Evaluating Employer Suitability
Evaluating employer suitability is a crucial step in workforce development partnerships, ensuring that employers can provide the necessary support, opportunities, and work environment that align with program goals. This evaluation process allows workforce organizations to identify employers who are committed to fair employment practices, meaningful job roles, and long-term collaboration, creating a reliable and supportive framework for job seekers.
Key Points of Alignment
Workforce organizations follow similar core practices when evaluating employer suitability. These shared practices are designed to ensure that employers provide safe, supportive, and beneficial work environments that align with the goals of each workforce program:
Assessing Commitment to Inclusive Hiring: Many workforce organizations prioritize employers with demonstrated commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This focus ensures that job seekers from all backgrounds are welcomed, respected, and supported in their roles, creating equitable opportunities across the workforce.
Reviewing Job Role and Growth Potential: Organizations evaluate the roles that employers offer, looking for positions that provide meaningful responsibilities and opportunities for career advancement. This helps guarantee that job seekers are placed in roles with clear paths for growth and skill development, rather than just entry-level or temporary positions.
Confirming Adherence to Fair Labor Practices: Many organizations assess employers for adherence to fair labor standards, such as offering competitive wages, safe working conditions, and comprehensive benefits. By working with employers who prioritize fair treatment, workforce organizations help protect job seekers and ensure that placements are secure and sustainable.
Unique Approaches
National Able Network: National Able Network conducts in-depth assessments of potential employers’ training and career advancement opportunities. They evaluate employers based on their willingness to provide on-the-job training (OJT) and other skill-building resources, focusing on employers who are committed to developing their workforce. National Able also prioritizes employers who have clear policies around mentorship and career progression, ensuring that job seekers have access to resources that promote long-term growth. Read more here.
E&ES (Employment & Employer Services): E&ES tailors its evaluation process by conducting “discovery meetings” with each potential employer. These meetings allow E&ES to understand an employer’s work culture, values, and expectations, ensuring alignment with the needs of job seekers. E&ES places significant emphasis on employers who are open to flexible work arrangements, as this aligns with the diverse needs of job seekers. This approach allows E&ES to place job seekers in supportive environments that respect work-life balance. Read more here.
ScaleLIT/Level Up Campaign: ScaleLIT uses a data-driven approach to evaluating employer suitability through their Level Up Campaign, gathering real-time feedback from job seekers who have worked with specific employers. They use this data to track job satisfaction, turnover rates, and workplace conditions, which informs their employer evaluations. This feedback loop allows ScaleLIT to consistently recommend employers with positive environments and adjust partnerships as needed to protect job seekers’ interests. Read more here.
Chicago Department of Family & Support Services (DFSS): DFSS evaluates employers with a focus on community impact, prioritizing those who demonstrate a commitment to hiring locally and supporting the city’s underserved populations. DFSS considers factors such as the employer’s participation in community initiatives, support for workforce diversity, and involvement in local economic development programs. This community-centered approach aligns with DFSS’s mission of promoting inclusive employment opportunities that benefit both job seekers and the city. Read more here.
Cook County Bureau of Economic Development: The Cook County Bureau of Economic Development evaluates employers based on collaborative potential, assessing their willingness to engage in long-term partnerships and participate in workforce training initiatives. The Bureau emphasizes partnerships with employers who are open to co-developing training programs or providing internships and apprenticeships for job seekers. This collaborative approach ensures that job seekers have access to robust, industry-relevant training that prepares them for successful careers. Read more here.
