This publication was developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist in the

planning and development of Neighborhood Networks centers.

The guides in this series offer “how to” information on starting up a center, creating programs and identifying

center partners; center and program profiles and a wealth of resources.

Neighborhood Networks is a community-based initiative established by the U.S. Department of Housing and

Urban Development (HUD) in 1995. Since then, hundreds of centers have opened throughout the United States.

These centers provide residents of HUD-assisted and/or -insured properties with programs, activities and

training promoting economic self-sufficiency. These guides contain examples of successful center initiatives and

how you can replicate them.

To receive copies of this publication or any others in the series, contact:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Neighborhood Networks

9300 Lee Highway

Fairfax, VA 22031-1207

Neighborhood Networks Information Center

Toll-free (888) 312-2743

TTY: (703) 934-3230

All publications are available from the Neighborhood Networks website at:

www.neighborhoodnetworks.org
How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and

Placement Program June 1999

 HOW TO DESIGN AND DELIVER AN

EFFECTIVE JOB DEVELOPMENT AND

PLACEMENT PROGRAM

JUNE 1999
How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and Page i

Placement Program June 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and Placement Program..............................................1

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose of the Handbook.......................................................................................................................................1

How Centers Can Use this Handbook...................................................................................................................1

Ten Steps in Job Development and Placement ..................................................................................................2

Step 1. Evaluate Employment Characteristics of the Residents ..................................................................2

Step 2. Identify Employment Sectors With the Greatest Economic Opportunities ......................................3

Step 3. Establish Relationships With Potential Employers ...........................................................................3

Step 4. Identify and Fill Job Openings Using the Broad Based Marketing Approach .................................3

Step 5. Identify and Fill Job Openings Using the Sectoral Approach...........................................................5

Step 6. Manage the Job Interview Process ...................................................................................................6

Step 7. Make the Job Match: Selecting the Best Candidate for the Job .....................................................7

Step 8. Prepare the Candidate for Work........................................................................................................7

Step 9. Provide Follow-Up Support................................................................................................................7

Step 10. Expand Relationships With Employers ...........................................................................................8

Appendix 1: Job Order Information Sheet

Appendix 2: Telemarketing Tips

Appendix 3: Sample Phone Script
How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and Page 1

Placement Program June 1999

How to Design and Deliver an Effective

Job Development and Placement Program

Introduction

This is the second publication in the Neighborhood

Networks Employment Series. It focuses on how

Neighborhood Networks centers can deliver effective

job development and placement programs for

residents who are on public assistance, are

unemployed or are underemployed.

Neighborhood Networks is a community-based

initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Housing

and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Multifamily

Housing in September 1995. It encourages the

development of resource and community technology

centers in HUD-assisted and -insured properties.

There are over 486 centers in operation and more

than a607 properties with centers under development

as of March 1999.

Neighborhood Networks centers that seek to promote

self-sufficiency of their residents should be aware of

the various local training and employment

opportunities available. Housing support by itself is

not enough to help residents become economically

self-sufficient.

The Neighborhood Networks Employment Series

includes guides on the following four topics:

q Job readiness training.

q Job development and placement.

q Follow-up retention services.

q Career growth and advancement.

Purpose of the Handbook

To operate an effective job development and

placement program, center staff must develop

business contacts and place people in jobs. This

guide explains how Neighborhood Networks centers

can develop relationships with businesses and then

utilize these relationships to help residents obtain

jobs. The guide provides the following 10-step

approach to developing a job development and

placement program:

1. Evaluate employment characteristics of the

population to be served.

2. Assess economic opportunities.

3. Establish relationships with potential employers.

4. Identify and fill jobs using the broad based

marketing approach.

5. Identify and fill jobs using the sectoral approach.

6. Manage the job interview process.

7. Make the job match: selecting the best candidate

for the job.

