Originally delivered by:

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The Business Leadership Network

• Originally delivered by
• Katherine McCary
• SunTrust Bank Business Leadership Networks
• Cathy Healy
• US Chamber of Commerce
• 2004

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Topics

• History of the BLN
• The BLN today
• How the BLN can assist the the Public Sector
• Private/Public Partnerships
• Q and A

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History of the BLN

• How many of you have even heard of the Business
  Leadership Network?
• Have you been involved in any chapters?
• There are 51 BLNs today in 37 states and the
  organization has undergone many changes since its
  beginning in 1994
• Part of a presidential task force, then PCEPD
• PCEPD sunsets to DOL ODEP 2000
• 2002-ODEP releases BLN program (not policy)

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The BLN Today

• National conferences-2002 in DC at US Chamber
  decision to form national organization consistent
  with employer focus
• Consensus that no employer wanted to be a part of
  DOL-the Presidents Committee was different

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The BLN Today

• We had babies with no mother
• 2003 USBLN, Inc trademarks for name, domain,
  logo, etc.
• Established regions and regional leads
• Bylaws
• 501c3
• National awards
• Website under KYBLN
• US Chamber Serves on Executive Committee
• Message to take away Look for more consistent,
  comprehensive and effective chapters!

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The BLN Today

• The US Business Leadership Network Vision
• Every employer recognizes and benefits from the
  best practice of including people with
  disabilities in their workforce and marketplace.

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The BLN Today

• The US Business Leadership Network Mission
• The US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) is the
  national organization that supports development
  and expansion of BLNs across the country, serving
  as their collective voice. The USBLN recognizes
  and promotes best practices in hiring, retaining,
  and marketing to people with disabilities.

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The BLN Today

•  How the BLN differs from other employer
  advisory groups
• Business to business viewpoint respected
• Safe harbor
• Practical insight
• We are not educating VR, we are educating
  employers directly
• Website provides employer focus in employer
  language
• Chapters adhere to guidelines that promote
  success
• National and Chapter Activities include regional
  meetings, annual conferences, sponsoring National
  Disability Mentoring Day, Employer Recognition

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How the BLN can assist the Public Sector- 4 ways

• Employer Awareness The Business Case
• Employer Education and Training
• Employer to Employer
• Employer Resources

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How the BLN can assist the Public Sector- 4 ways

• Employer Awareness The Business Case
• BLN Chapters tell the business case for including
  people with disabilities in their workforce as
  well as marketplace. By 2010 the US is facing a
  10 million worker shortage the marketing
  potential for business is growing people with
  disabilities have 1 trillion in annual aggregate
  income, 220 billion in discretionary spending
•  

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How the BLN can assist the Public Sector- 4 ways

• Employer Education and Training
•  
• The BLNs focus is employer education. The more
  training BLN chapters provide to their members,
  the more people with disabilities will be viewed
  as valuable applicants and employees
•  
•  

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How the BLN can assist the Public Sector- 4 ways

• Employer to Employer
• Risk free/no advocate agenda environment for
  fostering trust and strong relationships. The BLN
  works because employers have no hidden agenda,
  sharing their experience because of strong
  beliefs and experiences they have little to gain
  by educating others (including their competitors)

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How the BLN can assist the Public Sector- 4 ways

• Employer Resources
• The BLN can assist the blind and vision impaired
  community by providing easy access to resources
  available to employers. For example, few
  employers know about the Job Accommodation
  Network-yet if the BLN includes JAN in their
  resource portfolio, more knowledge occurs. Work
  incentives for SSDI and SSI recipients is another
  example of how employers in the BLN can assist
  other employers in navigating through complicated
  government lingo.

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Private-Public Partnerships
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Background Steps

• In May 2003, a private/public partnership Summit
  was held.
• The purpose of the event was to bring business
  together with state vocational rehabilitation to
  dialogue on how to implement and refine
  partnerships that meet business needs and result
  in jobs and careers for job seekers with
  disabilities.
• The Summit included 21 employers and VR
  Leadership from 8 southeastern states (FL, GA,
  TN, AL, MS, KY, NC and SC). The employers
  recruited to attend were known to have had
  experience with VR and disability employment
  interests.

