Best Practice Self-Assessments for Job Search & Reemployment Planning

When people are laid off, they experience many emotions, such as shock, anger, and anxiety. Talk to anyone who has lost a job, and you usually hear first about the person's feelings.

It is this swirl of emotions that often makes it difficult for dislocated workers to know what to do first.

Despite the stress and emotional toll associated with layoffs and downsizings, many workforce development programs don't address it, including the U.S. Department of Labor's Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) initiative under WIOA.  Of course, we aren't mental health counselors. But here are a few ways to help unemployment insurance (UI) claimaints and the unemployed stay positive and connected, explain the editors at Career Action Resources:

• Recommend job clubs to help job seekers find social interaction and support.
• Refer job hunters to workshops that build confidence and skills.
• Suggest volunteer work to help job seekers stay active.
• Consider using Layoff-to-Employment Action Planner (LEAP), which assesses the need for emotional and social support and guides individuals in managing 8 key issues faced after job loss. LEAP is the ONLY tool described in a USDOL study on reemployment program success.

Here's what dislocated workers say about LEAP's value in managing stress, uncertainty, fear, and the other emotions associated with job loss and unemployment:

“A useful tool for taking positive steps. It makes you realize that you are not alone.”

“Anyone who has lost a job needs help in sorting out what to expect and what steps to take to feel secure until returning to the workforce. LEAP eases a great deal of frustration.”

“Very self-explanatory. Gave me suggestions to help with emotional issues and deal with stress.”

Helped me realize “being afraid and confused are common. I know now I’m not alone. I would recommend LEAP to other laid-off workers for peace of mind.”

“Great tool to assess the anxieties I have been dealing with. It reinforced how important it is to stay on track. After standing in line at the unemployment office and asking for assistance, I realize LEAP is a very valuable resource.”

If you a workforce program professional who assists dislocated workers, UI claimants, and the unemployed, you can request a complimentary LEAP review sample from Career Action Resources, LLC.

Implementing WIOA is a big job and brings many changes. But do your job seekers and the public care about WIOA? The answer is no, say the editors at Career Action Resources, LLC.

Most people come into the public workforce system for a relatively brief time to receive unemployment insurance, job search help, career training, and other benefits. Job seekers don't care about WIOA or how hard you are working to implement it. What they care about most is getting their benefits and finding a job. WIOA, frankly, means nothing to job hunters and the unemployed.

Because you will be or are serving job seekers, the unemployed, and other populations in new, better, and different ways under WIOA, consider communicating and publicizing it to your community. Here are a few suggestions:

• Use your web site, social media, newsletters, news releases, and events to explain to the public and to employers how your agency and local American Job Centers are changing and what they can expect under WIOA.
• Tell success stories of how your agency has helped individuals find work, make transitions, get training, develop skills, and so on. 
• Plan a campaign that describes improvements under WIOA and roll it out over time to reinforce the message.
• Use WIOA as an opportunity to publicize who you are, what you do, and make more individuals and employers aware of your services and benefits. 
• Have an open house so the public, job seekers, and employers can meet your staff and see your local American Job Centers and related resources in person.
• Avoid jargon and technical information 
• as much as possible. 
• Include your agency's full name, contact person, address, phone number, website, social media links, and hours of operation in all communication efforts. 
• Most important: Always focus on how WIOA will benefit job hunters, employers, and anyone using your workforce services. 

The public still may not care about WIOA, but they will respond to the changes and improvements that will benefit everyone in job search, career, and life.

Career Action Resources is the creator of best-practice tools used by the nation's American Job Centers and other workforce agencies. Learn more.

#wkdev  #WIOA  #jobs

In the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) rules, "customers" are mentioned 143 times. This emphasis is driving the "customer-centered design" initiative for WIOA implementation. Also called human-centered design, the effort is being led by the U.S. Department of Labor to inspire the workforce system to invigorate service delivery under WIOA.

Key tenets of customer-centered design include the following:

• Start with "how might we" questions to inspire the process.
• Observe and empathize with customers.
• Be open-minded about how things are done and what customers need.
• Try new approaches and learn from them.
• Seek to improve the customer experience. 

Seeking tools that put job seekers at the center of your service delivery? Looking for ways to improve your interaction with job hunters and other customers?

Consider Layoff-to-Employment Action Planner (LEAP) and Your Employment Search (YES), which help staff interact with customers and create job search and employment plans based on each individual's unique needs. Both LEAP and YES are published by Career Action Resources, LLC.

#WIOA  #wkdev #jobs