetoFaceEvents:astrategytoengagepotentialcustomers/collaborators(Spanish).

https://www.puromarketing.com/31/15378/presenciales-estrategia-para-atraer-potenciales-

job-seekeres.html

-FreeGuide(e-book):9TipsforOrganizingaBusinessEvent(Spanish).

https://landing.captio.net/descargate-nuestra-guia-para-organizar-un-evento-de-

empresa?hsCtaTracking=1f9548a3-f263-420c-abfe-71447474aed0%7C89879dfe-f5a8-47c4-

b329-2d742dea378f

-SMARTtechniqueforsettingbusinessgoals(English).

https://www.thebalance.com/elements-of-a-smart-business-goal-2951530

https://www.thebalance.com/smart-goal-examples-2951827


-MappingoftheexistingsupportschemesinEU(English).

http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=11950&langId=en



158|P á g i n a

-Overviewontherationaleofsupportschemesinthecurrenteconomicbackground(English).

http://www.oecd.org/employment/finalcommuniq-.htm

-Synthesisofthemainhiringsubsidiesforyoungsters(Italian).

http://www.repu.it/economia/2018/sgravi_

-Overviewofexistingsupportschemes(Italian).

http://www.ipsoa.it/-il-quadro-degli-incentivi-2017

-YouthunemploymentandactivelabourmarketpoliciesinEurope(English).

https://izajolp.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40173-016-0057-x


-In-depthdescriptionoftheJobAnalysisprocess(English).

https://www.managementstudyguide.com/understanding-job-analysis.htm

-Skills-basedprofilingandmatching(English).


-Publicationsaboutskillsassessmentandmatching(English).

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/

-Howtodevelopajobprofiledescription(Italian).

https://www.ebcconsulting.com/come-progettare-e-costruire-una-job-description-del-

personale.html

-Modelforsoftskillsassessment(English).

http://valorize.odl.org/outputs/IO2%20-%20MOSSA%20VHSM.pdf


-Howtomeasurecustomersatisfaction(English).

http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=15581

-Servicequalityimprovementstrategies(English).

https://www.pomsmeetings.org/ConfProceedings/001/Papers/SOM-14.1.pdf

-Peerreviewoneffectiveservicesforemployers(English).

http://ec.europa.eu/social/keyDocuments.jsp?policyArea=&type=0&country=0&year=0&advSea

rchKey=premplservices&mode=advancedSubmit&langId=en&orderBy=docOrder



159|P á g i n a

-OverviewofJobBrokersskillsnecessarytoguaranteeservicequalityimplementationand

improvement(English).


Notes



160|P á g i n a


161|P a g e

Chapter3

WorkingwithJob-Seekers


Chapter3–WorkingwithJob-seekers

162|P á g i n a

ContentsWhatisthischapterabout?..............................................................................................163

Learningobjectives...........................................................................................................165

3.1Specifyanddemonstratetheempowermentapproach............................................167

3.2Describeanddifferentiatemethodsforprofilingandassessmentofjob-seekersandchoosemethodsappropriateforspecificcontextsand/orjob-seekers....................175

3.3&3.4Outlinedifferentcoachingtechniquesandusethemtooptimallysupportjob-seekersinfindingajobandapplyappropriatecommunicationtechniquesacrosssettings,purposes,andtargetgroups...............................................................................183

3.5Developanactionplanincooperationwiththejob-seeker......................................201

3.6Explainsourcesofconflictswithanddemotivationofjob-seekersandapplyappropriateconflictmanagementandmotivationtechniques........................................206

3.7Identifyspecificandspecialistjob-seekersupportneedsthatareabarriertoasuccessfuljobplacement(psychological,debt,housing,welfare)andreferringthemforrelevantexpertordetailedsupport............................................................................213

3.8ProgressAssessment–LearningNeedAnalysis………………………………………………………222

3.9Conclusionandfurtherreading..................................................................................223



163|P á g i n a


Many people who face challenging conditions in life, including their working conditions and

indeeda lackofaccess togainfulworkcan loseconfidence,experiencepovertyandmay face

multiplebarrierstobeingabletoovercome,orprogressfromtheirsituation.Somemaybecome

resentful,whereasothersmayinternalizethisbyblamingthemselvesanddevelopingasenseof

failure. Either way, for job-seekers the approach to job search is something that requires

individualconsiderationandcaninvolvetacklingarangeof‘nonvocational’ issues–emotions,

well-being and much more. Many long-term unemployed people see the job market as an

abstractsystemthatissomethingtheycannotaccess,andtheycanbeafraidthattheywillnot

getthekindofjobthat,formanydefinestheirownsenseofstatusandrecognitioninsociety.It

isthereforeimportantthattheJobBrokerhastherightskillssetandcompetencyleveltodeliver

theJobBrokerageservicetojob-seekersandtohelpthemtofulfiltheirhopesandexpectations.

It is important to have an approach that focuses on the jobseekers needs and helps them

overcometheirbarrierstoemployment,whilstalwaysbeingrealisticandpracticalaboutwhatis

achievable.

As we said at the start of the Guide, the Job Broker operates at the interface between the

employer, the job-seeker and the requirements of specific public labour market policy,

programmesandfunding.Therefore,thischapterputstheroleoftheJobBrokerintheholistic

contextofawiderangeofrequirementsintheworkwithjob-seekers.Thiscontextrequiresan

approachwhichunderstandshow tohelp job-seekers to takeasmuchcontrolover theirown

livesandtheirrelationshipwiththelabourmarketaspossible.

Suchanapproachisembodiedbytheempowermentconcept.Theterm‘empowerment‘refers

tomeasuresdesignedtoincreasethedegreeofautonomyandself-determinationinpeopleand

incommunitiestoenablethemtorepresenttheirinterestsinaresponsibleandself-determined

way,actingontheirownauthority.Empowermentasactionrefersbothtotheprocessofself-

empowerment and to professional support of people,which enables them to overcome their

senseofpowerlessnessandlackofinfluence,andtorecognizeandusetheirresources.



164|P á g i n a

Theguidingprinciplesofempowermentare:

- Torespectanindividualastheyare,toshowthemnewwaysandalternativeactionsand

todeveloppossibilitiestogetherwiththem;

- Promotingofawarenessaboutone'sownpersonalandenvironmentalresources.Various

instrumentsareusedtopromotethisawareness.

Empowerment can be described as a process that aims to empower individuals or groups to

shape their living conditions and to achieve greater self-determination. Through the

empowermentapproach,individualsorgroupsshouldbeencouragedtousetheirownpersonal

and social resources aswell as their abilities to participate to regain (again) control over the

designoftheirownsocial‘lifeworld’.Therespectiveframeworkconditionsofthetargetgroup

(thesocialandpoliticalenvironment)mustalwaysbeconsideredastheyinfluencetheexistence

and development of resources. Promoting participation and community building are essential

strategiesoftheempowermentprocess.

Empowermentcanbedividedintoabasicattitude,aprocess,astructureandaresult.

- Basic attitude: It is resource-oriented, encountering the job-seekers with appreciation

andateyelevel;job-seekersareregardedasexpertsintheirownsituation.

- Process: Reflection and knowledge transfer, without prejudice encounter, Support

management

- Structureandresult:Openingupopportunitiesthatallowforaself-determinedshaping’

oftheworldoflife,Empowerment,gainingpowerandinfluenceonone’sownlife.

Empowermentmustbethought inasystemicway. Itbeginswiththe"subject"andreturnsto

the "subject" through all the activities in a circular and networked processes. It is therefore

always important to keep the "subject" inmind and to leave the hierarchical or paternalistic

level. Theempowerment approach canbe consideredas the foundationof theworkof a Job

Broker with job-seekers. All other aspects that are presented in this chapter – profiling and



165|P á g i n a

assessment,coachingofjob-seekers,developmentofanactionplan,conflictsandmotivation–

aredirectedbythegeneralprinciplesoftheempowermentapproach.

Learningobjectives

Inordertoaddresstheabove,thisChapterhasthefollowingspecificlearningobjectives:

3.1Specifyanddemonstratetheempowermentapproach.

3.2Describeanddifferentiatemethodsforprofilingandassessmentofjob-seekersand

choosemethodsappropriateforspecificcontextsand/orjob-seekers.

3.3Outlinedifferentcoachingtechniquesandusethemtooptimallysupportjob-seekersin

findingajob(elaborationofapplicationdocuments,preparationforjobinterviews)

3.4Applyappropriatecommunicationtechniquesacrosssettings,purposes,andtarget

groups.

3.5Developanactionplanincooperationwiththejob-seeker.

3.6Explainsourcesofconflictswithandde-motivationofjob-seekersandapplyappropriate

conflictmanagementandmotivationtechniques.

3.7Identifyspecificandspecialistjob-seekersupportneedsthatareabarriertoasuccessful

jobplacement(psychological,debt,housing,welfare)andreferringthemforrelevantexpert

ordetailedsupport.



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Beforewelookatthisareaindetail,let’sbeginwithaself-appraisalofyourknowledge,skills

andunderstandinginthisareawiththeLearningNeedsAssessmenttablebelow.Usingascale

where1=poor(developmentfullyneeded),5=fair/satisfactory(developmentpartially

needed)and10=excellent(nodevelopmentneeded),estimateyour‘level’ineachcase:



Knowledgeabouttheempowermentapproach. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledgeaboutprofilingandassessmentof

job-seekers.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identificationofspecificandspecialistjob-seeker

needsthatareabarriertoasuccessfuljob-

placement.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Applicationofconversationalcoaching

techniques.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Supportingdecision-makingofjob-seekers. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledgeandapplicationofappropriate


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Preparationofjob-seekersforapplication

processes.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Developmentofanactionplan 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10







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3.1 Specifyanddemonstratetheempowermentapproach.

IfwesettheJobBrokerroleintothecontextoftheempowermentconceptwecanseehim/her

assomeonewhoshouldhaveanempathywiththejob-seekersreceivingtheservice.TheJJOb

Brokeroffers job-seekers support regardingquestionsoneveryday issues andensures that a

solutionisfoundforquestionsandproblems.

We see the JobBroker as a contactperson for anything that affects job-seekers, as someone

thatwilldoeverythingintheirremittohelppeopletobecomeactiveandtoshapeandcontrol

their own living conditions. The JobBroker creates conditionsunderwhichpeople succeed in

discoveringtheirownstrengths.TheJobBrokercancontributetoabeneficialsocialclimatethat

supportssuchprocessesasempowerment.

The Job Broker is preparing job-seekers for a self-determined shaping of theirway of life. By

workingwiththemtogetherattheirneeds-analysisandthroughtheirindividualactionplanning,

job-seekersarepreparedstepbystepfor jobsearchandforsustainingworkaftersuccessfully

findingajob.

The sections that follow are concerned with a range of characteristics of the empowerment

approach, skills that are most important for working with an empowerment approach and

possible methodological approaches for working together with the jobseekers to enhance

empowerment.



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ACTIVITY3.1.1 Identify and describe general characteristics of theempowermentapproach

Research&writtenassignment

Onthesubjectofempowerment,thereisalargeamountofliterature,muchofwhichisofreely

available information in the Internet. Inform yourself about the fundamentals of

empowermentandlearnthebasicsofthetopic.Identifyanddescribegeneralcharacteristics

oftheempowermentapproach.

Hereisasuggestionforsomewheretostart:

www.empowerment.de/

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empowerment

Please identify relevant sourceson the internetby listing someof your country-specific links

andmakingsomeobservations:



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Withtheempowermentapproachyoucanuncoverandpromotethestrengthsandpotentialof

job-seekers. Empowerment focuses onwhat the job-seeker can do, and how they can equip

themselves to best overcome the barriers that they face. The focus of empowerment is the

discovery of the untapped potential strengths of job-seekers and the promotion of their

resourcesofself-organization.Empowerment isnowacentralconcept inmanyareasofsocial

work, but also in other fields of application - in psychological counselling, in organizational

developmentandpersonnelmanagement.

ACTIVITY3.1.2 Basicskills

List

Empowerment can be described as a "philosophy of human strength". This trust in the

strengths of the people, in a productiveway to process the burdens and impositions of the

everydayrealityoflife,isthecentreandleitmotifofthisphilosophy.Whatdoyouthinkarethe

basicskillsthatJobBrokersneedtohavetoworkinthatway?

Createalistofskills(upto10)thatareinyouropinionthemostimportantforworkingwith

anempowermentapproach.



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Whatdoyouthink,dotheselistedskillsfitwiththefollowingunderstandingoftheprofessional

identity?

Against the background of the "philosophy of human strength" a new understanding of the

professional identity in working with people emerges. We can identify this empowerment

understandingwiththreekeywords:

(1)"Sharingpower":turningawayfrompaternalismand"caringsiege"

§ the renunciation of rash expert judgments regarding "problem interpretations" and

"solutions"forthejob-seeker,

§ the waiver also on fixed objectives and route specifications, therapy plans, vicarious

solutionstoproblems

§ a job-seeker’s involvement in the interpretationsof the situation, lifeplans and future

ideasofjob-seekers

§ theabandonmentof(incapacitating)assumptionofresponsibility;theencouragementof

ajob-seekertoself-activityandself-responsibility.

(2)Therespectfortheautonomyofjob-seekersandcooperationateyelevel

§ professional educational work is understood as a dialogue-reflexive understanding

betweenpartners(a"collaborative"workingrelationship"ateyelevel");



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§ at the same time, educational work is always also a "confrontational mirror":

confrontationoftheself-perceptionofajob-seekerwithcontrastingperceptionofothers

–basedonafirmfoundationoftrust;

§ workingwithpeopleproves theirproductivitywherever theyopena job-seeker’s "test

fields"forthediscoveryoftheirownstrengthsandforthetestingofself-determination

andpersonaldesign;

§ actingproactively-especiallyinthecaseofseverelymultipledisabledpeople-requires

anunderstandingdiagnosisanda (team) reflectionofunjustifiedproofofhelplessness

andincapacitationtraps.

(3)Thementoringroleofprofessionalhelpers

Forthenewoccupationalroleof"empowermentworkers"differentterminologycanbefoundin

theliterature:assistant-supporter-companion.

One other is the term "mentor" or "mentorship" (knowledgeable life-companionship). In this

mentorshiptheprofessionalhelperfulfilsthefollowingroles(seeindetailHerriger2014,pp.233

ff.):

§ SupportersandEncouraging'OrientationHelpers'

§ Life-worldanalystandcriticallifeinterpreter

§ Networker,resourcediagnostician,resourcemobilizer

§ Intermediarybridgebuilder

§ Dialoguemanagerandconflictmediator

§ Confidantandadvocate.

ACTIVITY3.1.3 Methodicalprocedure

Writtenassignment



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After you have learned something about the empowerment approach and after reflecting

aboutyour role in the frameworkof thisapproach, it's time to try somemethodicalworking

steps.

Create a possible methodical procedure in working with the jobseekers according to the

empowermentapproach.



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Nowyouhavecreatedsomemethodicalworkingsteps.Hereyoucancompareyourmethodical

approachwithoneotherpossibleapproach.

In the literature, four levels of empowerment areusually distinguished, eachofwhichhas its

ownmethodologicaltools:

§ Thelevelofindividualhelp

§ Thelevelofgroupwork

§ Theleveloforganization

§ Thelevelofthecommunity

FortheJobBrokerstheindividuallevelshouldbemostrelevant.

