THE MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL PROTECTION and JOB CLUBS. Relating to Contracting of Employment Services to the State (JOB CLUB)

Transcription

1 Employer Engagement and Job Matching Guidelines THE MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL PROTECTION and JOB CLUBS Relating to Contracting of Employment Services to the State (JOB CLUB) The purpose of this document is to outline an integrated and coordinated approach to engagement with employers by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the Job Club to provide a mutually supportive placement and recruitment service that serves the best interests of Jobseekers and employers. Contents 1. General Introduction and Background Working with Enterprise and Representative Bodies Sharing information Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and Jobs Club Employer Engagement coordinated approach Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Job Vacancy Matching and Referral Job Club Job Vacancy Matching and Referral Recruitment events and Employability events... 7 A14JC V1.1 Oct 2017 Page 1 of 7

2 1. General 1.1. Nothing in these guidelines is intended to restrict access to employers by either the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection or the Job Club. The aim is to support the establishment of mutually supportive arrangements and the development of a professional, coordinated, efficient, effective and economical approach to employer engagement The intention is to provide a framework that facilitates the achievement of objectives by both parties, while mitigating the risks of employer fatigue, overlap and duplication. It establishes general principles to guide both the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the Job Clubs. More detailed arrangements may be agreed by both parties under the collaborative structures outlined in Section The scope includes, but is not limited to: placement and recruitment services for employers; matching of clients to employment opportunities including Job and employability events and initiatives; procedures to facilitate the development of a collaborative and coordinated approach to engagement with employers in relation to securing job placement opportunities for clients of both the Job Club and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, including jointly approaching employers; procedures to support communications and engagement between the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection personnel and the Job Club personnel in relation to employer engagement; interaction and engagement with enterprise representative bodies and associations representing enterprise. A14JC V1.1 Oct 2017 Page 2 of 7

3 2. Introduction and Background 2.1. The role of the Public Employment Service in responding to the current economic challenges facing the State and, in particular, the challenge of unemployment is set out in the Pathways to Work (PTW) Strategy documents The economic rationale underlying the PTW activation approach is to reduce individual durations of unemployment and thereby to help ensure that the labour market responds quickly to any recovery in economic activity which should in turn reduce overall unemployment levels and costs Activation can only achieve this goal by working with both Jobseekers and employers - with Jobseekers to improve their employment prospects; and with employers to encourage recruitment activity and to bias their recruitment in favour of unemployed people on the Live Register and other priority groups As both the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the Job Club will have significant engagement with employers, there will be a degree of overlap in the nature of that engagement The focus of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection s Employer Relations Strategy is to build effective relationships with employers with the goal of increasing employer recruitment activity generally and the increasing utilization of its employment supports. In particular, the Strategy will focus on: increasing placements into employment of people from the Live Register and other high priority groups; engaging with employers in relation to identifying and addressing current and future skills requirements of enterprise in collaboration with a range of stakeholders as appropriate; engaging with employers in relation to Corporate Social Responsibility activities and initiatives A14JC V1.1 Oct 2017 Page 3 of 7

4 2.6. The focus of the Job Clubs engagement with employers will be to: promote the placement into employment of Jobseeker clients referred to them by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection; provide employment and recruitment services to employers. 3. Working with Enterprise and Representative Bodies 3.1. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and its Intreo teams have established relationships with enterprise agencies and representative bodies, for example education and training agencies and with employer and business representative bodies. This is part of an overall Government approach to ensure a coordinated, consistent and collaborative approach to the delivery of services to employers. Relationships have been established at national and divisional/local level The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is the primary point of contact and will advise the Enterprise and representative bodies of Job Club developments Where appropriate, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (National Employer Relations Unit- ERU) will provide feedback to Job Clubs Job Clubs may be invited by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to participate in meetings with these entities Job Clubs are free to make contacts with these entities, but should first contact the account lead of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and take due account of any advice provided. This information can be sourced through the DEASP Job Club contract manager. A14JC V1.1 Oct 2017 Page 4 of 7

5 4. Sharing information Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and Jobs Club 4.1 The Job Club will work collaboratively with the Divisional and Department staff regarding all aspects of recruitment and employer engagement where required. Arrangements should be agreed at local level in relation to: sharing information on divisional/local employer engagement activities and recruitment campaigns; sharing information on the skill sets available to meet future recruitment needs of employers; feedback and recommendations as appropriate. 4.2 Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Employer Relations contact details and contact details for Job Club personnel will be updated as appropriate. The Employer Relations Unit will circulate regular updates to relevant personnel in both the Job Club and the Department. 5 Employer Engagement coordinated approach 5.1 It is essential that there is a coordinated approach to dealing directly with employers. In order to establish mutually supportive arrangements, it is necessary for both parties to share relevant information on their employer engagement activity. 5.2 A pragmatic approach to working with Employers should be taken between the Job Club and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection at divisional/local and national level. 5.3 Where an ongoing employment services relationship has been established by either party, the party that first established the relationship, will, unless otherwise agreed, be designated the account lead for that employer. 5.4 The Job Club and/or the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection representatives will decide if its relationship with a company is an established relationship. A14JC V1.1 Oct 2017 Page 5 of 7

6 5.5 Any other party, who wishes to contact the employer, should contact the account lead and follow advice given in relation to approaching the employer. 5.6 This advice must be given within three (3) working days of a request. 5.7 Where the advice is not received within this time, the requesting party may proceed to contact the employer and notify the requested party accordingly. 5.8 A joint approach to employers between the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the Job Club may be determined as an appropriate response. 6 Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Job Vacancy Matching and Referral 6.1 The Job Club should inform their clients to notify them, within one working day, of any communication they receive from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in relation job matches. 6.2 When the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is managing vacancies that are not publicly advertised and matches for these vacancies, a list of potentially suitable clients (including suitable Job Club clients) will be generated. 6.3 Where a client of either the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection or the Job Club is matched, the following will apply: the client will receive a notification from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection advising him/her of the job match with details of the job vacancy; the matched Job Club client should inform the Job Club about this communication. 6.4 The Job Club will screen the client for suitability and prepare the client for the job. 6.5 Where the application process requires the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to be the sole point of contact, the Job Club will send A14JC V1.1 Oct 2017 Page 6 of 7

7 relevant information for suitable Job Club clients to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. 6.6 Where the application process requires that applications are sent directly to the employer, the Job Club will handle the applications for its client accordingly. 7 Job Club Job Vacancy Matching and Referral 7.1 Where vacancies secured by the Job Club cannot be filled by Job Club clients, the Job Club should contact the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection s divisional/local or national representative to agree an approach to fill the vacancies. 8 Recruitment events and Employability events 8.1 Each year, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection holds recruitment and employability events throughout the country. 8.2 The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection will notify the Job Club of any such events. 8.3 The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection will invite Jobseekers and employers to attend. 8.4 The Job Club may also be requested by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to notify employers and/or clients. 8.5 The Job Club will inform the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection of the clients/employers notified. 8.6 The Job Club should attend events when requested by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. A14JC V1.1 Oct 2017 Page 7 of 7