8. Prepare the candidate for work.

9. Provide follow-up support.

10. Expand relationships with employers.

How Centers Can Use this Handbook

Neighborhood Networks centers can use this guide in

different ways depending on how they deliver

employment services.

q Direct Delivery. Centers might implement the

strategies included in the guide to deliver job

development and placement services. This guide

includes some strategies that every center can

apply, and some strategies only centers with a

larger staff could apply.

q Contract or Partner with Other Service

Providers. Neighborhood Networks centers

might turn to local nonprofit or for-profit job

placement organizations as well as public

entities, such as the local Private Industry

Counsel (PIC) or Workforce Investment Board, to
How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and Page 2

Placement Program June 1999

provide job placement services for their

residents. (See the first Neighborhood Networks

Employment Series guide on Job Readiness

Training.) In this case, this guide might serve as

a resource for evaluating and selecting service

providers.

Ten Steps in Job Development and

Placement

Step 1. Evaluate Employment Characteristics

of the Residents

An evaluation of the residents provides the foundation

for the employment program’s design. The

employment characteristics should affect which

industries and jobs an employment program pursues

and how the program is structured. Use the following

tools to make this assessment.

q Résumé. Every job seeker should prepare a

résumé. A review of these résumés will help job

developers determine which industries to target.

If, for example, a number of the job seekers have

previously worked as home health aides or as

certified nursing assistants, job developers would

explore opportunities in health care.

q The Job Seeker Profile. The Job Seeker Profile

(Exhibit 1) contains information beyond what

appears on résumés, such as transportation

needs, substance abuse, credit history and

criminal history. This information could have a

significant impact on a person’s job search and

on the services provided by the program. For

instance, if 90 percent of the job seekers rely on

public transportation, job developers would focus

on opportunities near bus or subway lines.

Exhibit 1

The Job Seekers Profile

Last Employer Job Title Dates Wages/Hour Hours/Week

1. _________________________ _____________________________-______ ______________ ___________

2. ________________________ ___________________ _____-_____ ______________ ___________

3. ________________________ ___________________ _____-_____ ______________ ___________

Highest Educational Level: _____________________________________________

Transportation: q Public q Car

Can the applicant pass a drug test? q Yes q No

Can the applicant pass a credit history check? q Yes q No

Criminal History: ______________________________________________________

Does the applicant have any physical/health problems that might affect his/her ability to do a job?

If yes, note details below:
How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and Page 3

Placement Program June 1999

Step 2. Identify Employment Sectors With the

Greatest Economic Opportunities

Identify which employment sectors in the region offer

the greatest economic opportunities that are

accessible to the residents. This assessment should

include private business and industry, nonprofit

institutions and government. Take the following steps

to assess which employment sectors offer the

greatest opportunities.

q Review the classified ads in major newspapers

and track sectors listed frequently.

q Review different business publications such as

The Baltimore Business Journal, which routinely

publish listings of the top employment sectors in a

city.

q Research recent economic trend data at the local

library.

q Conduct a telephone survey of employers in

different sectors to identify their hiring needs.

Step 3. Establish Relationships With Potential

Employers

After assessing the characteristics of the job seekers

and identifying the industry sectors with the greatest

hiring potential, begin to establish relationships with

individual employers. To make these initial

connections, apply some or all of the seven strategies

listed below.

q Join and participate in relevant business and

trade associations. Join the local Chamber of

Commerce and Human Resource Association.

Both hold regular networking meetings which

provide opportunities to make new business

contacts.

q Attend job fairs. Visit job fairs instead of hosting

a booth yourself. Job fairs offer an easy,

inexpensive way to identify and meet employers

who need to hire new employees.

q Utilize business ties of board members or

other supporters. If your organization has the

support of a board or other community leaders,

use those contacts to identify businesses that you

could approach.

q Conduct a general mailing or faxing

campaign. Send a general mass marketing

piece that advertises your services. However, be

aware that the response from such mailings is

rarely above 3 percent.

q Telemarket. Conduct a telemarketing campaign

to make initial employer contacts. Call the human

resource decision makers and then schedule inperson visits with them. (Appendix 2 provides

telemarketing tips.)

q Canvass the business community. Canvass

the business community — by going door-to-door

asking to speak with the lead human resource

person. For small businesses, this may be the

general manager of the company. If the human

resource person is available, make your sales

presentation. If the key human resource person

is not available, leave some literature and follow

up with a telephone call. The two main

advantages of canvassing are that it is a quick

way to distribute your marketing materials and

make some sales presentations to the business

community and it is a way to target companies

located along public transportation corridors.

q Establish relationships with specific

businesses and industries. Contact particular

businesses and offer to work with them in a

customized, collaborative way to develop training

programs that meet their particular entry-level

hiring needs.

