How to Make WorkKeys Successful with Industry

How to Make WorkKeys Successful with Industry Presented by: Denny Smith, Ph.D. October 30, 2007 Springfield, Missouri Missouri Colleagues Thank you for everything you do to make WorkKeys successful Calhoun Community College WorkKeys Service Center Real WorkKeys Service Center Stories and Challenges to Consider WorkKeys Service Center Background Information  In 1996 at the request of a local industry, Calhoun Community College began to offer WorkKeys  In 2000 Calhoun Community College developed the 5th ACT Center in the country WorkKeys Service Center Assessment Data 2006 WorkKeys Assessment Data  Administered 8000 WorkKeys assessments in 2006  Paper based WorkKeys assessments  Percentage differences for each fiscal year (September to August)  2001 to 2006 2001: 3,576 2006: 8,000  Change: +124% WorkKeys Service Center Growth 2001 - 2002 2001: 3,576 2002: 3,542  Change: -1% 2004 - 2005 2004: 2,392 2005: 3,390  Change: +42% 2002 - 2003 2002: 3,542 2003: 3,238  Change: -8.5% 2005 - 2006 2005: 3,390 2006: 8,000  Change: +136% 2003 - 2004 2003: 3,238 2004: 2,392  Change: -26% 2001 - 2006 2001: 3,576 2006: 8,000  Change: +124% WorkKeys Service Center Challenges  Know your college’s service strategy Is your college more concerned with headcount or revenue?  Is your center looked at as a service or a stand alone facility?  Determining how the WorkKeys service center will be included in college budget  Began as a auxiliary service similar to college bookstore  Returning the college’s investment  Difficult to accomplish when operating costs are nearly $110,000 annually (including salary and benefits)  Becoming dependent on “soft money” to support projects  WorkKeys Service Center Challenges  Managing the Center  Staffing shortages - only 2 full-time college employees  WorkKeys is only a small piece of my job responsibilities  Marketing WorkKeys Services  WorkKeys is just another “fad”  Few industries are buying WorkKeys in our area  Setting your expectations too high with industry How to Succeed with Industry The Keys to Success How to Succeed with Industry  Determine the type of VAR your center would like to be   Do you want create a VAR that caters to industries? Do you want to be a VAR that focuses on testing aspects of WorkKeys?  Establish your credibility with industry  As Director I spend many hours in consultation with HR Directors.  Many times I am brought into the hiring process from the very beginning. How to Succeed with Industry  Who should we hire to be successful with industry?  Ideal candidate - Someone who has experience and background in marketing and human resources  Potential candidate - Someone who has an understanding of HR functions  Additionally, all the Directors should be (or become) Job Profilers  How can we “walk the walk and talk the talk?”  A WorkKeys Service Center staff member and I prepared for and passed SPHR & PHR Exams  HR Directors know that members of our staff have the same professionally recognized credentials as HR directors and other workforce professionals How to Succeed with Industry  Look for a premier company in your area to target the benefits of WorkKeys  Someone who other companies look to for direction You must invest time in them in order for them to want to invest in you  Find your “niche” with the company  How to Succeed with Industry  Propose volume discounts on assessments to larger customers  Encourage companies to promote WorkKeys assessments scores by including them in job announcements, both internal and external  Encourage employees to contact the HR Manager or Training Manager to get approval to take WorkKeys assessments How to Succeed with Industry  Face to Face meetings are always the best  Establish personal relationships  Build rapport with individuals and companies  May lead to future business developments  Try to set industry appointments when requests are made by phone  Difficult to explain all the benefits of WorkKeys over the phone Establishing Excellence with Job Profiling  If you chose to outsource job profiling    Hire good quality, detail oriented job profilers Very detailed job profilers are worth the additional cost investment Cutting corners in this area will cost you or your client in the long run  Always maintain extra copies of all SME documentation along with the final reports when working with industries. Establishing Excellence with Job Profiling Eliminate your competition through “partnerships”  Partner with local job profilers to bring new opportunities to your center in exchange for “no compete agreements”  Drives down job profiling costs by providing more business to outside profilers  Allows your center the opportunity to generate more revenue  Eliminates the need to have a have multiple profilers on staff unless sufficient demand exists  This is especially critical since a minimum number of profiles are required each year How to Succeed with Industry Real World Examples Where to Begin with Industry  John Mitchell, Human Resources Manager for International Diesel of Alabama contacted the Calhoun Community College ACT Center to inquire about WorkKeys testing  Researched the company  International Diesel is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Truck and Engine Corporation  The Huntsville, Alabama Plant is International’s newest engine facility  International Diesel produces approximately 570 diesel engines daily for Ford Motor and International’s medium duty trucks and school buses  International Diesel currently employees 275 full-time employees and uses approximately 70 agency temporaries to augment production demands Where to Begin with Industry  Scheduled visits with the International Diesel Human Resources’ Team and members of the Plant staff to explain WorkKeys profiling, replication, and testing procedures  Coordinated a conference call with ACT specialists to discuss test validation  Discussed the advantages of using WorkKeys to identify training needs for the existing workforce  Know your competition and why WorkKeys is better solution. The Need  Time to move from a start-up to a more robust steady state       hiring process Needed an up-to-date process which would continue to ensure qualified applicants Needed a process which would enable a re-test opportunity Wanted to continue using a third party test administrator Wanted a tool to help identify skill gaps to enable target job specific training Needed a process which would meet EEOC validation guidelines “The WorkKeys process exceeded their expectations,” John Mitchell, HR Manager Getting Started  ACT profilers Denny Smith and Don Belcher toured      the Plant to learn about the manufacturing process Target jobs