Examples of a practical implementation of the empowerment concept at the individual level

come predominantly from the field of action of counselling and individual social assistance.

Common to these personal approaches is an attempt to provide the person concerned with

waysoutoflearned‘helplessness’.Thecontractbetweenyouandajob-seekeraimsatproviding

assistance,bymeansofwhichtheaffectedpersonisabletotakelifebackintotheirownhands

avoiding ‘deficit’ thinking of powerlessness, resignation and demoralization and promoting

‘asset’ thinking about what is possible. Here, three complementarymethodological tools are

used:

ResourceDiagnostics:

In the psychosocial landscape, there are a variety of test, questionnaire and diagnostic

proceduresthat"detail"ajob-seeker’slifeproblems,theirdeficitsandinadequatecopingskills.

Ontheotherhand,thereisagapwhereitisimportanttosystematicallygraspthestrengthsof

thejob-seekers-theirresources.Inthecontextofempowermentwork,resourcediagnosticshas

threemainfunctions:



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(1) Initial diagnosis and help planning: Empowerment work aims to integrate the coping

resourcesavailabletothejob-seekersystematicallyintotheaidprocessandatthesametimeto

find again spilled biographical resources ('lifetimes' in the biographical past) andmake them

accessible.Aspartoftheinitialdiscussionandthesubsequentindividualassistanceplanning,a

precisemeasurementofresourcesisthereforeindispensable.

(2) Process-accompanying reflection: The resource diagnostics can be used beyond the help

planningalsoasinstrumentoftheprocessevaluation.Itissuitableasapracticalreflectionaid,

with which Job Brokers and job-seekers repeatedly visualize the current resource setting,

documentthechangesthathavealreadyoccurred,reflectobstaclesinaccessingresourcesand

reorganizetheongoinghelpprocessduringtheirworkcontract.

(3) Evaluation and quality documentation: Finally, in the context of the final case evaluation,

methodsofresourcediagnosticsareusedtoestimateresourcedevelopments(quantitativeand

qualitative changes). The first instruments of resource diagnostics are from Pantucek 2009;

Schiepek/Cremer2003;Trösken/Grawe2003.

SupportManagement:

Support management (case management) is a holistic supportive arranging of life resources.

Basedonacommonunderstandingofobjectivesandsteps,availablehelpresources inprivate

life and in public service agencies are brought together in a concerted support action. In this

way,across-bordernetworkofresourcesisformed,whichcangivenoticeablereliefandsupport

intimesofstress(seealsoLöcherbachetal.,2009,Neuffer2013,Wendt2011).

Self-narrationandbiographywork:

This third component links the work of empowerment with the current discussion about

"narrativeidentitywork"and"biographicalnarration".Thebasicconvictionofthisdebate,which

ismainlyconductedinnarrativepsychology,isthatpeopleconstructlifecohesion,inthesecure

experience of themeaningfulness of one's own life story, in self-narratives. This fundamental

convictionofnarrativepsychologymakesadirectbridgetothemethodologyofempowerment

workpossible.Thenarrative(re-)takingupofbiographicalthreadsinthepedagogicaldialogue

aims to recall the dignity, value and pride of one's own life, to establish continuity and life



175|P á g i n a

coherence despite all life's breaks and to banish the shadows of negatively coloured self-

attributions.Biographicalnarrationcreatesspacesofpossibilityinwhichtheindividualcanfind

languageandgain inthereflexiveappropriationoftheexperiencesof lifehistorytoolsforthe

processingofthepastandorientationsfortheasyetunknownfuture(seeHölzle/Jansen2010,

Krüger/Marotzki2005;2011).

3.2 Describeanddifferentiatemethodsforprofilingandassessmentof job-seekers

andchoosemethodsappropriateforspecificcontextsand/orjob-seekers.

Assessmentandprofilingare importantaspectswhenworkingwith job-seekers towardsnew

employment.Itsetsthebasisforthestepstofollow,supporttheself-reflectionofjob-seekers

abouttheirinterests,strengthsandweaknessesandenablesdecision-making.ForyouasaJob

Brokertheresultsoftheassessmentandprofilingphaseprovidesubstantialinformationforthe

matchingtoavailableemploymentopportunities.

ACTIVITY 3.2.1 Choose at least 2 different methods for (skill) assessment,describeeachofthemandelaborateashortSWOT-analysis.

Example&writtenassignment

Asexplainedabovetherearedifferenttypesofcareerassessments.Herewewanttoshowyou

some examples of assessment tools for the skills of job-seekers. Some of them are self-

assessmenttechniques;othersaredesignedtobeusedunderguidanceofaJobBroker.Below

youfindalistofdifferentexamplesofskillassessmenttools:

–Profilpass:www.profilpass-international.eu/files/pp_english.pdf[18.03.17]



176|P á g i n a

–SkillsProfiler:www.careerinfonet.org/skills/default.aspx?nodeid=20[18.03.17]

–MotivatedSkillsInventory:www.seriousjobseeker.net/exercise/skills.php[18.03.17]

–Themethod„Mylearningexperiences“:

http://www.naviguide.net/methods/mhbshow.asp?id=513&sid=&look=0&oberthema=9&unter

thema=0&zielgruppe=0&art=0&dauer=0&aktt=0&zz=25&lang=353&SPage=8&sort=titelauf&Pa

ge=1&index=93[18.03.17]

–Themethod“WhatdoIhavetooffer?”(Annex1)

–Themethod“Thetrainingpath”(Annex2)

Yourassignment:

1) Choose at least 2 different approaches/tools/methods for (skill) assessment (You can

useexamplesfromaboveoruseexamplesfromyourworkexperienceorothersources).

2) Describeeachoftheminyourownwordsinoneparagraphandtrytohighlightthemain

featuresofeachinstrument/methodyouhavedecidedtodescribe.

3) In addition, elaborate a short SWOT-analysis for eachmethod you have chosen. In a

SWOT-analysis, two internal factors, namely strengths and weaknesses, and two external

factors,namelyopportunitiesandthreats,aredescribedtoassessamethodanditsusefulness.



177|P á g i n a

Assessment and profiling methods can be instrumental in discovering interests, talents,

aptitudes and skills of a job-seeker. They're also useful to identify areas of strength and

weakness.Eventually,theresultsgeneratedbyassessmentandprofilingmethodscanbeused

by job-seekers to make better, more informed career choices that are in line with their

interests,talents,andgoals.

Oneofthebiggestbenefitsofcareerassessmentsisthattheyenableindividualstomakecareer

decisions thathelp themgrowpersonallyandprofessionally.This isespecially true forcareer

changerswhofindthemselvesinacareernolongerviableorwhoseinterestshaveevolvedina

directionnot compatiblewith their current careerpath.Career assessmentsused to support

career change can be very beneficial as career changers typically have ample experience to

drawuponinassessingtheirinterests,skills,aptitudesandgoals.

As youmayhave observed the differentmethods are very different, looking at the rangeof

aspectstheyinvestigate,thetimespanneededtoconduct,themodeofcommunication(oral,

written). Therefore the strengths and weaknesses you identified may depend on the time

resourcesyouhave forassessment, the typeof job-seekeryouworkwith (job-seekersat the

beginning of their professional life, long term unemployed or job-seekers who had to leave

theirformerprofessionbecauseofjobrelated(transitionofprofessionalfield)



178|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY 3.2.2 What specific challenges could arise during assessment andprofilingofjob-seekerswithlowornoqualification/workexperience?

ProblemSolving

Profilingandassessmentcanbeachallenging task.Onespecific challenge is representedby

job-seekerswithalowlevelofeducationalbackground.

Describewhichchallengesyoucouldfaceinsuchsituationsandpossiblestrategiestohandle

thesechallengesproductively.



179|P á g i n a

Of course, every job-seeker is an individual with a unique personality and biography.

Nonetheless it could be worthwhile to reflect about typical characteristics and needs of

differenttargetgroups.Thiscouldimproveyoursensitivityforeachtargetgroupandhelpyou

tofindsuitablesolutionsforeachjob-seeker.

Looking at the given example of a job-seeker with low or no qualification there are some

generalaspectsthatare–beyondothers–relevantinthecontext.

It is not unusual that job-seekers who have no or low qualification not only lack of formal

qualification but also lack of basic competencies essential on the labour market. The most

commonbasiccompetenciesjob-seekersaremissingarewritingandreadingskillsandbasicICT

skills.

Although it can be hard to find a jobwith no orwith low-level qualifications, people in this

situation often show resistance towards training activities for various reasons e.g. lack of

prospects; lowexpectationsofthebenefitsoftraining;negativeexperienceofeducation, low

educationalaspirations,orasimplereluctancetoinvestinthemselves.

Therefore it is crucial to highlight the positive aspects of training activities and make

transparentwhichbenefitscouldbegainedbyparticipating inaspecific trainingactivity (e.g.

jobopportunities,payment,workingconditions).Forpeoplewhodonothavehappymemories

ofschooloreducation,theoptionofwork-basedorwork-integratedtrainingopportunities(e.g.

apprenticeships)canofferadifferentwayforward.

Also,beawarethatJobBrokersareoftenmorehighlyqualifiedthanthejob-seekerstheywork

with.Thishierarchycanleadtosuspicion,specificallyifyouworkwithjob-seekerswhohavea

negativeattitudetowardseducationandtraining.Heretheestablishmentofagoodandtrustful



180|P á g i n a

relationship to the job-seeker is even more challenging but also even more important. An

importantfactoristhelanguageaJobBrokeruses.Ontheonehanditisimportanttoensure

that your use of languagewith the job-seeker is clear, every-day and avoids ‘jargon’; on the

otherhandauthenticity isextremely importantandyoumustnotpatroniseor ‘talkdown’ to

job-seekers.

Sincesomejob-seekersoftenlackself-esteemaboutwhatskillstheyhaveorwhattheycando

itisveryimportanttohighlighttheexistingskillsorcompetenciesthattheydohave.Oftenjob-

seekers are unaware of how competencies that they have are transferable and usable in

differentways in the labourmarket. Job-seekers often focuswhat they cannot door donot

knowinsteadofwhattheyarecapableof.Theyareoftenunawareofthewiderangeofskills

theyhave gained through the typeof informal learningprocesses inwork situationsor their

privatelife–itiscalled‘experience’!.Althoughitisimportanttoidentifytraininggaps/needsit

is also essential to focus on existing capabilities and potential that can be built upon and

developed.



181|P á g i n a

ACTIVITY3.2.3Relevantbackgroundfactorsformatching

List

Assessmentandprofilingisthebasisforagoodmatching.Butisitsufficienttoinvestigatethe

skills,competenciesandintereststomakeagoodmatchtoemploymentopportunities?

Writeashortchecklistfornewandinexperiencedcolleagues.Thechecklistshouldcontain

relevantpersonalfactorsofjob-seekersJobBrokersshouldconsiderwhenitcomesto

matchingjob-seekerstoemploymentopportunities.Listtherelevantfactorsandgive

examplesforindicatedquestionsandimplicationsforeachofthefactors.



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ForyouasaJobBrokertheidentifiedskillsandcompetenciesofjob-seekersyouworkwithare

an important source of information for a successful matching process. However, for the

definition of specific job-related goals and to reach sustainable employment, while being

respectful of privacy, having a wider view of a job-seeker’s life and personality can provide

important informationthatcould influencethematchbetweena job-seeker’ssituationanda

concretejob.Therearearangeofbackgroundfactorsthatarehighlyinfluentialwhenitcomes

to matching and decision-making. These factors restrict the range of options and the job-

seekerswillingnesstotakerisks.Belowyoucanfindanon-exhaustive listofsuchfactorsand

correspondingquestionsandimplications.

Familystatus Besidesthejob-seeker,

whoelseneedstobe

includedinthedecision

making?

Whoelseisaffected

bythedecision?

Balancingfamily

obligationswiththe

working/coursehoursand

financialimplicationsof

specificemploymentor

trainingopportunities

Physicalsituation Arethereanyhealth

issuesorspecificneeds

thatcouldrelevantfor

matching?

Howgreatisthe

personalconfidencein

one’sownphysical

andcognitive

performance?

Arethererestrictions

becauseoftheageofthe

job-seeker?

Financialsituation Howmuchroomfor

manoeuvreisthere

regardingthefinancial

situation?

Aretheresufficient

financialresourcesfor

acareerbreakor

trainingactivities?

Whatsubsidiescouldbe

available?

Personalresources What(positive)

experiencesexisttowards

careertransformation?

Personalflexibilityand

frustrationtolerance,

learningability?

Competencies?



183|P á g i n a

Network Whocouldsupportthe

job-seeker?

Howviableisthe

personalnetworkof

thejob-seeker?

Personalvalues Arethereanyrestrictions

becauseofreligious

beliefsorothervalues?

Permanencevs.

Flexibility

Labourmarket Whathasthejob-seeker

tooffer?

Howgreatisthe

demandfor

competenciesthejob-

seekerhastooffer?

Mobility?

3.3&3.4Outlinedifferentcoachingtechniquesandusethemtooptimallysupportjob-

seekersinfindingajobandapplyappropriatecommunicationtechniquesacross

settings,purposes,andtargetgroups.2

Whenworkingwithjob-seekerstheactivitiesofJobBrokershavesomeaspectsincommonwith

the role of a coach. Coaching of job-seekers is a process that often consists of individual

coaching interviews (alternative coaching formats include group sessions, by phone, web

coaching, etc.). Therefore, Job Brokers working with job-seekers must guide and lead the

coachingsession:Guidingmeanstoshowcompassion,tounderstandandtoallow;leading,on

theotherhand,means to interrupt, to intervene, and to express ideas, toposequestions, to

make propositions and to extend or reduce complexity. Obviously, in such a position, Job

Brokershavelotsofpossibilities,butalsofacemanychallenges.

Itisessentialtounderstandjob-seekersasindividualswithdistinctbiographiesandfeaturesand

toempathizewiththeirperspectives. Job-seekersmaynothaveentirelyvoluntarilysought for

yourJobBrokerserviceandmayhavetroublesbeinginthepositionofapersoninsearchof

2 In the context of this Chapter, we are addressing this issue in relation to the function of Job Brokers as coach for job-seekers. Here, we are concerned with very specific forms of communication that are integral part of the coaching role. We therefore consider the 'communication techniques in this LO to be concerned with different coaching techniques and their use to optimally support job-seekers in finding a job (decision-making coaching, job application coaching). As a result, learning objectives 3.3. & 3.4 were implemented as one coherent section in this Self-directed Learning Guide.



184|P á g i n a

advice. It is crucial tousewell-chosenwaysof communicationandbehaviour to createa real

basisforcooperationandconversationdespiteofthehierarchicalnatureofthesituation.

Job brokersmust seek to understand the job-seeker’smotives and background, but also the

scopeofhisorheractions.Theymustkeepinmindthateachandeverypersonconstructshisor

herownrealityandbaseshisorherdecisionsandactionsontheresultingworldview.

Likewise,JobBrokersneedtoreflectonhisorherreactions,impulsesandmodesofinteraction

withthejob-seeker.Communicationismostfruitfulwhenthepeopleinvolvedsettleonashared

worldviewandreality.

