Developing Partnerships
with Employers
Briefing for the 4th Annual Plus 50 Conference
American Association of Community Colleges
Blair Forlaw • July 14, 2011
Premise:
 Good
partnerships start with a mile in the
other’s shoes
 The employers’ experience today
- the economy
- continuing uncertainty
- how to find the right people with the right
skills at just the right time
Let’s consider:
 Three
things about
- the economy
- uncertainty
- the talent marketplace
 Implications for community college /
employer partnerships
(I have six suggestions; you’ll have more)
About the economy:
 It’s
a knowledge-based, innovation-driven,
globally-connected, digitized, dynamic,
diverse, fast-paced, and highly competitive
world out there.
 Metropolitan areas are the engines of
growth and vitality.
 Human capital is the most important kind –
but managing and measuring it is quite a
challenge.
About uncertainty:
 Uncertainty
is certain.
“Companies rarely know what they will be
building five years out and what skills they will
need to make that happen; they also don’t know
if the people they have in their pipelines are
going to be around.” (Peter Cappelli, Wharton School)
 Hiring
managers avoid risk whenever
possible.
 College degrees are the ticket to get in the
door with employers… but they do not
assure good performance.
Beyond college credentials, the
competencies employers value most:
 People
skills – 89% rated ‘extremely’ or ‘very’
important
 Motivation to keep up with changes – 87%
 Applied skills – 68%
 Ongoing learning, skill development – 64%
 Entrepreneurial attitude – 48%
Results of a 2011 survey of 169 HR professionals conducted by
the St. Louis RCGA and the Human Resource Management
Association (St. Louis SHRM)
People skills
 Ethical
behavior
 Customer orientation
 Teamwork / collaboration
 Oral and written communication
 Active listening
Motivation to keep up with changes
 Positive
attitude – enthusiastic for new
opportunities
 Committed and will ‘go the extra mile’
 Engaged as a leader as well as team player
 Loves what they do
 Initiates ideas for improving personal
efficiency
Applied skills
 Problem-solving
 Strategic
thinking / planning
 Critical / analytical thinking
 Decision-making
 Prioritization / focus
Ongoing learning and skill
development
 Initiates
formal learning objectives as part of
employee development plan
 Participates in classroom-style training in the
workplace
 Pursues professional development credits
 Participates in online learning
 Has one or more mentors to provide ongoing
learning
Entrepreneurial attitude
 Manages
company resources as if they were
their own
 Willing to go ‘outside my job description’ with
new approaches to get the job done
 Demonstrates a passion for problem-solving
 Initiates ideas to improve business operations
 Is resilient when failure occurs
About the talent marketplace:
 Many
employers use a supply chain
approach. They ‘source’ the right people
with the right skills at the right time by
- developing from within
- hiring directly from without
- augmenting staff temporarily
- outsourcing
- off-shoring
- more.
This is the future.
 Employers
search for people with up-to-date
skills from a vast talent marketplace –
community colleges, four-year universities,
trade schools, non-profits, proprietary
schools, professional associations, social
networks, WIBs, edupreneurs, other firms.
 Innovation and other good things can happen
when there is communication, collaboration,
coopetition, customer choice.
Implications for community colleges
 Become
a lifelong listener. Don’t just bring
employers to your table – sit at theirs. Read
their e-newsletters; join their associations.
Stay awake at night worrying about their
problems.
 Learn to think from the demand side. Think
work, not jobs. Think continuous change, not
static state. Think minimizing risk vs. “doing
the right thing.” Consider how innovative
partnerships can solve business challenges.
Implications (continued)
 Instead
of long-term plans, establish longterm relationships. Business organizations
and human resource groups like SHRM exist
everywhere. Get to know them.
 Consider how ‘alternative work
arrangements’ align with business sourcing
trends. Make it work from both sides.
Implications (continued)
 Help
students assess and market skills in
terms of the competencies employers value
most. Use existing research or – better yet –
conduct your own.
 Remember: employers are less interested in
what a job candidate did for another employer
yesterday, and more interested in what he or
she can do for them today. Send graduates to
work prepared to hit the ground running.
Your ideas.
Thank you.
Blair Forlaw
blair@bforlaw.com