Step 4. Identify and Fill Job Openings Using

the Broad Based Marketing Approach

Conduct a comprehensive outreach effort to identify

opportunities and place people at a wide number of

companies. The broad based marketing approach

should help identify businesses or sectors with which
How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and Page 4

Placement Program June 1999

centers may develop stronger ties. The two primary

approaches to broad based marketing include:

q Mail/fax campaign. Mail or fax a marketing

piece to employers and request job orders. The

marketing piece should describe your program’s

services and benefits to the company. Follow up

your marketing piece with a telephone call. Be

aware that without prior personal contact, this

approach may have only limited success.

q Personal visits. Visit a company in person to

obtain a job order. Set up sales calls when you

meet company representatives at business

functions or human resource meetings, by

canvassing or through telemarketing. Some

important points about conducting sales calls are

outlined below.

Prepare for the meeting by doing the following:

• Schedule a meeting with a person who has

hiring authority.

• Confirm your appointment the day before.

• Bring marketing materials with you.

When meeting with the human resource

manager, ask the following questions:

• What procedures does the company follow

when hiring entry-level staff?

• Has the company found it difficult to identify

qualified people?

• Has the company had problems with

turnover?

Present the advantages of working with your

program, which may include:

• Careful screening of candidates. Explain the

screening process that each program

participant must go through to enter the

program.

• Job readiness training. Explain how the

program prepares participants for the

workplace.

• Follow-up retention services. Describe how

center staff will follow up to ensure that

program participants succeed on the job,

which may include working with employees

on any issues that arise in or out of the

workplace (like child care or transportation

needs).

• Cost savings. Explain how the center’s

services will save the company money

through higher job retention rates, lower

recruiting costs and qualifying for tax credits.

(See Exhibit 2 for a description of the tax

credits.)

If the company has immediate hiring needs,

request the following information about the

position(s) and the company and use the “Job

Order Information Sheet” in Appendix 1 to record

this information:

• Job description.

• Specific requirements (high school diploma,

lifting ability, etc.).

• Benefits (wage, health, retirement, etc.).

• Access to public transportation.

• The interview process.

Close the meeting by scheduling interviews for

three to four candidates.
How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and Page 5

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Exhibit 2

General Overview of the Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit

The Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit offers employers an incentive to hire and retain long-term welfare

recipients who depended on public assistance for at least 18 consecutive months. A company can

receive a maximum tax credit of $8,500. During the first year and once the employee completes 180

days or 400 hours of work, the employer can claim 35 percent of the employee’s first-year wages of up

to $10,000, for a maximum income tax credit of $3,500. During the second year, employers can claim

50 percent of the employee’s wages of up to $10,000, for a maximum income tax credit of $5,000.

Companies can apply these credits to individuals who are hired between December 31, 1997 and May

1, 1999.

Steps required to access the tax credit:

q The potential employee must be certified as a long-term welfare recipient by the state

employment security agency.

q Employers are required to complete IRS Form 8850 (Pre-screening Notice and Certification

Request for Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit) on or before the day the job offer is made and 21

days before the employee’s start date. IRS forms can be downloaded from

http://www.irs.ustreas.gov.

q Employers must complete the Department of Labor’s Form 9061 (Individual Characteristics

Form) used to document employee eligibility, and send it to the state’s employment security

agency. A listing of state employment security agencies can be found on

http://www.doleta.gov/wotc.htm or by contacting the U.S. Department of Labor at 202-219-

9092.

q The employer should report the Welfare-to-Work credit as part of its annual tax filing with the

IRS.

Step 5. Identify and Fill Job Openings Using

the Sectoral Approach

To connect residents with employment, Neighborhood

Networks centers should develop linkages with

specific companies or economic sectors that offer

opportunities for hiring. Oftentimes companies that

develop a relationship with a job placement

organization are more open to extending job

opportunities to the program’s participants.