ACTIVITY 3.3.1 Basic principles of Job Broker-job-seeker communication andinteractionincoachingsessions

List

Conversationalskillsarekeytoaconsistentlysuccessfulcoaching.Thereislotsofliteratureon

thatspecifictopic,includingbutnotlimitedtofreelyavailableinformationontheinternet.Cure

yourcuriosityandgetinformationonwhattokeepinmindregardingmodesofcommunication

incoachingsessions.

Basedonyourresearch,summarizetheaspectsyouthinkaremostimportantandtrytolist

andexplainthebasicprinciplesforjob-seeker-JobBrokerinteractionandcommunicationin

coachingsessions.



185|P á g i n a



186|P á g i n a

Thereismuchliteratureandmanyinformationsourcesontheinternetonhowtointeractand

communicatewith job-seekers.Most of it does not focus specifically on Job Brokering or the

targetgroupsofjob-seekers,butdealswithinteractionprocessesinjob-seeker-coachsessionsin

general. However,most of the principles you can find here are also true for job-seekers as a

targetgroup.

Concerning the basic principles of conversations and interactions, we would propose the

following principles as one way to summarize important aspects of interaction processes

betweenjob-seekersandJobBrokers:

Consultingattitude:

It is importantnottotalkandexplaintoomuchand instead listenandobservecarefully.That

gives coaches the chance to get themost accurate viewpossibleof the job-seeker. Especially

“Active Listening” shows the dialogue partner that you take his or her arguments and

perspectives serious and accept his or her fears, needs and positions. However, that doesn’t

necessarilymeantoagreewiththe job-seeker’sopinions!Forexample,youcouldphraseyour

concerns like that: “I understand deeply that you […]. However, the current situation in the

labourmarketrequiresthat[…].“

Empathy,interestandappreciationarecrucialwhenitcomestomotivatepeopletocooperate.

These are reflected in body language, eye contact and intonation as well as in wordings,

phrasings andmodes of communication.When job-seekers get the feeling, they aren’t taken

serious or their fears andwishes are seen as “wrong” or “problematic”, they aren’t prone to

openupandcooperate.Wheneverpossible,coachesshouldchoosepositive formulationsthat

empowerandmotivatepeopleseekingadvice.Thejob-seeker’sstrengthsandaccomplishments

–suchassocialcompetencies,jobexperience,andresearchregardingpossibleemployers,well-

designedapplicationdocuments,goodcommunicationalskillsorathoughtfulreflectiononone’s



187|P á g i n a

possibilities on the labour market – should be focused on and stressed. Also, expressing

empathyandunderstandingfacilitatestheestablishmentofafruitfulrelationship.

Gendersensitivityandgender-sensitivelanguage:

One’ssex,genderandperceptionsofwhatitmeanstobe“male“or„female“canhavecrucial

influenceonthecoachingprocess.Ourabilitytoreflectongenderstereotypes,ontheireffects

onwork, life and coachingandonourpartiality therefore is crucial. Ifweareawareof those

aspectsandcommunicate themprofessionally,newavenuesandpossibilities canopenup for

thejob-seeker.Todoso,itisvitaltokeepyourlanguagesimpleandeasilyunderstandablewhile

alwaysgender-sensitive.

Posingquestions:

Thedialogueshouldprimarilybestructuredbythecoach’squestions.Thequestionsshouldbe

clearandeasilyunderstandableandhavetomatchwiththeverbalskillsofthedialoguepartner.

To avoid misunderstandings, coaches should make the background of their questions

transparent (e.g. “This questionmay seem odd to you, but considering your further training

goals it is important for me to have the respective information.”). Technical terms and

abbreviationsmaybeobviousforyou,butcanfrustrateandconfusethejob-seeker.

Ideally,onlyonequestionatonceshouldbeaskedtohelpthejob-seeker’sconcentration.Short

periodsofsilencetriggerthejob-seekertotalkandrecountalittlemore.

Keepinginmindnonverbalcommunication:

Asillustratedinthe‘iceberg’modelofcommunication,only20%ofcommunicationisdoneona

factual and objective level, while 80 % of it happens on the level of emotions and social

relationships. Therefore, the success of a coaching process highly depends on a good and

trustingrelationshipbetweenjob-seekerandcoach.Eachrespectiveinvestmentisworthwhile!

Observingnonverbalsignals,modesofexpressionandbehaviouralmodesofthepersonseeking

advice provides essential information to establish such a relationship. If you get certain

impressions–forexamplethatthejob-seekerisextraordinarilyquietortalkative,thatheorshe

doesn’topenuporthatheorsheisreluctant-thatissuecanbeaddressedinapolite,



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appreciativeandobjectiveway (e.g. “I get the impressionyoudon’t reallywant to talk about

that.Am I right? Is there something specific youare concernedabout? “, „You seem like you

havetosayalotaboutthat.Iproposewefirstfocuson[…].“).

Activelistening:

Listeningandfirstand foremostactive listening is thebasisofgoodcoaching,especiallywhen

thepersonseekingsupporttalksaboutproblems,doubtsandfears.Smallnonverbalsigns–such

assignsofconsentandapproval–aswellasanopenposture,facingthejob-seeker,showthat

youareconcentratedand interestedand„actively“ lookforsolutionsortrytounderstandthe

situation.Thatmayencouragethedialoguepartnerstoopenup.Likewise,shortsummaries in

your ownwords („paraphrases“) are another way to get a deeper understanding of the job-

seeker’ssituationandtoinvitehimorhertoexplainingreaterdetail.

Whilelisteningdoesn’tnecessarilymeantoagreewitheverything,youshouldtrytounderstand

the job-seeker’s way of thinking. That enables you to react adequately to their worries and

needsandtotakecorrectiveactionswherenecessary.

Stayingobjective:

EspeciallywhenJobBrokerandjob-seekerexperiencedisagreementsortensions,itisessential

to stay matter-of-factly and to discuss those issues in an open and calm way.When people

seeking support react inanaggressive,belittlingorarrogantway, the JobBroker shouldkeep

calmandactivelyaddresstherespective,dysfunctionalmodeofcommunication.Itisimportant

thattheJobBrokerdoesn’ttakethejob-seeker’sbehaviourpersonally:Usually,itmainlyreflects

theemotional stateof the job-seekerand couldbe– forexample– the resultof fearor self-

doubt.

Definingboundaries:

Professional coaching also means to be aware of one’s limits and boundaries and to clearly

express what coaching can and cannot do! It is a key competence for any Job Broker to

communicate boundaries in a clear but polite way without risking that the person seeking

supportfeelsbelittled,notacceptedoratthemercyofsomeone.Whennecessary,itmaybea



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good idea to inform about alternative options – such as psychological counselling for people

withlearningdisabilitiesortestanxieties,debtcounselling,legalaidofficesorpsychotherapy–

andtoexplainthegeneralinstitutionalconditions.

Ifyouareinterestedinfurtherreadingaboutcoachingyoumayfindthefollowingbook

interesting:VanNieuwerburgh,Christian(2017):AnIntroductiontoCoachingSkills:APractical

Guide,Sage,London

Basedonthisbookyoucanfindvideosofpracticalexamplesofconversationalskillsonthe

followingwebsite:https://studysites.uk.sagepub.com/vannieuwerburgh/study/default.htm

When Job Brokers coach job-seekers they work with people in a transitional situation. This

transitionneedsdecisionsfromthesideofthejob-seeker.Thereforecoachingofajob-seekerin

decision making processes is very important aspect of a Job Broker’s work. The reason for

transitioncouldlieintheperson(wishfortransition,needfortransitione.g.becauseofhealth

issues) or in the personal environment (job loss because of termination or insolvency of the

formeremployer,startinga familyor lossofclosepeople, regionalorpoliticaldevelopments).

Dependingonthereasonthetransitionmaybeconsideredathreatorachance.Inanycase,a

transition process often involves high levels of uncertainty, experiences of loss, frustration or

conflicts.Thereforethecoachingofjob-seekerindecisionmakingisasensitiveissue.



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ACTIVITY3.3.2ArguewhycoachingofdecisionmakingisanimportantelementofaJobBrokeringservice

Problemsolving

ImaginetheJobBrokeringserviceyouworkforgetsanewChiefExecutiveOfficer (CEO)who

wantstocutcosts.LookingforopportunitiestosavecoststhenewCEOwantsJobBrokersto

arguewhyspecificserviceoffersare important.Basically,theCEOdoesnotreallyunderstand

whyitisnecessarytosupportjob-seekersintheirdecision-makingprocess.FromyoutheCEO

wantstoknowwhyjob-seekersneedspecificsupportindecision-making.

Howwouldyouarguetheimportanceofcoachingfordecisionmaking?



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Oneoptiontoarguetheimportanceofcoachingofdecision-makingcouldbetopointoutwhat

isneededtomakeadecisionandthere isarangeofaspectwhereprofessionalsupportcould

helptomakebetterdecisionsthatleadtomoresustainableemployment.

When job-seekers have problems to make a decision, the reason could be that they lack

information,theydon’tknowwhotheyareandwhattheywant(e.g.firstvocationaldecision),

they are confronted with obstacles, that seem hard to overcome or they have in general

problemstomakedecisions.

Clarityandstabilityofself-perception:

• WhoamI

• Whatisimportantforme?

• WhatamIableto?

• Whataremylikesanddislikes?

Information:

• Labourmarket

• Occupationalprofiles

• Trainingopportunities

• subsidies

• …..

Dealingwithobstacles:

• Whatobstaclescouldcomeup/mayneedtobeovercome?

• Arethereanypositivecopingexperiences?

• Isthereasolutionorisitnecessarytofinddifferentoptions?

• …..

Decision-makingability:

• Howdecisiveisaperson?

• Towhatextentisthepersonabletomakecompromises?

• Howoptimisticorencouragedisaperson?



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ACTIVITY3.3.3Whomakesthedecisions?

Example&writtenassignment

A job-seekermakes use of your service.When it comes tomaking a decision about his/her

futurecareerheisreluctanttomakeadecision.TheJobBrokerwantstosupportwithdecision

makingcoaching.However,thejob-seekerisnotverycooperativeandasks:“whydoyouwant

me to decide? I came here because you are an expert and I thought you could decide best

whichjobIshouldchoose.”SincetheJobBrokerhasaverybusyandstressfuldayandbecause

the job-seeker explicitly asked the Job Broker to make the decision for him the Job Broker

agrees.

Whatdoyouthinkaboutthis?DoyouthinktheJobBrokeractedcorrectly?Why,whynot?



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AlthoughmanythingsdependonthecontextoftheJobBrokerserviceandthepersonalstyleof

aJobBroker,inthiscase,wewouldclearlysaythattheJobBrokermadeamistake!

JobBrokersareexpertsforaspecificfieldofknowledge.Theyarerightlyexpectedtosharetheir

knowledgeandactivelyuseitincoachingprocesses.Oftenthereisonlyathinboarderbetween

“givingadvice”and“provideexpertise”.

Supportingdecision-makingprocessesneedsahigh levelofpatienceon the JobBroker’s side.

Often it feels very exhausting; to watch job-seekers in their struggle to decide without

influencingthedecision.Thetemptationisgreattoactivelygiveadviceortomakethedecision

forthejob-seeker.

However, JobBrokers shouldonly support andguide thedecision-makingprocess. Theuseof

methodsshouldbedeterminedbytheJobBroker’sassessmentofthejob-seekerandavailable

timeresources.AJobBrokercanaskcriticalquestions,provide informationandexpertise,but

notmanipulate.Onlythejob-seekersmakedecisions.

Even if decisions seem irrational from the Job Broker’s point of view they must respect the

decisionsofjob-seekers.Evenifjob-seekersfeelhelpless,theyarethetrueexpertsfortheirlife!

ThedutiesofaJobBrokerintheirroleascoachandinrelationtodecisionmakingare:

• Towithstandthisprocessofweighingupdifferentoptions,the‘ifs’and‘buts’ in

theirambivalence.

• To support job-seekers,without takingoff theactualdecision-making from job-

seekers

• Helpingtofindsolutionswithoutgivingadvice

• Toencouragejob-seekerswhentheylosecourage

• Documentingresultsofdecisionmakingprocesses

• Offermethodstofacilitatethedecision-makingprocess



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ACTIVITY3.4.1Visualisationofdecisionmakingprocess

WrittenAssignment

YourJobBrokerserviceisintroducingtrainingfornewcolleagues.Foramoduleaboutdecision

making youare asked todesignaposter that visualises thedecision-makingprocesswith a

metaphor.Howwouldyoudesignsuchaposter?



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Therearemanypossibilities tovisualizeadecision-makingprocess.So,wehopeyouhad fun

beingcreative!?

However, for feedback, wewant to present you two different visualisations/metaphors that

couldbeusedinrelationtodecisionmakingprocesses:

Thefunnel

Wecouldvisualisedecisionmakingasafunnelwithseveralfilters.Attheendofthefunnela

fewsiftedoutresultscomeout.

The funnel is filledwith all occupational profilesworth considering and each of themhas to

pass the different filters. The filters represent the different selection criteria, whereby the

priorityofthedifferentfiltersshouldbedeterminedbythejob-seeker:

• Incomeopportunities

• Workingconditions

• Compatibilitywithfamilyduties

• Jobrequirements

• Investmentintraining

• Existingjobopportunities

Optimally,attheendofthefunneltwoorthreerealisticoptionscomeout.

Theeightloop

Decisionmakingcanalsobevisualisedasa loopmovement.Atthebeginningofthedecision-

makingprocesswecanfindthepositiveaspectsofdifferentoccupationalprofiles

On a closer look these positive aspects are superimposed by aspects with negatively

connotations. Concerns, worries and fears are getting relevant. The loop goes back to the

startingpoint,theoccupationalprofileneedstoberethought,oranewonehastobefound.



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Whenit’spossibleinthisphasetofindsolutionsforupcomingproblemsanexitoutoftheloop

canbefound.Theloopwillgoonbetween‘yes’and‘but’untilthemostimportantconcernsare

eliminated and solutions for obstacles could be found and therefore confidence in an

occupationalprofilecouldbere-established.

Another important aspect of coaching in thework of a Job Broker is the preparation of job-

seekers for application processes. When a match between employment opportunities and

characteristicsofajob-seekerisfounditisessentialthatjob-seekersmakeagoodimpressionon

their potentially new employer. So, writing a good CV and being well prepared for a job

interviewaretwoimportantaspectstouseemploymentopportunitiessuccessful.

ACTIVITY3.4.2Composeaplanabouthowyouwouldprepareajob-seekerforajobinterview.

Problemsolving

Givenarestrictedtimeframeof20minutestocoachajob-seekerforajobinterview.Composea

planabouthowyouwouldprepareajob-seekerforajobinterview.



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YoumayalsodrawfromyourpastorcurrentworkexperiencesasaJobBroker.Inthatcasetake

your personal approach for coaching for a job interview and modify it according to the 20

minutestimeframe.

Your freedom in doing your work as a Job Broker may be very different in relation to the

concrete Job Broker provider youwork for. Theremight be a concrete standardized process

planyouhavetosticktooryoumayhavethefreedomtochooseyourapproachonyourown.

However,timeresourcesmayinanycasebeacrucialdeterminationforthekindofserviceyou

offer.Thatmaybeespeciallytrueifyouserviceisbasedonanoutcome-orientatedsystemof

financialremuneration.Workinginsuchasystemitiscrucialtofindtherightbalancebetween

agoodservicequalitytoreachthetargetedoutcomesandafinancialsurplus.Butalso,incases

wheretheoutcomeorientation isnotasstrictas intheexampleofModule1,theamountof

timeyouhavetoworkwithJobBrokersisusuallytightwithrespecttothespecifictargetgroup.