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• VCU RRTC Business Roundtable sponsored the Summit
  in conjunction with the biannual Region IV
  Employment Partners Training Conference

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Ten Features of the Private/Public Partnership
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STEP 1 Form a Marketing Team

• It Starts at the TOP--Sanctioned by VR Leadership
  and advised by business
• Select Team members based n interest and
  experience in employer/VR relationships. VR who
  has experience in marketing and employer
  recruitment
• Build common knowledge and language
• Examine critical and typical employer needs

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Step 2 Study Employer Practices

• Conduct initial and on-going study of employer
  practices and employer market
• Examine broad and individual industry hiring
  practices
• Examine Employer perceptions
• Find out Employer experiences

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Step 3Develop a Strategic Plan

• Develop purpose or mission
• Set timeframe for accomplishing
• Determine expected outcomes (,type of employers
  targeted)
• Identify 3-5 goals to accomplish outcomes
• Identify strategy, tasks, lead person, timeframe
  for each goal
• Set key milestones to keep focused

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Step 4 Customize Marketing Materials

• Use employer advisors
• Conduct focus groups
• Incorporate Feedback
• Partner with the BLN
• Look for multiple ways to meet employer needs,
  not just referrals

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Step 5 Maintain Employer Database

• Marketing mailings
• Targeted invitations to forums and events
• Accurate, avoid duplication
• Expand to specific employers in intra and inter
  state locations.

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Step 6. Dedicate Personnel

• Dedicated to develop and manage employer
  relationships
• Grounded in HR management practices
• Knowledgeable in workforce diversity
• Skilled in addressing accommodation needs
• Business exposure

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Step 7. Customize Skill Training

• Train management and counselors
• What employers want from VR
• Basic Marketing Concepts
• Basic Relationship Building

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Step 8. Develop Practical Guide for VR

• Effective Ways to represent VR to employers
• How to find out who has hiring authority in the
  organization
• How to find out what particular employers
  specific needs are
• Business Protocol for soliciting and interacting
  with company representatives

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Step 8. Develop Practical Guide for Employer

• What is VR and how it can help employers meeting
  business objectives
• Listing of VR Services available
• Resources listing for disability information
  (websites, contact persons, etc.)

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Step 9. Develop a Resource Website

• Almost every business uses the web
• Easy to access
• Easy to update
• Opportunity to solicit feedback
• Marketing vehicle for touting employer success

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Step 10. Sustain Dialogue

• Regular facilitated sessions between employers
  and VR are important.
• Explore the value derived from the partnership
• Discuss how VR can make its services more
  convenient
• Uncover needs outside the range of job openings
• Learn what incentives could attract more
  employers

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Private-Public Partnerships

• What employers said

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Why do you value private-public partnerships?

• Mutual benefits derived from them
• Opportunity to hire talent

• More choices in hiring
• Knowledge and leveraging additional resources

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How can VR management make its services more
appealing/convenient to employers?

• Organize a single point of contact-one
  person/mechanism through which to establish
  relationship
• Attend and participate in employer organizations
• Take time to understand business needs (not
  charity)
• Educate business on accommodation and disability
  issues

• Advertise success stories-show good examples of
  how it works (BLN)
• Careful prescreening to match candidates to
  business
• Use business to business marketing and business
  language

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What are human resource needs beyond referral of
individual job candidates that VR could provide?

• Service after the sale-job retention services
• Joint training ventures to upgrade candidates
  skills
• On demand training and consultation on disability
  and accommodation issues

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What incentives would attract more employers to
enter into partnerships with VR?

• Single point of contact
• Marketing that links partnerships to bottom line
  and diversity issues
• Positive public exposure for the company hiring
  people with disabilities

• Simplified contact process
• Tax credits and incentives if simple and easy to
  access
• Any activity that shows concern for the bottom
  line

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What would you be willing to contribute to the
partnership?

• Time to meet with VR representatives
• Share experiences with other businesses

• Co-host training
• Welcome VR to meetings of business organizations

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Manpower, Inc.

• We often match the person to a situation, not
  merely to a job. If you can show me how this will
  benefit my company, Ill consider any candidate.

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Lowes

• Explain how this will benefit my business.
  Identify the companys needs and offer what you
  can do to help. This is more effective than
  trying to sell your program.

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Marriott International

• Business wants to see examples and references
  from other employers on how it has worked in
  other organizations.

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CVS Pharmacy HR Manager

• A VR Representative worked directly with our
  store managers to find out what positions we
  recruit for and what new workers need to know.
  Then they found us the right people.

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SunTrust Bank

• VR needs to go where the employers are-SHRM
  chapters, Chamber of Commerce, Diversity
  Conferences

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Home Depot

• Our employees need specific skills. We worked
  with VR to organize a training program in our
  stores

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CVS Pharmacy

• Look to help our bottom line. Can you focus on
  our sales and expenses-will you help us increase
  the former and reduce the latter?

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SunTrust Bank

• We need to know where to go for on-demand help
  when we have a question about a disability or
  need to make some sort of reasonable accommodation

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UNUM Provident

• To really sell VR services to employers, VR first
  has to figure out what employers need. Focus on
  what VR ca provide as solutions to companies
  needs

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Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Ill meet with anyone who has a reasonable
  message about how they can help me.