Ways to establish linkages with a company or industry

sector include:

q Learn the company's business. Meet with the

human resources staff of a company and take

extensive tours of the business to develop a

detailed understanding of the hiring needs and

practices of the company. Participate in

company orientations for new employees and

learn some of the company’s line functions. Job

developers who understand a company’s

business can tailor their training program to meet

the company’s needs and are more likely to earn

the confidence and business of the company.
How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and Page 6

Placement Program June 1999

q Involve the company in the design of your

program. When designing a job development

and placement program, ask company

representatives for suggestions on how to

structure the program to meet the company's

specific needs. For example, in response to such

a request, ACME Mail Order Co. might suggest

that the job placement organization incorporate

certain customer service exercises into its

training curriculum. Developing a customized

training for ACME should better prepare

participants for a job at ACME and lead to more

job opportunities for participants.

q Involve the company in the delivery of your

program at your site. Invite company

representatives to lead some training sessions at

the center. Company representatives may

conduct technical sessions, such as having a call

center supervisor from ACME lead a session on

handling problem customers. Other sessions

may be more general, such as how to interview

effectively and how to succeed in the first weeks

on the job.

q Place trainees in internships with employers.

Placing trainees at a company on an internship

basis also builds strong linkages with a company.

At the close of the internship, the trainees may be

retained as regular employees at the company or

are ready to be placed at another outside

employer.

Step 6. Manage the Job Interview Process

After receiving a job order, select candidates who

match the requirements for the opening. Make this

selection by comparing the résumés and Job Seeker

Profiles to the job description. Then meet with the

candidates in person. Some questions to consider:

q Is there a match in the job skills needed?

q Does the job seeker meet the other special

requirements (high school diploma, drug test,

etc.)?

q Can the job seeker work the scheduled hours?

q Can the job seeker get to the place of

employment?

q Is the job seeker interested in the opportunity?

After selecting candidates for the interviews, meet

with them to describe the position in detail and help

them prepare for the interview. Provide them with any

insights about the company or the human resources

manager that would be useful. Finally, remind the

candidate of the following interview requirements:

q Arrive at the interview 15 minutes early.

q Dress appropriately for the interview.

q Make sure you know where to go and how to get

there.

q Ask the interviewer for his or her business card.

q Smile!

q If you would like the job, tell that to the

interviewer!

q Contact the job developer after the interview to

review how it went.

Provide the candidate with an “Interview Information”

summary (see Exhibit 3). This summary sheet

provides the candidate with the basic interview

information to avoid any misunderstandings about the

time, location, salary, work hours, or public

transportation access.

Finally, provide the human resources manager with

the names of the candidates who will be interviewing,

and schedule times for those interviews.
How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and Page 7

Placement Program June 1999

Step 7. Make the Job Match: Selecting the

Best Candidate for the Job

Immediately after the interviews, contact the human

resource person who conducted the interviews to find

out whether the company is interested in hiring or

continuing the interview process with one or more of

the candidates. During this conversation, try to obtain

feedback on all candidates.

Meet with the candidates individually to obtain their

feedback on the company and let them know whether

they have been offered a job. For those offered jobs,

find out whether they are interested. These second

screenings help prevent candidates from accepting

positions that they will quickly leave because of a lack

of interest. Second screenings are also important for

the placement program since its reputation and

credibility depend on its ability to place and retain

people in jobs.

Meet with the candidates who were not offered a job

to share the company’s feedback so that they can

learn from their interviewing experience.

Step 8. Prepare the Candidate for Work

Before a candidate begins working, review the

following areas to ensure that the candidate is ready

to begin work:

q Child care needs.

q Transportation needs.

q Housing and utilities.

q Clothing.

q Credit.

q Health care needs.

By conducting this review, the center should be aware

of any difficulties candidates may encounter once on

the job and, thus, can assist them if problems arise.