Itisclearthatagiventimeframeof20minutesisverytightandyoumayhopefullyhavemore

time resources to prepare your job-seekers for an interview if necessary. However, time

resourcesofaJobBrokerareusuallylimited,anditisoneofchallengestochooseinrelationto

theneedsofaconcretejob-seekerwhichcoachingactivitiesyouperform.So,youhavetomake



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adecision!Asintheactivitybefore,yourdecisionmaybehighlyinfluencedbytheconcretejob-

seeker or more general a specific target group of job-seekers you have in mind. Also, the

demandsoftheconcretesector/employerofthevacancymayinfluenceyourdecisions.

In20minutes there is not verymuch room formanoeuvre. So, a roleplay inwhich the job-

seekercantryouttheinterviewingsituationinamoreorlessrealisticbutatthesametimesafe

settingmay not be possible in such a situation.What you can do for example is to prepare

resourcesthejob-seekercanusetopreparehim/herselffortheinterview.Forinstance,alistof

commonerrorsthatshouldbepreventedorinterviewingquestionsthatarelikelytobepartof

theinterviewcouldhelptoreduceinsecurityonsideofthejob-seekerwithouttakingtoomuch

timeinacoachingsession.

ACTIVITY3.4.3CreateaCVontheEURESJobMobilityPortal

Research

It isonegoalofEuropeanintegrationtoincreasethemobilitycapabilitiesoftheworkforce.To

fosterthetransnationalmobilityoftheworkforceacrossEuropetheEuropeanCommissionhas

implementedEURES.Itisacooperationnetworkformedbypublicemploymentservicesacross

Europe. It maintains a job matching platform the “European Job Mobility Portal”. The jobs

advertised on the EURES Portal come from EURES members and partners, in particular the

EuropeanPublicEmploymentServices. TheyuseEURES toadvertise jobs forwhichemployers

areparticularlyinterestedinrecruitingworkersfromotherEuropeancountries.



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For job-seekers EURES offers a facility to create an online profile. The basic purpose of the

profileistocreateanonlineCV.Canyouassistajob-seekerwhohasaninterestinworkingin

anotherEuropeancountrytocreateanonlineCVonEURES?

Ifnot,explorethefacilityinEURESandbecomeproficientinitsuse.

VisittheEURES-WebsiteandinformyourselfabouttheEURESplatform:

https://ec.europa.eu/eures/public/en/homepage



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HaveyoumadeyourselffamiliarwiththeportalandcreatedaCV?Didyouhaveanyexperience

withthiskindofCV?Dependingonyourprofessionalpracticeyoumaybeusedtoadifferent

kindofstandardizedCV;alternativelyitmayberathernewforyoubecauseyouusuallynotuse

anykindofstandardizedtemplateswhenyouworkonaCVwithajob-seeker.

If youworkwitha job-seekerwho is looking foremploymentopportunities abroad it canbe

helpful ifyoucouldsupportthemwiththecreationofanEURESCV.Especiallywhenworking

withsuchastandardisedinstrumentit isevenmoreimportanttousethesectionswhereyou

cangivetheCVanindividualtouchtomakeitdistinctfromotherapplicants.

The EURESonlineCV is very similar to a Europass CV. It is a standardised template for a CV

which main purpose is to provide a common instrument for a more transparent and

standardiseddescriptionofskillsandqualifications. Ifyouneedsupport to fill itoutcorrectly

and for general tips to be considered in writing an Europass/Eures CV you may find the

followingonlineavailableguidancesheethelpful(availableinalllanguagesoftheEU):

https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/documents/curriculum-vitae/templates-instructions

TherearealsoexamplesoffilledoutCVsavailableyoucanuseasreferencepoint.Youcanfind

themviathefollowinglink(availableinalllanguagesoftheEU):

https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/documents/curriculum-vitae/examples



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3.5 Developanactionplanincooperationwiththejob-seeker.

Sofar,youalreadyhavelearnedsomethingabouttheempowermentapproachasthebasisfor

yourworkwithjobseekers.

You also have learned something about different coaching techniques, profiling methods,

conflict management techniques and motivational techniques that you can use in working

togetherwithjobseekers.Thisshouldhelpyoutogettoknowajobseekerwellandtoidentify

hisorherspecificsupportneeds.

Afteryouhave identifiedspecificandspecialist job-seekersupportneeds (psychological,debt,

housing,welfare)thatcouldbeabarriertoasuccessfuljobplacement,itisatimefordeveloping

anactionplanforafurtherproceedingincooperationwiththejob-seeker.

ACTIVITY3.5.1 Whatdoyouneedtodevelopanactionplan?

Listwhat you think is important if youwant to develop an action planwith a job-seeker.

Whatareimportantaspectsandmustbeconsidered?



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Thefollowingexamplequestionsandexamplesofmethodsforgoalssettingandactionplanning

maybehelpfulwhenreflectingaboutyourapproach:

ExampleQuestionstoelaborateactionplanwithajob-seeker:

Wehaveclarifiedwhichjob/trainingyouwouldliketotake.Whichconcretestepswillbringyou

closertoyourgoals?

Against the background of competencies and resources you have, which first step seems

necessarytoyoutoreachyourgoal?

Whenyouvisualizeyourgoalandworkoutaplanonhowtoreachthisgoalstepbystep.What

wouldbeyourfirststep?

Ifyouwillfacechallengesonyourway,whichonescouldthatbeandhowcouldyouovercome

them?

Whoorwhatcouldhelporsupportyou?

ExampleMethodsforgoalssettingandactionplanning:

Method„Goalsetting–Goalcheck“

http://www.projectsgallery.eu/job-broker/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Curriculum_-Programme.pdf

Method“Jobsearchasproject”:

http://www.naviguide.net/methods/mhbshow.asp?id=510&sid=&look=0&oberthema=0&untert

hema=0&zielgruppe=0&art=0&dauer=0&stw=job+search&stwcomp=job+search&aktt=0&zz=25

&lang=353&SPage=8&sort=titelauf&Page=1&index=9)



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ACTIVITY3.5.2 Developaconcreteactionplan

Writtenassignment

Imaginethatyouhaveagreedatargetwithyourjob-seeker.Developaconcreteactionplan.



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Belowisalistofpossiblestepsinworkingtosetoutgoalsandactionplanswithjob-seekers:

→ Needsanalysis:

• Statusquoofjob-seekersshallbeexplored,profiling(competenceanalysis)

• Exploringofinterestsandmotivationofjobseekersintermsofoccupationalorientation,

employmentorpossibleVETandfurthertrainingmeasures,

• Identificationofpossibleplacementobstaclesandhighlightingthefirstsolutionsteps

• Advisory Check - identifying of social, family or health problems, exploring barriers to

takingupwork,

• Individualqualificationcheck-findingoutwhatneedstobere-learned.

→ ActionPlans:

• Explorehiddentalents,potentialsandexperiencesthatmightenhanceanapplication,

• Plantogetherwiththejob-seekersthecareer,InterviewagreementbetweenJobBroker

andjob-seeker,whichdefinesthenextsteps(inawrittenform),evaluatedandup-dated

afterthreemonths

→ Preparejob-seekersforwork:

• Informationof job-seekersabout the labourmarket, the requirementsofemployers in

variousprofessionalfields,

• Productionofcurrentandprofessionalapplicationdocuments,

• ApplicationTraining-FactsgatherfortheCV,

• Traininginterview,

• Teach,talk-andpresentationtechniques

• ITtraining,

• Workshopsandindividualcoaching,strengtheningpersonalskills,

• StyleAdvice,

• Time-andstressmanagement,healthcourses



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ACTIVITY3.5.3 Theexecutionoftheactionplan

Problemsolving

Theoverallgoalofthecounsellingprocessisajobplacementorrespectivelysustainablelabour

market integration. Therefore, it is important to come to an agreement on a realistic job

decision. If there isadiscrepancybetweenyourassessmentof thesituationand the ideasof

the job-seeker (e.g.non-realisticgoals,noagreementon furtherproceeding)howwouldyou

reacttothesituation?

Comeupwith ideasonpossibilities to resolve sucha situationanddescribe them in some

words.Describehowtotracktheexecutionoftheactionplan.Whatdoyoudoiftheaction

plan is not followedby your job-seeker?What options do youhave to influence your job-

seeker?



206|P á g i n a

If there is a discrepancy between the goals of the job-seeker and your assessment of the

situation you should make that transparent and explain the reasons for your assessment

clearly. If there is still no agreement about goals despite discussion and explanations, you

should consider beingmore persuasive. For instance, you could say: “I can understand your

wishfor…reallywell,butmyresponsibilityistobringyouinemploymentandthatyoustayin

employment.Therefore,Iwouldproposethatwelooktogetherontheoptionsthatseemmost

likelytoberealised.Canyouagreewithmeonthat?”

Ifthereisstillnoagreementyoucanaskyourjob-seekertodevotesomeofhis/hertimeuntil

the next meeting towardsmore realistic goals besides any actions towards the job-seeker’s

preferredgoals.Therebytheclarificationifthejob-seeker’sneedsarerealisticcanbeachieved

withoutinfluencingthejob-seeker’smotivationnegativelyandatthesametimecanbesaved

byworkingalsoonrealisticgoals.

Dependingonthesituation itcouldalsobeadvisable togive the job-seeker thepossibility to

proof that his/her goals are realistic. For example, you could ask the job-seeker to find job

offersthatwouldfittothejob-seeker’sprofile.

3.6 Explain sources of conflicts with and demotivation of job-seekers and apply

appropriateconflictmanagementandmotivationtechniques.

TheidealcasefromaJobBroker’sviewpointisthattheyworkwithmotivatedjob-seekerswho

use the Job Broker service on a voluntary basis, who are eager to learn and to develop

themselves, togeta jobeventuallyand thereforemotivated.However, frequently the reality

for Job Brokers is different; job-seekers are often referred or assigned to use a Job Broker

service–sometimesthisismandatoryifthejob-seekerwishestoretaintheirunemploymentor



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socialbenefits-andinsuchcasestheiruseoftheservicecannotbeconsideredtobeentirely

voluntary.Job-seekersoftendonotknowwhattoexpectfromorwhytheyneedtheserviceor

maybe–asaresultoftheprofilingandassessmentphase–training(sotheymaycomewithout

motivation).

Conflicts are a common phenomenon in social interactions, and also because of the above

describedcontextofsocialinteractionsbetweenJobBrokerandjob-seeker,thatisalsotruefor

this kindof situation.Conflicts arise ifbothpartiesaredependentoneachotherandoneor

bothof thepartiesat the samepointof time intendorperformactions that could lead toa

situationwheretheoppositepartyfeelshindered,obstructed,threatenedorhurt.Aslongasa

conflictexistsithindersallpartiestostriveunitedforcommongoals.Thereforeaconstructive

conflictsolutionisveryimportanttoreachthegoalsoftheJobBrokerservice.

ACTIVITY3.6.1Writedownatleast3differenttypesofconflictyouexperiencedinyourworkasaJobBroker.

Writedownatleast3differenttypesofconflictyouexperiencedinyourworkasaJobBroker

anddescribeforeachwhyyouthinkaconflictoccurred,whatthesourceoftheconflictcould

be.



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Takeanotherlookatyourfindings.Aretheretypesofconflictsthatoccurmoreoftenthanother

forms?

There aremanydifferent typesof conflict and sources for conflict. A very common sourceof

conflictisthatjob-seekersshowdifferentformsofresistanceagainstyourworkortheserviceas

awhole.Usually the term resistance is related tonegative images.But resistance canalsobe

perceivedassomethingpositive.Asanattemptofapersonorasystemtomaintainintegrityand

freedomtoactortomaintainthecurrentstatus.So,resistancealwayshasastabilizingfunction.

From this point of view resistance is a very natural phenomenon and part of any learning or

transformationprocess.Itcanhavedifferentcausesandshowitselfindifferentforms.

Also, job-seekers in the first instance are the experts about their personal solution, and

therefore resistance can be regarded as a constructive contribution in solution search. For

instance.itcanberegardedasafeedbackfortheJobBrokerthatthecurrentproceeding/planis

not useful (at this point of time). Typically there are five types of resistance that can be

differentiated:

• Resistanceagainstthegeneralconditionsoftheservice–job-seekerscan’tordon’twant

to admit to the service, because they don’t consider the general conditions acceptable. This

couldrelatetothepremisestheservicetakesplace,thetimeorthetermsofparticipation(more

orlesscompulsory).

• Resistanceagainstdidactics/methods– job-seekersrefusetomakeuseofoffersbythe

JobBroker(contents,methods,interventionsetc.)

• ResistanceagainsttheJobBroker–e.g.becausetheyhaveproblemswiththesex,age,

mannerofspeechortheself-expressionoftheJobBroker.Usuallythiskindofresistanceisnot

againstthepersonoftheJobBrokerbutrepresentsatypicaltransfereffect.



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• Resistanceagainstlearningortransformationprocessesasthreatofonesfeelingofself-

worth– thecurrentstatus is threatened,anda transformationneedseffort, time,energyand

courageandisinitiallyoftenrelatedofafeelingofinsecurity.

ACTIVITY3.6.2Usethegiventypologyforresistance.Findforeachofthetypestwoexamplesfromyourworkexperience

Writtenassignment

Usetheabovedescribedtypologyforresistance.Findforeachofthetypestwoexamplesfrom

yourworkexperienceandanswerthefollowingquestions:

Howdidthistypeofresistancemanifest?

Howdidyouhandlethesituation?

Inwhatwaycouldyouhaveacteddifferently?

Just to remind you, here again the typology (for amore detailed description of the different

typesofresistancelookatthefeedbackof3.4.1):

-Resistanceagainstthegeneralconditionsoftheservice

-Resistanceagainstdidactics/methods

-ResistanceagainsttheJobBroker

-Resistanceagainstlearningortransformationprocessesasthreatofone’sfeelingofself-worth



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Ofcourse,theabovedescribedtypesofresistancerangefromabstractfromreality.Oftenthere

will beanoverlapbetweenmore thanone formof resistanceand therefore there is not THE

singlesolutionforeachofsituationofresistance.However,asanorientationpoint,wewantto

giveyousomebroadguidelinesthatmyhelpinsuchsituations:

AlwaysbeawarethataJobBrokerisnotatallinfullcontrolofthesituation.EvenifaJobBroker

doeshis/herbest, ifthejob-seeker isnotcooperativetherearelimitstosuccess.AJobBroker

canonlymakeoffers.Whatthejob-seekermakesofitisultimatelyoutofthehandsoftheJob

Broker.Jobbrokerscanonlyincreasetheprobabilitythattheservicesprocessgoesinadesired

direction.Howsomeonedealswithresistancedependsonthemeaningitisgiven.Resistanceis

amessageandcanbeunderstoodasanexpressionofneeds,forinstance:

• Thanks,I’vehadenough

• UptothispointI’mwilling/abletocooperatebutnotfurther

• Afraidoffailure,whencommittingtosomethingspecific

• Insecurity,whatcanIexpecthere

• Insecurity,the„otherone“wantssomethingfromme

• Protectionagainstchange

Often resistance is confronted head-on. Alternatively you can work with the resistance, to

respectandappreciateit.Usefulquestionsinthiscontextcouldbe:

• Howdidresistancemanifestitself?

• Whatisthe‘driver’behindtheresistance?

• Whatarethepositiveaspectsofthisspecificmanifestationofresistance?



211|P á g i n a

• Howcanthis resistancebehandleproductively (whatkindof interventioncouldbe

successful)?

Forthespecificformsofresistance,thefollowingexemplaryinterventionsmightbeuseful:

• Resistanceagainst thegeneralconditionsof theservice–oftentheproblemis that

job-seekers do not feel appreciated or respected because of the general situation.

Strategiesforinterventionscouldbetoincludejob-seekersindecisionsaboutgeneral

conditions,toproactiveaddresstheissueandtoexpressverymuchappreciationand

respect.

• Resistance against didactics/methods – resistance can be prevented if job-seekers

regard contents and methods as useful. When resistance has manifested itself, it

could help to address why a specific content or methods could be useful or by

changingcontentsandmethodsifpossible.

• Resistance against the Job Broker – this type of resistance could be prevented by

explainingataveryearlystage,whichkindofcompetenciesyouasaJobBrokerhave

to offer, what expectations you have towards the job-seekers and also tomake it

transparentwhatjob-seekerscan’texpectfromyouasaJobBroker.Whenresistance

ispresent, it is important to take itnotpersonal,but tohandle it ina constructive

manner.

• Resistance against learning or transformation processes as a threat towards one’s

feeling of self-worth – it is important to appreciate the past to make new things

possible.Job-seekersneedsometimetosay‘goodbye’totheoldortolinktheold

withthenewone.



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ACTIVITY3.6.3Howtoreactifjob-seekerevadesapplicationactivities?

Example&Problemsolving

Ajob-seekerarrivesverymotivatedtouseyourservice,decidingtotryeverythingtofindanew

Job.Afterafewfailuresthejob-seekerstartstofearfurtherfailuresandstartstoavoidapplying

fornewjobs.Suddenlytherearemany“moreimportant”thingsthattheydecidetheyhaveto

dealwith.

Is thereresistanceonthesideof the job-seeker?Whatkindof?Which formof intervention

couldhelp?Writedownyourthoughts!



213|P á g i n a

Thiskindofchangeinbehaviourcouldbeinterpretedasaformofresistance.Itislikelythatthis

manifestation of resistance is a signal for a specific need of a job-seeker. In this concrete

situationcouldbeadesiretofeelsuccessandsecurity.

The positive aspect for the job-seeker behind this kind of dealingwith the situation is that it

prevents further failures. A productive intervention needs to take this need into account. It

should allow the job-seeker to proceed with job search and application, because that’s

ultimatelywhathewants.

Atthesametimetheinterventionneedstogivethejob-seekersomekindofprotectionagainst

further failures. One way to do this is to impart the job-seeker strategies on how to deal

productivelywithfailures.

3.7 Identifyspecificandspecialist job-seekersupportneeds thatareabarrier toa

successful job placement (psychological, debt, housing, welfare) and referring

themforrelevantexpertordetailedsupport.

Counselling job-seekers is a process that often consists of individual counselling interviews

(alternativecounsellingformatsincludegroupsessions,counsellingbyphone,webcounselling,

etc.). Therefore, JobBrokersworkingwith job-seekershave to guideand lead the counselling

session:Guidingmeanstoshowcompassion,tounderstandandtoallow;leading,ontheother

hand, means to interrupt, to intervene, and to express ideas, to pose questions, to make

propositionsandtoextendorreducecomplexity.Obviously,insuchaposition,JobBrokershave

lotsofpossibilities,butalsofacemanychallenges.



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Itisessentialtounderstandjob-seekersasindividualswithdistinctbiographiesandfeaturesand

to empathize with their perspectives. Job-seekers may not have voluntarily sought for

counselling andmay have troubles being in the position of a person in search of advice. It is

crucial to use well-chosen ways of communication and behaviour to create a real basis for

cooperationandconversationdespiteofthehierarchicalnatureofthesituation.

Job Brokersmust seek to understand the job-seeker’smotives and background, but also the

scopeofhisorheractions.Theyhavetokeepinmindthateachandeverypersonconstructshis

orherownrealityandbaseshisorherdecisionsandactionsontheresultingworldview.

Likewise, Job Brokers need to reflect on his or her own reactions, impulses and modes of

interactionwiththejob-seeker.Communicationismostfruitfulwhenthepeopleinvolvedsettle

onasharedworldviewandreality.

Thisisaboutyourapproachinworkingtogetherwiththejobseekers,aboutmethods/toolsthat

couldsupportyourworkinthisphaseandconcretesupportwhatyoucanoffertohelpthejob-

seeker?

ACTIVITY3.7.1 Yourapproachinworkingtogetherwiththejobseekers

Writtenassignment

Describeyourapproach;howyouwouldidentifyspecificandspecialistjob-seekerneedsthat

areabarriertoasuccessfuljob-placement.Whatarehelpfulquestionsyoucouldaskthejob-

seeker inorder to find it out?What are important aspects to take into account fromyour

pointofview?



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Inordertopromoteempowermentprocesses,itisinprinciplemoreimportanttoaskquestions

thangiveanswers.Togetherwiththejob-seekerajointsearchprocessisinitiated.Hereyoucan

findsomefurtherproposalsforworkingtogetherwithjob-seekers.

Thefollowingbasicprinciplesarenecessary:

• Resourcesandcompetenceorientation,

• Processororientation,

• Goalorientation,

• Optimism,

• Willingnesstoworkingrelationshipwithequalrights,

• Responsibilityandcontrol,

• Trustinthepowersandcompetencesoftheotherpersons,

• Willingnesstosharethepower.

Herearesomekeyquestionsforprofessionalsupport:

• Underwhichconditionsdopeoplesucceedindiscoveringtheirownstrengthstogether

withothers?

• What does help to make people active for shaping and control their own living

conditions?

• Howcanyouhelptosupportdifferentformsofself-organization?

• Howcanyoucreateasocialclimatethatsupportsprocessesoftheempowerment?

• Whataretheconsequencesofsuchexperiencesonthepeopleinvolvedintheprocess?



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Whenyouagreedonjobrelatedgoalswithyourjob-seekersthefocuscomestothequestionon

how to reach thedefinedgoals. For thispurpose, strategiesandnecessary steps to reach the

goalshavetobeelaboratedandthe job-seekersshouldbeawareofpossiblesupportoptions.

Dependingonhowdifficultandcomplex theway to reach thedesiredgoals seems, itmaybe

necessary to: elaborate a detailed plan, to define (interim) goals, to assess how realistic

individualstepsare,toanticipatethedealingwithpossiblechallengesetc.

Theapproachyouchoose toelaborategoalswithyour job-seekeranda correspondingaction

planislikelytodependontheconcretecontextyouoperateinasaJobBroker(e.g.targetgroup,

timeresources,andorganisationalgoals

ACTIVITY3.7.2 Methods/tools

List

In order to reflect about your personal or organisational approach, please describe on

approximately one page, how you would proceed during that phase. What are important

aspects to take into account from your point of view?What concrete steps do you follow?

Whatarehelpfulquestionsyoucouldaskthejob-seekerinordertoguidehim/herthroughthe

decision process of defining goals and necessary steps to reach them?Do you use concrete

methods/toolsthatsupportyourwork inthisphase?Whatsupportcanyouoffertohelpthe

job-seekertoreachhis/hergoals?

Listconcretemethods/toolsthatcouldsupportyourworkinthisphase?



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Toolsandtestsusedtohelppeopleunderstandhowtheirinterests,aptitudes,skills,personality

andpreferences influence theirpotential for successandsatisfaction inaparticularcareer,or

line ofwork, are collectively known as career assessments. Over the last one hundred years,

career assessments have greatly influenced career development in the United States and

impactedtheeconomy.Careerandoccupationalassessmentsaretypicallyemployedbycareer

counsellors in high schools and universities, vocational rehabilitation counsellors, executive

coaches, work force service centres, and individuals just wanting to make the best career

decisionpossibleforthemselves.

Typesofcareerassessments

While career assessments generally focus on identifying career options based on personal

attributes, assessments come in various forms and vary along differing dimensions. Career

assessmentsmayalsoexhibitpersonalbias–astheyareoftenbasedoncriteriathatoneperson,

orgroupofpeople,believestobethemostimportantforselectingacareer.Thefollowingarea

fewpointsofvariabilityamongpopularcareerassessments:

Methodology - Assessments are typically either quantitative or qualitative in nature.

Quantitative assessments attempt tomeasure attributes, skills andqualities that influence an

individual’s ability to succeed and find satisfaction with a particular career. Qualitative

assessmentsaredesignedtohelpindividualsexploretheirpersonalandoccupationalgoalsand

preferencesinordertobringclarityandtomakeamoreinformedcareerdecision.

Measuredattributes-Oneofthebiggestpointsofvariabilityamongassessmentsisthespecific

attributestheymeasure.Whilesomeassessmentsfocusonpersonalinterestsandvalues,others

areheavilyweightedtowardaptitudesandskillsets.



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Validity-Howvaliddifferentassessmentsareisabigquestion.Especiallyforthoseofferedover

the Internet. Inmanycases,assessments lack"validity",whichbasicallymeanshowuseful the

resultsofanassessmentarefortheindividual.Whenit'sdifficulttoevaluatethevalidityofan

assessment,resultsshouldbe interpretedwithcautionandnotmuchweightshouldbeplaced

ontheresults.

Targetcustomerprofile-Assessmentsmaybegeneralorspecific.Forexample,popularcareer

assessmentssuchasMyers-BriggsTypeIndicator(MBTI),StrongInterest Inventory,andCareer

scope are general assessments designed to be applied in virtually any market. Other

assessmentsaredesignedforspecificindustriesandmarkets.

ACTIVITY3.7.3 Describethejob-seekerandhowyouwanttohelpthem

Kevinhasbeensearchingforajobforalongtime.Sofarhehadnochance.Hewrotetwodozen

applications.Itwasallinvain.Noemployerwantstogettoknowhim.Hedoesnotgetoffered

aninternshiporatrial/’taster’day.Kevinis21yearsoldandwantstomakeaneducation,work

andmakemoney- likemanyothers.Hewantshisownapartment.So far,hehashardlybeen

acquaintedwithnormallife.

Atanagewhenotherchildrenweregettinghelp fromtheirparents, so theycouldgo tohigh

school,heandthefamilyhadtocleartheapartment.Hisfather,analcoholicwhobeatKevin,his

motherandhissister,hadnotpaidtherent.Atanagewhenotherchildrenwerequestionedby

theirmothers'onvocabulary,hehelpedhismotherthrowhisfatheroutofthehouse.Therehe

was 15. And at the age when others go to college, Kevin left the main school without any



220|P á g i n a

qualification. He hung around,was involved in brawls and robbery. In themeantime, he has

beencompletinghissecondaryschooldiploma,buthisfilesnowalsohaveacriminalrecord.

Kevingotonceaone-euro jobarrangedbythe jobcentre,andhespenta fewmonths inaso-

calledjob-preparingmeasure.

Task:Imaginethispersoncomestoyouforcounselling?

Whatsupportcanyouoffertohelpthejob-seeker?Howwouldyouproceed?Describewhat

concretestepsdoyoufollow?Writedownyourapproachinkeywords



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Before you start toelaborate concretegoals and steps to reach them togetherwith the job-

seeker youmay at first discuss the assessment of the consultation phase, and summarize in

cooperation with the job-seeker identified strengths, resources, possible starting points,

developmentrequirementsandanalysesthejob-seeker’slabourmarketsituation.

Basically,thegoalsettingshouldbeaccomplishedbythejob-seeker.Leavingthedecisionabout

andthedefinitionofspecificgoalsinthehandofthejob-seekermayfosteridentificationwith

setgoals,highcooperationof the job-seeker in the furthercourseof thecounsellingprocess

andwillleadtohighmotivationofthejob-seeker

The definition of goals should have a focus on the job that the job-seeker wants to get.

Howeverothercriteriaoftheaspiredworkplaceshouldbetakenintoaccount(e.g.preferring

toworkinateamoralone,salary,distancetocommutetotheworkplace,workinghours).

Agreed goals should be formulated as SMART goals, whichmeans that the goals should be

Specific (is the goals formulated in a concretewayor is it to general?),Measurable (can the

targetachievementbecontrolled?),Accepted(isthejob-seekermotivatedandcooperativein

relationtodefinedgoals?),Realistic(Isitpossibletoreachdefinedgoals?)andTimely(canitbe

estimatedwhenthegoalcanbereached?).

Supportandcorrecttheprocessofgoalsettingbyposingquestionsthathelpthejob-seekerto

come to an assessment on how realistic are his/her goals for future career by themselves.

Possible Questions are: Which of these goals are really essential? Is the expected income

sufficient(forinstanceifjob-seekerisonlyinterestedinaparttimejob)?Howrealisticisitto

findajobneartohis/herhome?Isthejobcompatiblewithfamilyduties?



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If there is a discrepancy between the goals of the job-seeker and your assessment of the

situation you should make that transparent und explain the reasons for your assessment

clearly.

Ifyouhaveagreedongoalswithyourjob-seekeryoushouldrecordtheminwrittenform.




the Chapter. In the table below, repeat the self-appraisal of your knowledge, skills and




Knowledgeabouttheempowermentapproach. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledgeaboutprofilingandassessmentof

job-seekers.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identificationofspecificandspecialistjob-seeker

needsthatareabarriertoasuccessfuljob-

placement.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Applicationofconversationalcoaching

techniques.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Supportingdecision-makingofjob-seekers. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Knowledgeandapplicationofappropriate


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Preparationofjob-seekersforapplication

processes.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Developmentofanactionplan 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



223|P á g i n a





thisassessment?


haveareastodevelop?




surprises?


development?

3.9Conclusionandfurtherreading

ThepurposeofthischapterforJobBrokerhasbeentolearnhowtoworkwithJob-seekers.This

chapter covers, among others, the approach for the job of the Job Broker and his self-

understanding. Inorder for this towork,wehave introducedmanymethods andappropriate

exercises.Nowyoushouldhavethebasicknowledgeabouthowyoucanworkeffectivelywith

job-seekersandhowyoucanbuildandmaintainnetworks.

Finally… although JobBrokerage is an emerging and relatively new concept in EuropeanVET

legislation,therearevariouspublicationsandresourcesrelevanttotheissuesdiscussedinthis

module.Manyofthesewillbeinyourownlanguageandarerelevanttoyourowncountry–so

dolookthemup!