Step 9. Provide Follow-Up Support

Post-placement follow-up support serves three

purposes. It:

Exhibit 3

Interview Information

Applicant Name: ____________________________________________________

Day of Interview: _____________________Date: ___________ Time: _________

Company Name: ____________________________________________________

Position Interviewing for: ________________________ Wage: $_________

Schedule of Work Hours: ___________ Weekends Included? q Yes q No

Company Address: __________________________________________________

Public Transportation? q Yes q No If yes, bus or subway lines: ____________

Directions: _________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
How to Design and Deliver an Effective Job Development and Page 8

Placement Program June 1999

q Helps ensure that the candidate performs to the

employer's satisfaction.

q Provides support to the candidate for any workrelated issues.

q Provides support to the candidate for any issues

outside the workplace.

The third guide in the Neighborhood Networks

Employment Series provides an in-depth description

of job retention services. Because job retention plays

an integral role in job placement, this guide also

includes a brief overview of these services and the

intervals at which they should occur.

q Before starting work. Conduct a psychological

and social assessment of the individual to identify

areas where help may be needed.

q On the first day. Contact the employee and

employer on the first day of work either by

telephone or a brief visit. The visit provides moral

support to the new employee and demonstrates

to the company that the center is committed to

providing support to their placements.

q At the end of the first week. After one full week

of work, visit the company again to meet with the

employee’s supervisor for a performance report.

Also, meet with the employee to hear how the first

week on the job went.

q Ongoing follow-up. Follow-up services have a

significant impact on the ongoing satisfaction of

the employer and the success of the candidate.

Thus, if possible, conduct site visits to the

company every two weeks over a four-month

period. If the center does not have the staff to

conduct such frequent visits, make fewer visits or

substitute telephone contacts for in-person site

visits.

Step 10. Expand Relationships With

Employers

After making initial job placements at several

companies, the center should expand those

relationships so that they will receive further job

orders from the companies. Some ways to expand

employer ties include:

q Providing follow-up services as described above.

q Involving the businesses in different aspects of

your program as described above. Simply

inviting businesses to visit or tour the job

placement organization may bolster these ties.

q Organizing ceremonies where you can formally

recognize the companies' support and their

commitment to the community.

q When the center is the subject of media

coverage, taking the newspaper reporter or TV

crew (with advance approval, of course) to visit a

worker and the human resource director at a

leading company so that the company receives

the favorable press.

Building effective relationships with businesses and

translating them into job opportunities is the engine of

an effective employment program. This guide

provides a series of steps and practical tools to assist

Neighborhood Networks centers in identifying job

openings and matching their residents with

employment. The guide also introduces the

importance of providing proactive follow-up support

for placements and their employers. Such support is

essential to long-term retention and the ultimate

success of an employment program and is the subject

of another Neighborhood Networks guide.
Appendix 1: Job Order Information Sheet

Company Information

Name:

Address:

HR Contact: Title:

Phone: Fax:

Supervisor: Title:

Phone: Fax:

Job Information

Job Title: Number of Openings:

Written Description Available? q Yes q No

Job Duties:

Drug Test: Credit Check: Criminal Background Check:

q Yes q No q Yes q No q Yes q No

q Company Paid q Company Paid q Company Paid

q Supported Work q Direct Hire

Other:

Job Requirements

High School/GED: q Yes q No Minimum Age:

Typing WPM: Keystrokes: Lifting:

Driver’s License: q Yes q No Car Required: q Yes q No

Software:

Other Training or Skills:

Compensation and Benefits

Hire Wage: Bill Rate: Pay Increase:

Bonuses: Shift: q Yes q No $ Performance: q Yes q No

Paid: Paycheck: q Weekly q Bi-Weekly q Semi-Monthly q Monthly

Health Insurance: q Yes q No

When Available:

Provider:

Basic Cost:

Individual: $ Per:

Parent & Child: $ Per:

401K: q Yes q No When Available:

Vacation:

When Available:
Work Schedule

Shift Hours: q Full Time q Part Time Hours Per Week:

Lunch:

Length: q Paid q Unpaid

Breaks:

Length: q Paid q Unpaid

Weekends: q Yes q No Overtime: q Yes q No

Work Slowdown Periods:

Other:

Work Setting

Dress Code: q Professional (Coat/Tie) q Business Casual q Other

Explain:

q Indoors q Outdoors Temperature:

Uniforms Provided: qYes q No

Other:

Orientation and Training

Location: Hours:

Training Supervisor: Phone:

Paid Training: q Yes q No

Any costs to employee during 1st 4 months? q Yes q No

Explain:

Transportation

Bus Accessible: q Yes q No Bus Lines:

Metro/Subway: q Yes q No Phone:

Light Rail: q Yes q No

Distance from Bus/Subway Drop-off:

Interviews

Projected Job Start Date: Order Close Date:

Interviewer: Title:

Interview Process (testing, no. of interviews):

Interview Schedule:

Candidate Date: Time: Candidate: Date: Time:
Appendix 2

Telemarketing Tips

q Develop a list of companies. Good sources include newspaper classified ads, the Yellow Page,

and other company lists such as those that can be bought from Dunn & Bradstreet. Maintain careful

records of contacts.

q Know your selling points. Identify three chief reasons why the companies you call should take the

time to meet with you and ultimately use your service.

q Prepare a script and then make it your own. A script helps you get started. You can personalize

your delivery as you become comfortable. A sample script is included in Appendix 3.

q Keep your presentation short and to the point. Ask for an appointment within the first minute of

the call. If the other person asks a question, answer the question and then immediately ask again for

the appointment. Don’t pause that just allows and even encourages the other person to ask another

question.

q Be ready for objections. Everyone will raise objections as to why they cannot meet with you. A

major objection is that the human resource representative is too busy. Stress that you can complete

your visit in 15 minutes and will be flexible to fit their schedule.

q Don’t let the rejection discourage you. Ninety percent of the people that you call (if they’re people

you don’t know) will say no. But the 10 percent who say yes provide the foundation upon which you

will build your customer base.

q Become more selective. Over time, you may want to become more selective in the appointments

you schedule. For example, you could decide only to schedule appointments with companies located

in selected areas, that have current openings or that have starting wages above an established level.
Appendix 3

Sample Phone Script

The following is a sample phone script that can be used as a tool to obtain an appointment with a human resource

manager at a company. Once an appointment is set, then one can make a more complete presentation in person to

obtain a "job order.” It is important to approach this call from the perspective that you're contacting the company

because your organization can help the company meet their hiring needs rather than ask the company to help your

candidates who need a job. It's also important to keep the call short and to the point. The script below is just a sample,

everyone needs to develop their own style and presentation. Five key elements of any call are:

(a) getting to the right person;

(b) letting them know how you can help them;

(c) finding out the number of entry level positions that exist at the company and number of current openings;

(d) asking for the appointment; and

(e) responding to objections — which you need to expect — and promptly asking again for the appointment.

All of these components are included in the script below:

[ring, ring]

Receptionist: Thank you for calling the Jennings Corporation. How may I help you?

Neighborhood Networks center staff: Hello, this is Janet Thomas from the Lincoln Park Employment Center. I need to

speak with the person who is responsible for the hiring of your entry level staff. Who would that be please? [Note: you

have not asked the receptionist to help you, rather you have politely told her what you need. Getting around this

gatekeeper is key.]

Receptionist: That would be Carl Johnson.

JT: What would his title be? [Always confirm the title of the person to whom you will be speaking to assure that it's the

right person.]

Receptionist: He's the mailroom manager.

JT: Is he the main person responsible for hiring your entry level staff?

Receptionist: Oh, that would probably be Donna Kirkland.

JT: And what's her title please?

Receptionist: She's the director of human resources. [Bingo!]

JT: Yes, she's the person I need to speak with. Is Ms. Kirkland in?

Receptionist: One moment please.

Donna Kirkland: This is Donna.

JT: Hello, Ms. Kirkland. My name is Janet Thomas and I'm calling from the Lincoln Park Employment Center. How are

you doing this morning?
DK: I'm fine.

JT: I was told you're the person who is responsible for the hiring of the entry level staff at Jennings Corporation. Is that

correct? [Make that final confirmation that you're talking to the right person.]

DK: Yes, I'm the one.

JT: Great. I'm calling you for two main reasons. [You want to be crisp and to the point.] First, I want to share with you a

brief word about how Lincoln Park Employment Center — LPEC — can help you fill your entry level positions — and at

no cost to you. In fact you should even save some money using our services. [Get her attention.] Are you familiar with

LPEC?

DK: No, I'm not.