Inthemeantime,andtohelpyoulookfurther,wehavelistedsomerelevantinformationsources

attheEuropeanlevelbelow:



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• ESCO: ‘European Skills/Competences, qualifications and Occupations’ at

https://ec.europa.eu/esco/portal/home

• European Commission: ‘EURES – The European Job Mobility Portal’ at

https://ec.europa.eu/eures/public/homepage

Notes


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Chapter4Taking a Job-seeker focusedApproach(casemanagement)

Self-directedLearningGuide Chapter4–TakingaJob-seekerfocusedApproach(casemanagement)

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Contents

Whatisthischapterabout?..............................................................................................227

LearningObjectives...........................................................................................................228

4.1AJob-seeker-focusedApproach–TheprocessesofJobBrokeringservices...............230

4.2Identifyprovidersofrelatedsupportservices(e.g.debtmanagement,trainingproviders)andreferjob-seekersaccordingtotheirneeds..................................239

4.3Categorizedifferenttargetgroupsofjob-seekers/employersandtheirspecificneeds................................................................................................................................243

4.4Developeffectiveprocedures,protocolsandstandardsforallphasesofthebrokeringprocessincludingfollow-upactivitiesaftertheinitialplacement....................249

4.5UtilizerelationshipstostakeholdersandespeciallyotherJobBrokeringprovidersinordertoconcentrateorganisationalresourcesandtodevelopJobBrokeringservicesthatbestservetheneedsofspecifictargetgroups.....................265

4.6Self-evaluateandreflectabouttheownprofessionalpracticeasameanforcontinuingprofessionaldevelopmentandpsychohygiene..............................................270

4.7ProgressAssesment–LearningNeesdsAnalysis........................................................274

4.8Conclusionandfurtherreading..................................................................................276


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Thismodule isabouthowyou,asa JobBroker, takea ‘job-seeker-focused’approach inyour

work – or what we call a case management i.e. the “collaborative process of assessment,

planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation, and advocacy for options and services to

meet an individual's and family's comprehensive health and social needs through

communication and available resources to promote quality,

cost-effective outcomes”3 (Case Management Society of

America). Even though this definition focuses on healthcare

asmostdefinitionsofcasemanagementdo,itisstillvalidand

transferable to other sectors and domains. The most

important feature of a job-broker’s role is that s/he works

with people. And even though people share common

characteristics and even common identities in some cases,

eachpersonremainsunique.

Moreover, each person’smix of needs, attitudes, stances, beliefs, abilities, competences and

skills are unique to that particular person. Thus, case management skills are crucial for Job

Brokers,becausetheyfacilitatepersonalized,tailor-madeconsultingandsolutionsforeachjob-

seeker,inanintegratedandaccountablemanner.AccordingtoHahnetal.(CaseManagement

withAt-RiskYouth.Hahn,A.,Aaron,P.,&Kinglsey,C.TheCentreforHumanResources,Brandeis

University)commondefinitionsofCaseManagementinclude:

-“activitiesaimedat linkingtheservicesystemwithaconsumer,andcoordinatingthevarious

systemcomponentstoachieveasuccessfuloutcome.”

-“aproblem-solvingfunctiondesignedtoensurecontinuityofservicesandtoovercomesystems

rigidity,fragmentedservices,misuseofcertainfacilities,andinaccessibility.”

- “At the systems level, casemanagementmay be defined as a strategy for coordinating the

provisionofservicestojob-seekerswithinthatsystem.”

3InthisChapter,werefertoa‘client-focusedapproach,bywhichwemeanthatweputtheindividualjob-seekingclientattheheartofourthinking,inrelationtodeliveringourservice.Insomecontexts,andinparticularintheUnitedStates,theterm‘CaseManagement’meanssomethingsimilar,soifyouseereferencesto‘casemanagement’thisiswhatwemean.


228|P a g e

- “At the job-seeker level, case-management may be defined as a job-seeker-centred, goal-

oriented process for assessing the need of an individual for particular services and obtaining

thoseservices.”

LearningObjectivesInordertoaddresstheabovethischapterhasthefollowingspecificlearningobjectives:

4.1 Explain the casemanagement approach and organise processes of Job Brokering servicesaccordingly.

4.2Identifyprovidersofrelatedsupportservices(e.g.debtmanagement,trainingproviders)andreferjob-seekersaccordingtotheirneeds.

4.3Categorizedifferenttargetgroupsofjob-seekers/employersandtheirspecificneeds.

4.4 Develop effective procedures, protocols and standards for all phases of the brokeringprocessincludingfollow-upactivitiesaftertheinitialplacement.

4.5UtilizerelationshipstostakeholdersandespeciallyotherJobBrokeringprovidersinordertoconcentrateorganisationalresourcesandtodevelopJobBrokeringservicesthatbestservetheneedsofspecifictargetgroups.

4.6 Self-evaluate and reflect about the own professional practice as a mean for continuingprofessionaldevelopmentandpsychohygiene.

Beforewe lookat thisarea indetail, let’sbeginwitha self-appraisalofyourknowledge, skills

andunderstandinginthisareawiththeLearningNeedsAssessmenttablebelow.Usingascale

where 1 = poor (development fully needed), 5 = fair/satisfactory (development partially

needed)and10=excellent(nodevelopmentneeded),considereachrequirementinturn,and

estimateyour‘level’ineachcase:so,towhatextentcanyou…?



Explain the job-seeker-focused approach in JobBrokerage

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


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Define and describe pros and cons of a casemanagementapproachvis-à-visatraditionalone-fits-allapproachinJobBrokerageservices

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Prepare and implement an interview with job-seekers,focusingontheirpeculiarities,needsanddesires, which can help you formulate your job-seeker-focusedapproach

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describetheneedsofaspecificjob-seeker(basedontheresultsoftheinterview)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Prepare and implement an interview withemployers, focusing on their peculiarities, needsand desires, which can help you formulate yourjob-seeker-focusedapproach

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describetheneedsofanemployer(basedontheresultsoftheinterview)

Identify providers of related support services(such as the Public Employment Service, VETProviders,CareerAdvisingCompaniesetc.)andallotherpossibleserviceprovidersinyoudistrict.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describethetypeofsupportyouseek fromeachproviderofrelatedsupportservices

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describe different characteristics of jobseekersandemployers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifyways of categorising employers and job-seekers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describe the main stages of effective JobBrokerage

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Designanddescribetheeffectiveproceduresthatshouldbe inplace fora JobBrokerageservice tobeeffective

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describe important follow-up activities whichshouldtakeplaceaftertheinitialplacement

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Develop and maintain strong relationships withdifferentstakeholdersthatmaysupportyouintheJobBrokerageservice

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


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Selfevaluateandreflectonyourownprofessionalservice

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4.1AJob-seeker-focusedApproach–TheprocessesofJobbrokeringservices

ThetermsJob-seeker-centredandJob-seeker-focusedareusedofteninemploymentservices.

Butwhatdotheymean?

The general meaning of the term is that Job Brokers should avoid imposing rigidly

predeterminedsolutionsandrecommendations.Forexampleitisverycommontoseemanual

workers to be referred for computer training as part of their employment preparation, with

relativelylittleattentiontotheiractualdesiresorlabour-marketaims.Thesetypesofpractices

ignorethewishesandskillsofthejob-seekers.

In some cases (especially at the policy level) job-seekers are being allocated to employment

categories based on their disabilities without taking into consideration the job-seeker’s own

wishesorotherskills.Disadvantagedworkersespeciallycanfacepreconceptionsaboutpossible

jobsassumingthatthesepeoplecanonlydolowestskills(andlowestpaid)jobs.Skills,talents

andambitionsarenottakenintoconsideration.Aneffectiveserviceprovider(agoodJobBroker)

avoidsthesepractices.Insteadhe/shepaysattentiontojob-seekers’preferencesandskills.

Burchardt (2005) reminds us that 'Support for entry to employment should start from the

aspirationsoftheyoungpersonandnotautomaticallydowngradetowhatisseentobe‘realistic’

given their impairment'. We agree, and think the same standard should be applied to all

disadvantagedpeople.

Thus a job-seeker-focused approach means understanding job-seeker’s needs and situation,

supportingchange(whereneeded),actionplanning(usingsmartplans),jobcapabilitymatching


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andmonitoringandreview.Supportisvitalelementofthisprocess(notonlyatthebeginningof

theprocessbutalsothroughouttheprocess).

Asimilarconcepttothejob-seeker-centredapproachisthejob-seeker-centredproblemsolving.

Job brokers encounter job-seeker’s problems, real or believed, during the return to work

process. An accepting positive attitude to these problems is very helpful to the job-seeker. It

creates confidence in the Job Broker, who is seen as an understanding person. This leads to

trust, uponwhich the advisormust rely for permission to challenge the problems or beliefs.

Expressing problems as solvable issues and helping the job-seeker look for solutions ismore

helpful than classifying them as difficult or insurmountable barriers. The effective Job Broker

helps the job-seeker find their own solutions, and uses awide range of techniques to do so.

Althoughofferinghelpmaybeeasier, helping job-seekers to find their own solutions ismore

effectiveinthelongrun;theybecomeabletotacklesimilarproblemsontheirowninfuture.

Ofcourseemployersshouldnotbeforgotteninthisprocess,astheyalsohaveneedsthatmust

bematchedtotheappropriatejob-seeker.Whenwespeakaboutjob-seekers,weoftenreferto

thejob-seekers–butinasenseemployersarealsojob-seekers/customerswhohaveneedsthat

weneedtosatisfy.Withouttheemployerswecannotsatisfyourjob-seekers’needs.

Todemonstrateeffectivejob-seeker-centredapproachyouneedtorespondtotheneedsofthe

jobseekers.Toperformthiswellitisimportantforyoutoinvestigatetheneedsoftheservice

users (job-seekers). This can be done by “on the job investigation”. While interviewing

jobseekersyoucancollectinformationabouttheirpriorityneedsintheirjobsearchactivities.

Youshouldnotperformthis investigationvery formally,but include it inyour interviewona

daytodaybasis.


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ACTIVITY4.1.1

Setupalistofquestionsthatcanfitintoyourtypicalinterview,butatthesametimethinkof

the questions as a part of this investigation that can help you formulate your job-seeker-

centredapproach.

Keepinmindthat it is importanttogivethejobseekerahint inwhichdirectionto look,both

internal and external, considering the main needs for a successful job search. Ask about

personalstrengths,abouteducationalneeds,aboutnetworkingetc.

Youcanwritedownyourquestionsbelow:


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Thefollowingaresomeimportantquestionsforthejob-seeker:

WORKHISTORY

• Whatdidthatjobinvolve?

• Whattoleranceswereyouworkingto?

• Whowasresponsibleforcheckingyourwork?

• Whathappenedifanythingwentwrong?

• Didthishappenoften?

• Canyougiveanexample?

• Howdidotherscope?

• Whatdidyourboss/supervisorsayaboutyourwork?

• Howquicklydidyoudo/learnthat?(Bonus/pieceworkearned?)

• Howdoesthatcompare?

• Howdifficultdidyoufindthat?

• Howdifficultdidothersfindit?

INTERESTS,DREAMSANDSELFEFFICACY

• whatdoyouenjoy

• howdoyoufillyoursparetime

• whathaveyouachieved

• whatwouldyouliketoachieve

• whatwouldyouliketobeknownforandknownas

• howimportantiswork,money,profession

• wherewouldyouliketobe


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• howgoodareyouatplanningandworkingforthelongterm

• whatdoyoudislike

• whenhaveyoufailedoravoidedthings

• howconfidentyouareofachieving

PERSONALITYANDENVIRONMENT

• whatdootherpeoplesayaboutyouanddoyouagree...ornot

• whatdopeopleyouknowdo

• haveyougotanyplansfornextweek...nextmonth...nextyear

• whatdoesyourfamilyexpect

QUALIFICATIONSANDSKILLS

• whatisyourprofessionalstatusandqualifications

• whatpreviousexperienceofworkdoyouhave

• doyouhaveanyotherrelevantexperience

• whatareyourskillsandtalents

LABOURMARKET

• whatjobsarethereinyouridealprofessionthatyoucouldgetorthatyouwouldliketo

trainfor

• whatemployersdoyouknowroundherethatarerecruiting/thatyoucantalkto/that

youcouldvisit/whousepeoplewithyourprofession

• whodoyouknowthatyouwouldwishtobelike/inyourpreferredjoborprofession

• whodoyouknowwhocantellyouaboutjobs

• whodoyouknowwhocanputyouintouchwithpeople

DREAMJOB

• whatjobsdoyouthinkyoucoulddo

• whatjobsdoyouthinkthereareroundhere

• whatjobtogofor

• whatprofessionoroccupationtofollow

• whichemployertoworkfor


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• whatsectortoworkin

• doyoulikedoingtechnicalthings

• doyoulikedoingcreativethings

• doyoulikebeingaroundlotsofpeople

• doyoulikestudyingandfindingthingsout

• wouldyoudoanyjobordoyouprefertobeselective

• Andwhataboutself-employment?Itcanbechosen

• Whatcompromisestomakeforyourcareer:home,location,money,andlearning?

ACTIVITY4.1.2.

Job-seeker-focusedapproachisanalternativetoatraditionalapproachwhereonesolutionfits

all. Can you think and write down the advantages and disadvantages of each of the

approaches?

JOB-SEEKER-FOCUSEDAPPROACHAdvantages Disadvantages


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TRADITIONALAPPROACHAdvantages Disadvantages

The main advantage of a job-seeker-focused approach is the fact that there are higher

possibilities that it will lead to a long term employment with both parties - job-seeker and

employer - to be happywith the result. Themain disadvantage of it, it is that it is resource

consumingi.e.itneedshighlyqualifiedpeopletobeJobBrokersandtheyalsoneedtoinvestin

time(andofcoursebothparametersareexpensive).

Ontheotherhandthetraditionalapproachistimeeffectivebutoftendoesnothaveanyresults

or does not have long term results. it is widely recognised that the traditional standardised

approach to dealingwith selected job-seeker groups is incompatiblewith the complex needs

thatsomeofthemhave-inordertobeeffective,serviceshavetobecarefullytailoredtomeet

thespecificneedsofindividuals.


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Given thediversityof job-seekers it isunreasonable toexpectaone-fits-all solution. In some

caseseventheskillstheJobBrokerneedstohavearedifferentinordertoworkwithdifferent

typesofjob-seekers.

ACTIVITY4.1.3As already mentioned, employers are an important stakeholder we should not forget. The

effectiveJobBrokerwillinvestigatetheirneedsandtrytomatchthoseneedstotheappropriate

job-seeker.Inordertodoso,weneedtounderstandtheprofileoftheemployeraswellastheir

specificneeds.Questionsandactivelisteningaretheanswertothisprocess.

Todemonstrateeffective job-seeker-centredapproachyouneedtomatchtotheneeds,skills

and desires of the jobseekers to the needs of the employers. Design a typical interviewwith

employersfocusingontheirpeculiarities,needsanddesires.

Youcanwritedownyourquestionsbelow:


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Thefollowingaresomeimportantquestionsfortheemployer:

• Howlargeisyourteamcurrently?

• Pleasedescribethecultureofyourcompany

• Whoisresponsibleinthecompanyforrecruitment?

• DoyouopencallforvacanciesordoyoujustacceptCVs

• Howlonghasyourvacancybeenopenfor?

• Howmanypeoplehaveyoualreadyinterviewedfortherole?

• Whatisyourhiringplanoverthenext6–12months?

• Whydopeopletypicallystaywithyourorganisation?

• Whatareyourpainpointswhenitcomestohiring?

• Wheredoyoufeelyoursalariessitbasedoncurrentmarketrates?

• Whathasyourstaffturnoverbeenlikeinthelast12months?

• Otherthansalary,whatotherbenefitsdoyouofferstaff?

• Whatdoesyouremployerbrandsayaboutyourorganisation?

• Howdoyoumeasurestaffengagement?

• Whatisthetoughestroletofillrightnow?Why?

• Doyouhaveajobdescriptionforthespecificopening

• Whatkindofcompetencesdoyourequire?

• Whatkindofproofareyoulookingfortoensurethatpeopledohavethesecompetences


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4.2Identifyprovidersofrelatedsupportservices(e.g.debtmanagement,training

providers)andreferjob-seekersaccordingtotheirneeds.

Thissectiontakes intoconsiderationdifferentstakeholdersthatcansupporttheJobBrokerto

providehis/herserviceseffectivelyandsuccessfully.

Thefollowingtablepresentsdifferentstakeholdersandthewayinwhichtheycansupportthe

JobBroker

Typeofstakeholder HowtheycansupporttheJobBrokerPublicEmploymentService:

- Send job-seekers inpublic trainingprogrammesor

jobplacements(whereitisnecessarytohaveaPES

documenttoattendtheseprogrammes)

VETprovider:

- Provide training in order to improve the skills and

competencesofthejob-seeker

EmploymentPolicy-maker:

- Sometimes changes in thepolicies are required to

facilitateeasieraccessofunemployedpeopletothe

labour market. Sometimes funded employment

programmes also help especially if the Job Broker

dealswithdisadvantagedgroups

VETPolicyMaker:

- Changes in policies i.e. introduction of new VET

programmes supporting the unemployed people

and especially those that are long term

unemployed help for the job-seekers to develop

skills and competences and enter the labour

market.

RehabilitationServiceCentre:

- Provide rehabilitation services to job-seekers so

thatitwillbeeasierandfastertoaccessthelabour

market

OntheJobTrainingCentre:

- Provideonthejobtrainingtothejob-seekersothat

theygainworkingexperienceanddevelopskillsand

competencesforafuturejob.


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AsaJobBrokeryoushouldnotonlyknowabouttherangeofprofessionsandorganisationsthat

areavailable tohelp your job-seekers,but shouldalsobeable to takeadvice, and locateand

buildagoodworkingrelationshipwiththeseproviders.Thiswillinclude:

- Knowingthemainstakeholdersandthesupportavailabletojob-seekers

- Knowinghowtheyoperateandhowtheyarefunded:-

- Usingsupportoutsideyourmainareasofcompetence

- Referringjob-seekerstootherservices

- Evaluatingservicesandprogrammesintermsofqualityandrelevancetojob-seekers

ACTIVITY4.2.1

Identifyandlistupreferralpartnersthatcanbeofahelpforsignpostingandprogressionin

the job-seeker-centredapproachwith jobseekers. Pleaseaddall thepossiblepartnersyou

canthinkofinthesedifferentsectors:

√PublicandPrivateEmploymentService:

√VETprovider:

√EmploymentPolicyMaker:

√VETPolicyMaker:

√RehabilitationServiceCentre:

√OntheJobTrainingCentre:


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√Other:

Afterdoingtheabovepleasemakesurethatyoucompletethefollowingactivities:

1. Identify contact person for each of the stakeholders together with their email and direct

phonenumber

2.Describewhatkindofsupportyoucangetfromtheabovementionedstakeholder.

Youcananswerthisquestionusingthetablebelow:Type ofstakeholder

Stakeholdersinourarea Contact person andcontactinformation

How thisstakeholdercanhelpyou

PublicEmploymentService:

PrivateEmploymentService:

VETprovider:

Career AdvisingCompany:

EmploymentPolicyMaker:

VETPolicy-maker:

RehabilitationServiceCentre:

On the JobTrainingCentre:

Other:


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Of course the names will be different depending on the country where the research will be

implemented.

So here we just provide some feedback on how to proceed in order to identify these

stakeholders.

• InternetsearchespeciallyforthepublicstakeholderssuchasPublicEmploymentServices

andVET Policy-makers is always a good start.Use your computer,mobile or tablet to

searchonline.

• Networking events including press conferences, closing events of publicly funded

programmes,conferencesetc.arealwaysusefultomeetthecontactsyouneed.

• NetworkingwithotherJobBrokersalsohelps.

• Haveaconversationwithyourcolleaguesandaskfortips

• Haveinmindwhenyouarelistingupthesestakeholdersthattheycanbesituatedboth

Nationwideasinyourlocalsurroundings,haveinmindthebigpicture!


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4.3Categorizedifferenttargetgroupsofjob-seekers/employersandtheirspecificneeds.ItisimportantforJobBrokerstocategorizedifferenttargetgroupsofJob-seekersanditisalso

importanttocategorizedifferenttargetgroupsofEmployers.

Why?

Becausecategorizationhasthefollowingbenefits

1. Easiersearchingforpossiblematching(especiallyifyouaredealingwithvolumesofdata)

2. Easiermatchingbetweenjob-seekerandemployer

3. Moreeffective(anditsavestime)

4. Givesyouamoreclearpictureofthelabourmarket

5. Givesyouamoreclearpictureofdifferentgroupsofjob-seekers

ACTIVITY4.3.1

ItisimportantforJobBrokerstocategorizedifferenttargetgroupsofJob-seekersanditisalso

important to categorize different target groups of Employers. In this exercise you need to

categorize job-seekers andemployers. Keep inmind to comeupwith anypossible category

youthinkof inbothsections,Job-seekersandEmployers. Inadditionit is importantthatyou

identifytheneedsofeachtargetgroupasyoucanseeanexampleofherebelow.


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JobSeekers Needs Employers Needs

YoungJobSeekers ConstructingsectorAge18-24 CarpentersAge25-29 ElectriciansLowEducation PlumbersHighEducation Painters

PossiblecategoriesforJobBrokerare:

• Byage

• Bylevelofeducation

• ByLanguagestheyspeak

• Byskillsandcompetences

• Bytypeofjobtheyarelookingfor

• Bywheretheylive

• Bylongtermvs.shorttermjobseeking

PossiblecategoriesforEmployersare:

• Bysector

• Bysizeofcompany

• Bytypesofopeningstheyhave

• Byemployerbranding

• ByLocalorinternationalcompany

• BycompanywithCSRschemesorcompanywithoutCSRschemes


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ACTIVITY4.3.2

ESCOisamultilingualclassificationsystemforEuropeanskills,competences,qualificationsand

occupations. By providing a common reference terminology, ESCO can enhance theway the

labourmarket functionshelptobuildan integrated labourmarketacrossEuropeandhelpto

bridge the communication gap between theworld of work and theworld of education and

training.

Is your institution/company using the ESCO classification system? If so, when was it

implementedandwhatistheexperienceofthesystemuntilnow?


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GettoknowESCO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnREEetR87s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhtVlnFg9p8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60HlqBe7nlw

Do you think ESCO canhelp your institution/company to fill the skills gap that is emerging in

sectorsashealthcare,ICTandengineering?

Do you think ESCOwill help increasing labourmobility, especially in fieldswithpersistent job

vacanciesandskillsmismatches?

DoyouthinkESCOwillbeanimportanttoolforJobBrokersworkingwithrefugees?


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ACTIVITY4.3.3

EURES, theEuropean JobMobilityPortal iscreatedtohelp jobseekersaroundEurope finding

JobsandtohelpcompaniesaroundEurope findingcandidates. InpracticeEURESprovides its

servicesthroughtheportalandthroughahumannetworkofaround1000EURESadvisersthat

areindailycontactwithjobseekersandemployersacrossEurope.

Isyourinstitution/companyusingtheEURESJobMobilityPortal?

Are you as a Job Broker an active user of EURES in your cooperation with jobseekers and

employers?


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GettoknowEURES:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I_dJdKZCBo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVZkQRk0W24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wBTTP4NuEw

DoyouthinkEUREScanhelp increasing labourmobility,especially infieldswithpersistent job

vacanciesandskillsmismatches?

Doesyourinstitution/companyhaveexperiencewithlabourmobilitythroughEURES?Andifso,

inwhichsectors?

IsthereanyparticularcategoryofJob-seekersusingtheEURESportalmorethanother?


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4.4Developeffectiveprocedures,protocolsandstandardsforallphasesofthe

brokeringprocessincludingfollow-upactivitiesaftertheinitialplacement.

Jobbrokeringisaprocessthatcanbedemonstratedbythediagrambelow

Figure1(above):TheprocessofJobBrokerage

Eachoftheabovemainstagesinvolvesseveralactivities.Stage ActivitiesPrepare for Job

Brokerage

- Prepare the templates you will use for documenting the

informationyoureceivefromthejob-seeker

- Prepareyourself (have therelevantskillsandcompetences to

dothejob)

o Timemanagementskills

o Interviewingskills

o Bodylanguageskills

TheInterview - Introduction

o buildsrapport,credibilityandtrust

o developscommonground

o establishesaworkingrelationship

o clarifiesrespectiverolesandagenda

Prepareforjobbrokerage

TheInterview

Matchingwithaworkplace

Implementtheplacement

Monitoringandsupport


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Stage Activities- InformationCollection

- IdentificationofNeedsandPropositionstomeetthem

o Summarisetheimportantpointsthatthejob-seekerhas

made

o Explainwhatwillhappennext

o Makeproposals(ifpossible)

- ConsolidationandActionPlanning

Note:Thefirstthreepartsoftheprocessaredealtwithinsection4.1

Matching with a

workplace

- Categorizejob-seekers

- Categorizeemployers

- Doallpossiblematching

- Select the most appropriate matching to propose first to

employerandjob-seeker

- GetagreementfrombothJobBrokerandjob-seeker

Implement the

placement

- Implement the placement including any necessary

documentation

- Bethereduringthefirstdayoftheplacement

Monitorandsupport - Measurethesatisfactionofthejob-seeker

- Measurethesatisfactionoftheemployer

- Supportbothintheprocess

Theseactivitieswillbefurtheranalysedthroughthefollowingactivities.


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ACTIVITY4.4.1This activity relates to the first stage of the Job Brokerage process namely: Prepare for JobBrokerage

In this activity you are required to develop a protocol for job-seeker-focused service for Job

Brokers in your organisation. In particular, imagine you have been assigned with the task of

creatingatoolfortakingcasehistoryinterviewsfromyourjob-seekers.Thisisanimportanttask,

because inyourorganisation4JobBrokersareemployed,thus it iscrucialtoensurethatall4

followthesameprocedureinfilingandrecordingcases.Anexampleofacasehistoryisprovided

below:

Thecaseyouwillhavetohandlehasthefollowingcharacteristics:

John is a married man from Cyprus. He has two kids, 11 and 8 years old, a boy and a girl

respectively. John has recently been fired from his previous jobwhere heworked for the last

threeyears.This jobwas inawalkingdistance fromhishome, soheused towalk thereevery

morning.12monthshavepassedsinceandheisstillunemployed.

Inhispreviousjobheusedtobeasalespersonforfurniture.Notrainingwasprovidedto

himwhatsoever by his previous employer, on sales techniques, customer support or anything

else.Neverthelesshe likesthis jobbecausehe likeshumaninteractionandhe likestheproduct

(furniture).Hishobby iswoodworkingandhehassetupasmallwoodworkingworkshop inhis

back yard. During the last six months he did not put any effort in finding a job, nor is he

motivatedoractiveinthisdirection.Hebelievesthathe’stooold,tooincompetentetc.


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TASK1

In the table belowwriteall the information provided in the paragraph about John. In the 1st

column(typeofinformation)youshouldwritegeneraldescriptions,suchas“Gender”,“Previous

experience”,etc.Inthe2ndyoushouldprovideinformationaboutJohn,relevanttoeachtypeof

information. Take care to provide short, coded but recognizable descriptions (e.g. 2 kids,

married,etc.)

Typeofinformation John’ssituation TASK2

§ Identify the relevant and irrelevant information for a Job Broker (markwithü). In other

words,whichoftheinformationrecordedonthepreviousmatrixisusefulforaJobBroker.

Information Relevant Irrelevant Justifyyouranswerhere:


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TASK3

Identifymissinginformation.WhatelsewouldyouwanttoknowaboutJohn?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. TASK4

WhicharethefivemoreimportantpiecesofinformationdoyouthinkyouneedtohaveforaJob

Broker?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. TASK5

Categoriseinthematrixbelow,therelevantinformationyouidentifiedinTASK2intodifferent

categories(e.g.skills,interests,stances,attitudes,needs,etc.)

CATEGORY INFORMATION 1.

2. 1.

2. 1.

2. 1.

2. 1.

2. 1.

2.


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1.2.

TASK1

Information(Typeofinformationinparenthesis):

• male(Gender)

• married(familystatus)

• Cypriot(nationality-culturalbackground)

• twokids(familystatus)

• 11and8yearsold(familystatus)

• aboyandagirl(familystatus)

• fired(occupationalstatus)

• employedforthelast3years(experience)

• walkingdistancefromhishome(itcouldbeneeds,incasehecan’tdrive)

• unemployedfor12months(occupationalstatus)

• salespersonforfurniture(experience)

• Noon-the-jobtraining(qualifications)

• helikeshumaninteraction(stancesandattitudes)

• helikesfurniture(hobbies,interests)

• hishobbyiswoodworking(hobbies,interests)

• hehassetupasmallwoodworkingworkshopinhisbackyard(pastimeactivities)

• Duringthelastsixmonthshedidnotputanyeffortinfindingajob(stancesandattitudes)

• Heisnotmotivatedoractiveinfindingajob(stancesandattitudes)

Compareyouranswerswiththoseprovided.Howmanyaresimilar?Bearinmindthatthereisno

wronganswer.Thisfeedbackisprovidedinordertofacilitatereflectiononyourownanswers.

TASK2


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Allinformationisrelevant

TASK3

Examplesofmissinginformation:

- Qualifications(formal,non-formal,informal)

- Previousexperience(beforethelastjob)

- Age

- Abilitytodrive

- Specialneeds

- Otherinterests

- Needs(financial,personal,etc.)

- Healthissues

TASK4

- Qualifications

- Previousexperience

- Age

- Interests

- Needs

TASK5

Example:

CATEGORY INFORMATION

FAMILY 1. Married

2. 2children

Ingeneral:Theobjectiveof thisexercise is tosensitizeyouonthe fact thatyouneedtohave

specifictemplatestoworkwithtoensurethatyoureceivealltheinformationyouneedforeach

ofyourjob-seekers.Thesetemplateswillensurethatyouwillcollectallnecessaryinformation

youneedtobeeffectiveatyourjob.


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ACTIVITY4.4.2

Task1:Identifyimportantandurgentactivities

The tool shown below is a time management tool that categorises activities according to

importanceandurgency

Urgent NotUrgent

Important Crisis

Projectswithdeadlines

Pressuringproblems

Meeting

Suggestions

Preparationactivities

Preventionactivities

Planningactivities

Buildingrelationships

Entertainment

Empowerment

NotImportant Visitors

Telephonecalls

Somemail

Somemeetings

Social Activities e.g.

weddingsetc.

Details

Junkmail

Generalloosingoftime

‘Escape activities’ e.g. going

tothetoiletormakingcoffee

Thinkabout theactivities that you implementdaily as a JobBroker.Goback to yesterday for

exampleandthinkwhathaveyoudone(itisevenbetterifyouwritedownallyouractivitiesone

day ie keep a log. Then try to classify these activities into important and urgent. Use the

followingdiagrammetorecordthem:

Urgent NotUrgent

Important 1.

2.

1.

2.


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3.

4.

3.

4.