JT: Well, we are a nonprofit organization based in Lincoln Park that specializes in helping companies find qualified,

ready-to-work applicants to fill their entry-level positions. We screen our candidates, provide targeted job readiness

training, match them with appropriate job openings and then provide additional follow-up to the candidates and your staff

to help assure that you have an employee who meets your needs and stays with you long-term. [Note focus on the

company's needs.] Now Donna, just so I have a better sense of your potential needs, how many total staff — I'm talking

about ALL positions — do you have at Jennings Corporation here in Philadelphia?

DK: About 350.

JT: And of those 350, how many entry level positions would you say exist in total–not just those that may be open at the

moment–at Jennings Corporation? And I'm talking about positions such as word processing and data entry operators,

file clerks, mail room clerks, food service workers, security, warehouse, etc. positions ranging from $6 to $10 an hour.

How many such positions would you say exist? [Providing a wide range of different types of positions and the hourly

wage range helps focus the HR person. This also lets them know that you're not talking about college graduate entry

level positions.]

DK: Oh, heavens, I'm not sure.

JT: How about just a ballpark estimate? Would it be about 100 or closer to 20?

DK: Oh, I'd say around 50.

JT: Are any of those entry-level positions open at the moment?

DK: I think we have about 8 to 9 openings right now.

[Note: Getting a sense of the size of the company and their entry level staff — if you didn't know already — is very

valuable information. If you call a company and they have a total of 10 staff positions, two of which are entry level — but

neither is vacant at the moment — it's probably not worth your time to go on that sales call. Instead, send them some

literature and make a note to call them back in two months. On the other hand, if you call a company and find out that

they have 75 total staff, including 20 entry level positions — again with no vacancies — it is worth your time to go on the

sales call because the possibilities for turnover and openings are greater. Obviously, it is always worth your time to go on

a sales call if there is at least one open entry-level position, regardless of how many staff positions exist at the company.]

JT: Well, the second reason for my call, Donna, is to see if we could schedule a time when I could stop by your office to

share with you how LPEC can help you fill your open positions and reduce your costs. I was looking at next week. Would

Tuesday at 10 a.m. be convenient for you? [Always be specific with a date and time.]

DK: Well, let me ask you, how much would your service cost me?
JT: Absolutely nothing. You should even save some money. This is because we don't charge for our services, but you

may be able to take advantage of some tax credits. Plus, once you see how well we're able to meet your needs, you may

also be able to save on your advertising and recruiting costs. Your entry-level turnover should also be reduced. Now we

were looking at Tuesday at 10:00. Would that work with your schedule? [Note: Answer the question and then

immediately ask again for the appointment. Don't pause after answering the question, that's just an invitation for the

person to ask another question.]

DK: I'm pretty busy, I don't know if I can fit that in now.

JT: I understand that you have a full schedule. I can be in and out of your office in 15 minutes. Would Tuesday at 10:00

work for you for just 15 minutes? [This is the first response to the "I don't have time" objection. Finish by asking for the

appointment again with the specific date and time.]

DK: Next week is just really tough. I have my year-end reports due that Wednesday . . .

JT: Sounds like that's a bad time. [Second response: be understanding and suggest later alternative date.] I could look

at the following week. I have time on Thursday the 18th. Would Thursday the 18th work, say around 2?

DK: Could you just send me some literature in the mail? [A very common put-off. Never agree to this the first time

around.]

JT: Well, we certainly have literature. But, Donna, I find that a brief appointment is best because then I can answer your

questions and it enables you to put a face with all of these materials. And I know your time is at a premium, that's why I'll

make a point of being very brief during my visit. So we were looking at the following week, Thursday the 18th. I have time

both in the morning and afternoon. How about 2 that afternoon?

DK: Could you do 3:30?

JT: Sure. That works. Could you confirm your address for me please?

DK: Yes. We're at 3415 North Market Street, Suite 250.

JT: Great. My number at LPEC is 202-5555 in case you need to reach me before our appointment. My name again is

Janet Thomas from Lincoln Park Employment Center, and I'll see you on Thursday the 18th at 3:30.

DK: Thanks, Janet.

JT: Thanks, Donna. See you then.