NotImportant 1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Ofcourseitwillalldependontheactivitiesyouhaveimplementedbutherearesomeexamples.

• If you have a job-seeker calling you that he or she has been verbally invited to an

interview the day after tomorrow and he or she needs help in preparation for the

interview,thenitisanurgentandimportantactivity.

• Ifyoustartpreparingyourjob-seekersforinterviewsevenbeforetheyhaveanythenthis

isanoturgentandimportantactivity.

• Similarly developing good relationshipswith employers in a not urgent and important

activity

• Havingshortbreaks isanoturgentandnot importantactivity.Similarlygossipingwith

yourcolleaguesattheoffice

• Some visitors thatmay pop in your office without appointment for something that is

urgentbutnot important. itmaybe important for thembutnot foryou(e.g. requiring

favours)

In general: This activity sensitizes you on the importance of time management. Time

managementskillsareimportantforeachJobBroker


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ACTIVITY4.4.3

Prioritisetheabovementionedactivitiesmentioningwhenyoushoulddoeachandhowmuch

timeyoushouldallocateineach

Activities (Right them down

in the order you should

performthem

Here characterize the time you should allocate to each by

mentioning“allocatesignificantamountoftime”or“trytodo

itveryquickly”

1. Allocatesignificantamountoftime

Trytodoitveryquickly



















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Activities (Right them down

in the order you should

performthem

Here characterize the time you should allocate to each by

mentioning“allocatesignificantamountoftime”or“trytodo

itveryquickly”


Make sure that you schedule urgent activities first. Then allocate time according to their

importancei.e.importantactivitiesreceivemoretime.

ACTIVITY4.4.4

In this activity you are asked to investigate important activities that the Job Broker may

implementjustaftertheplacement.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.


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Thisentailsidentifyingand

- facilitatingnaturalworkplacesupportsincludingmentoring

- addressingworkincentives

- fosteringrelationshipswithemployers.

Intermsofactivitywecouldsay

1. Ensurethatyouvisittheemployertogetherwiththenewlyhiredjob-seekerduringthe

firstdayoftheplacement.Dotheintroductionsandfacilitatetheicebreaking

2. Provideconstantmentoringtothejob-seekeraddressingworkincentivesandassistingin

solvingproblems

3. Measurethesatisfactionoftheemployer

4. Measurethesatisfactionofthejob-seeker

ACTIVITY4.4.5


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In this activity you are asked to develop procedures and tools concerning stakeholder

satisfaction.

TASK1

Identify the job-seekers (Stakeholder types, e.g. job-seeker, funder, employer etc.) in your

organisationanddecideoncriteriaandindicatorsformeasuring:

-Effectivenessofyourwork(e.g.timeeffectivenessetc.)

-Satisfaction(ofeachtargetgroup)

-Otherdimensions

Then,completethematrixprovidedbelow.Inthefirstcolumnyoushouldwriteyourcriterionor

indicatortype,i.e.theaspectyouwanttomeasure.

Next to that in the column with the a, b, c numbering, you should indicate the specific

measurableelementsthatyouwillmeasureinordertoevaluateyourjob-seekerservice.Nextto

that,youarerequiredtoindicatethestakeholderstypesforwhichitisrelevant.

Also, in the stakeholder type columns, you canwrite indicators, for example if an indicator is

scoreinevaluation,youcanalsoprovidethescoreyouwouldconsideracceptable,etc.Youcan

insertasmanycolumnsasyouneed.

EXAMPLE:

Criteria-indicators Stakeholdertype1 Stakeholdertype2 Stakeholdertype3

CRITER

ION–

INDICA

TOR

1:

Timeeffectiven

ess

a. Averagewaiting time inthe lobbyshould be lessthan20min.

JOB-SEEKERS

Reportingshould neverbe delayedbeyond

FUNDER


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deadlines

Criteria-indicators Stakeholdertype1 Stakeholdertype2 Stakeholdertype3

CRITER

ION–IN

DICA

TOR1:

………………………………………….

.

CRITER

ION–IN

DICA

TOR2:

………………………………………….

.

Theimportantelementofthisexerciseisthatitwillhelpyoutoidentifytheindicatorsbasedonwhichyouwilldoyourself-evaluation


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ACTIVITY4.4.6

Basedonwhataspectsyouidentifiedasimportantinthepreviousactivity,canyoucreatetools

(e.g.questionnaires)thatmeasurejob-seekersatisfaction?Keepinmindthatdependingonthe

numberofyourtargetgroupsidentifiedintheprevioustask,youmightberequiredtodevelop

morethanonetool.

Createonquestionnaireforeachofthestakeholdergroupsyourorganisationworkswith.Each

questionnaireshouldcontainatleast10questions.TheycanbeLikertscales(e.g.choosingfrom

1-5),open-ended,multiplechoiceetc.


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In case you are not familiar with questionnaire development, the guide provided below will

provevaluable.

http://blog.job-seekerheartbeat.com/customer-feedback-questionnaire/

Belowyoucanseesomequestionsthatyoucouldprovidetothejob-seeker: Strongly

disagree1

2

3

4

StronglyAgree5

1. Thejobdescriptionasdescribedduringthe

placement/recruitmentprocesswashonestand

accurate.

2. IfeelthatthequalificationsIhavearesuitableforthe

job

3. Ifeelthatthisjobfitsmydesiresandinspirations

4. Myfinancialneedsaresatisfiedwiththisjob

5. Myotherneeds(social,jobsatisfactionetc)are

satisfiedwiththisjob

6. Overall,Ihavebeengivenenoughtrainingtodomy

jobwell.

7. Ihavereceivedallnecessaryinformation

8. Ifitwiththecultureoftheorganisation

9. Ihavesupportiveco-workers.

10. Ifeelwelcomeandpartoftheteam.


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Stronglydisagree1

2

3

4

StronglyAgree5

11. Iregularlyreceiveusefulfeedbackfrommy

manageraboutmyperformanceandprogress.

12. Mymanagerissupportiveofmydevelopmentand

work.

13. Iunderstandhowmyworkwillbemeasuredor

evaluated.

14. Ihavethetoolsneededtodomyjobwell.

15. Theworkloadrequiredofmeisachievable.

16. Ihaveaclearunderstandingofmyobjectivesand

tasksandwhatIamexpectedtoaccomplish.

17. Iunderstandmyorganization’sgoals.

18. Iunderstandhowmyrolecontributestothe

organization’sgoals.

4.5UtilizerelationshipstostakeholdersandespeciallyotherJobBrokeringprovidersinordertoconcentrateorganisationalresourcesandtodevelopJobBrokeringservicesthatbestservetheneedsofspecifictargetgroups.

WorkingwithotherprovidersisabigpartofthejobofaJobBroker.ExamplesincludePublicand

PrivateEmploymentServices,Vetprovidersetc.Thequalityofworkingrelationsgipsisvitalfor

thesuccessofJobBrokerageservices.

Jobbrokersshould:

• Ensure that theyunderstandandappreciate the roleofother stakeholdersandensure

thattheirownroleisclearlyunderstood

• Demonstratecourtesyandrespectforother’sviewpoints

• Maintainlevelofconfidentiality

• Communicateclearlyandeffectivelyusingverbalandnonverbalcommunication

• recogniseandworkwithlinguistic,socialandculturaldifferences


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• developworkingrelationshipsthatareethical,effectiveandwork-focused.

Asfarasthecommunicationwithjob-seekersisconcernedJobBrokersshould:

• Demonstrateempathy,truthfulnessanddiscretion

• Showrespectandselfdetermination

• Showmotivationtohelp(Iwanttohelp,notIamobligedtohelp)

• Besimpleandbrief.Useeasylanguageandavoidjargon(andspeakthesamelanguage

asthejob-seeker)

• Identifyandworkwithlinguisticandculturaldifferences


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ACTIVITY4.5.1

InyourprofessionasaJobBrokerit is importanttoutilizerelationshipstootherstakeholders

andespeciallyother Jobbrokeringproviders inorder toconcentrateorganizational resources

andtodevelopJobBrokeringservicesthatbestservetheneedsofspecifictargetgroups.

Inthisactivitywewillaskyoutohavealook,holistically,ontheprofessionalenvironmentthat

youareworkinginandpresentanideaofhowtocooperatewithyourcolleaguesinthefield,

i.e.stakeholders,JobBrokeringprovidersandallotherresourcesyoucanthinkofthatcouldbe

ofanyassistanceorbackupinyourproject.

Think out of the box, think out of your comfort zone and give any kind of a professional a

chance, as long as you can foresee his/her part in the puzzle of an effective Job brokering

project.

Think about your categorization before and the needs of the job-seekers andmatch all the

possibleresourcestothat.

Pleasepreparea15minutespresentationaboutyouridea.


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Youwillnotbepresentingyourpresentationforanaudience,butprepareitasifyouwere.Be

creative in your presentation using text, pictures, links and logos that describe best your

professional environment and the recourses that it offers. Keep in mind the big picture and

presentitasyouseeit.Checkthetimelimitsandprepareyourselfbyrecordingthepresentation

live,inyourofficeorathome.

ACTIVITY4.5.2

EffectiveteamworkisanimportantpartofaJobBroker’sprofession.Inthislearningactivity

youneedtowritedownthemainprinciples inorder todeveloprapportwith the job-seeker.

Alsowritedownhowyouwouldintroduceyourselfandtheinterviewprocess.


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Themainprinciplesforbuildingrapportare:

- Observethejob-seeker.Trytounderstandhowtheyarefeeling,Showinterestandlisten

carefully.Communicateyourdesiretohaveahelpful interviewthatwilleventuallylead

thembacktothelabourmarket

- Be open and sincere with the job-seeker. This is also what you expect from them.

Otherwiseyourmotivesmaybequestioned.

- Don’tbejudgemental.Firstimpressionscanbepowerfulbuttherecouldbevalidreasons

why the job-seeker is aggressive,withdrawn, unkempt etc. Your interest should be to

findoutwhythatis,soyoucanbesthelpthatindividualthroughthemanyoptionsopen

toyou.

Hereisanexampleonhowtheinterviewcouldbegin:

HellomynameisAndrewJones.Welcome!Sothisisyourfirstvisithere?Didyoufinduseasily?

Myroleistohelpgetyoubacktowork.Iseethisisthefirsttimeattheoffice;didyouhaveany

problemsit?.....MyroleistohelpyougetbacktoworkandIthinkthisisyourgoaltoo.

So inordertoachieveourcommongoal Ineedyoutoanswersomequestionsaboutyou,your

skills,employmenthistory,whereyouwanttogoetc.Thiswilltakeapproximately30minutes.All

informationisconfidentialandIwilljustuseittohelpyoufindthebestsuitablejobforyou.

ToensurethatIdonotmissanythingimportantIwilltakenotes.Isthatok?

Togetherwewillthenworkonaplantogetyoubacktowork.Howdoyoufeelaboutthat?


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4.6Self-evaluateandreflectabouttheownprofessionalpracticeasameanforcontinuingprofessionaldevelopmentandpsychohygiene.

Theevaluationofselfisanimportantfactorinanystudy.Itisusedforavarietyofpurposesand

helpsanindividualoranentitytoreflectonitsperformancetogaugethestrengthsandworkon

the weaknesses. The situation is the same in the case of Job Brokers. Job brokers need to

identifytheirselfevaluationcriteriaandreflectonthem.Suchcriteriaare:

• Theirabilitytoassistthejob-seekertoenterthelabourmarket

• Thedurationoftheemploymenti.e.aretheresultsshortorlongterm

• Thedegreeofsatisfactionofemployerandjob-seeker

• Thetimeneededforasuccessfulmatching

• ThequalityofthenetworkdevelopedandthedegreeofsupporttheJobBrokerreceives.

• Thequalityofthecommunicationwiththejob-seeker

ACTIVITY4.6.1

Develop a procedure (including a tool, such as a questionnaire) for a Job Broker’s self-

evaluation? Includetheaspectsofa JobBroker’s roleyouconsider important.Pleasedescribe

alsotheprocessyouaregoingtofollowinordertodevelopthisprocedure/protocol.

You are encouraged to do your own research both on a Job Broker’s role and occupational

profile(JobBrokerwebsite)andself-evaluationproceduresandtools.Resourcesthatmighthelp

areincludedbelow:

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/self-evaluation.html


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http://www.hr.virginia.edu/uploads/documents/media/Conducting_a_Self_Evaluation.pdf

http://www.cio.com/article/2386859/careers-staffing/careers-staffing-10-tips-for-making-self-

evaluations-meaningful.html

Whiledevelopingyourprocedure,payspecialattentionto:

-PURPOSE(WHY?)

-POLICY(WHAT?)

-USERINVOLVEMENT(WHO/FORWHOM?)

-CLARITY

-ACCURACYANDCOMPLETENESS

-FEEDBACKANDCONTROL

-MEASURABILITY

Procedureforself-evaluation


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the Chapter. In the table below, repeat the self-appraisal of your knowledge, skills and


Reminder of the scale: Using a scale where 1 = poor (development fully needed), 5 =

fair/satisfactory(developmentpartiallyneeded)and10=excellent(nodevelopmentneeded),

estimateyour‘level’ineachcase:



Explain the job-seeker-focused approach in JobBrokerage

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Define and describe pros and cons of a casemanagementapproachvisavisatraditionalone-fits-allapproachinJobBrokerageservices

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Prepare and implement an interview with job-seekers,focusingontheirpeculiarities,needsanddesires, which can help you formulate your job-seeker-focusedapproach

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describetheneedsofaspecificjob-seeker(basedontheresultsoftheinterview)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Prepare and implement an interview withemployers, focusing on their peculiarities, needsand desires, which can help you formulate yourjob-seeker-focusedapproach

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describetheneedsofanemployer(basedontheresultsoftheinterview)

Identify providers of related support services(such as the Public Employment Service, VETProviders,CareerAdvisingCompaniesetc)andallotherpossibleserviceprovidersinyoudistrict.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


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Describethetypeofsupportyouseek fromeachproviderofrelatedsupportservices

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describe different characteristics of jobseekersandemployers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Identifyways of categorising employers and job-seekers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describe the main stages of effective JobBrokerage

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Designanddescribetheeffectiveproceduresthatshouldbe inplace fora JobBrokerageservice tobeeffective

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Describe important follow-up activities whichshouldtakeplaceaftertheinitialplacement

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Develop and maintain strong relationships withdifferentstakeholdersthatmaysupportyouintheJobBrokerageservice

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Selfevaluateandreflectonyourownprofessionalservice

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10





thisassessment?


haveareastodevelop?




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surprises?


development?

4.8Conclusionandfurtherreading

In this section various action learning based activities have been provided, along with an

introduction to case management for job-brokers. The most important conclusions of this

chapteraresummarizedbelow:

Casemanagementseekstomakeservicedelivery:

• …Integrated

• …Job-seeker-Centred

• …Coordinated

• …GoalOriented

• …Accountable

• …Flexible

• …Sequenced

• …Cost-Effective

• …Sustained

• …Comprehensive


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Notes


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTANDDISCLAIMER

TheEuropeanCommissionsupportfortheproductionofthispublicationdoesnotconstitutean

endorsementofthecontentswhichreflectstheviewsonlyoftheauthors,andtheCommission

cannotbeheldresponsibleforanyusewhichmaybemadeoftheinformationcontainedtherein.