Assembler, Machine Operator, and Maintenance Technician were identified Profilers interviewed workers to gain first hand knowledge of job specific skills and requirements Evaluated machines, tools, and equipment used in each job Subject matter experts were identified Profiling and replication sessions were conducted Skills Identified through Job Profiling Process  Profiling completed at International Diesel resulted in the following WorkKeys skill areas:    Assembler  Reading for Information, Locating Information, Teamwork, and Observation Machine Operator  Reading for Information, Applied Math, Locating Information, Teamwork, and Observation Maintenance Technician  Reading for Information, Applied Math, Locating Information, Teamwork, Observation, and Applied Technology Managing the Project  Calhoun’s ACT Center staff worked directly with International Diesel’s HR Staff  Invited applicants to take the WorkKeys assessment tests  Scheduled and conducted over 400 assessments  Provided timely WorkKeys scores to the applicants and to International Diesel  Maintained all testing records Return on Investment  Applicants have appropriate skills and qualifications and are eligible to move the next phase of the employment process  WorkKeys testing has increased the quality of temporary workers and has resulted in less turnover  International Diesel team members agree that WorkKeys testing is fair and relevant to job tasks How WorkKeys is being used by Temporary Services WorkKeys Certified? If you have passed WorkKeys testing for a former employer, we can put you to work. Automotive company in Huntsville needs you. Call Express for details. 721-JOBS Express Personnel Services Published in The Decatur Daily, Sunday October 16, 2005 Industry using WorkKeys in a newspaper ad Source: The Decatur Daily, July 1, 2007  WorkKeys scores are included in the newspaper ad  Applicants are:  Screened by OCI Human Resources  Referred to college after the initial screening  Required to pay for the assessment  Scores are:  Faxed to OCI after the assessment  Entered into the CRC database Industry using WorkKeys with a Community College  Worked with local     human resource director to identify a need for WorkKeys in a union environment Profiled the jobs Assisted in scheduling of candidates Provided WorkKeys assessments Scored and returned to client within 24 hours Industry Example of using WorkKeys with a Community College  College hosted 3-M company   (Source: Decatur Daily August 5, 2007)   where they accepted applications (2500 in 4 days) 3-M encouraged individuals to bring WorkKeys scores when applications were accepted College processed over 100 requests for previous assessment score reports Testing process  Individual is given option of two dates to take WorkKeys  College establishes a call-in system for individuals to make an appointment  Test about 200 per session Scores sent directly to 3-M where the company makes the decision to ask the individual to next hiring phase Marketing a WorkKeys Service Center Uniting Business and Education Marketing a WorkKeys Service Center  Pay attention to details   My business cards have the WorkKeys Service Center logo Never can tell when that might make a difference Provide telephone follow up Send survey with postage paid return  Encourage feedback from your customers   Marketing a WorkKeys Service Center  Develop your own WorkKeys online newsletter (Ex: ACT ACTION)  Publish generic stories that can be used in several publications  Customized DVD's and videos for WorkKeys and WorkKeys Service Center (Testimonials)   Needs to relate to your community Important to show local faces and companies  PSA’s - these are hard to see the benefits but still recommended Marketing a WorkKeys Service Center  Use councils, organizations, and associations to market your program    Manufacture Alabama Local chambers of commerce Economic development associations  Be willing to speak to organizations  Accept committee appointments that will market your WorkKeys services  Discuss SCA Tissue project (economic development potential)  Partner with other state agencies to provide WorkKeys (Ex. South Central Tennessee career center) Marketing a WorkKeys Service Center  Build on your WorkKeys success to develop new training needs from the company’s or clients’ Job Profiles  Built into Business 190X class   1 hour academic credit course Tuition money is credit through business office to WorkKeys Service Center account  Students are required to purchase “online instruction” after WorkKeys assessments is administered  Sell WorkKeys curriculum in college bookstore     WorkKeys candidates who are being assessed for an industry are offered the opportunity to purchase study guides for the assessments WorkKeys Service Center purchased a lifetime license from approved WorkKeys provider and printed workbooks onsite in college print shop Provided an incentive to print shop of additional mark-up on books which they are able to keep for their department in exchange for faster printing on demand WorkKeys Service Center netted over $10,000 in revenue over 3 years Marketing a WorkKeys Service Center  Promote the benefits of WorkKeys to college faculty especially those in Career/Technical programs    College funds the costs of assessments with Perkins funding Faculty notifies the WorkKeys Service Center administrative staff when students are approaching graduation Scores are added to a student career credential document and the career readiness certificate database Marketing a WorkKeys Service Center  Market your services to area school systems  Send a letter to K-12 system coordinators in each school system advertising WorkKeys as the approved assessment for Paraprofessionals with NCLB  Develop a “voucher system” with K-12 schools for existing personnel who need to be assessed under NCLB  Look for opportunities to tap into State WIA funds such as Incumbent Worker grants & Individual Training Accounts  Look for partnerships with other colleges and organizations that use WorkKeys Managing a WorkKeys Service Center Personnel and Customer Service Managing Personnel in a WorkKeys Service Center  Justify your time (time management)  Find best use of your time  Empower others  Provide leadership  Avoid micromanagement  Allow your staff the opportunity to fail Managing Personnel in a WorkKeys Service Center  Hire WorkKeys Service Center staff members who are smarter than you  Hire multi-talented individuals  Have an individual who pays attention to details  Have a central person in-charge of scheduling appointments  Ensure part-time personnel are available and fully trained on proper testing procedures Managing Personnel in a WorkKeys Service Center  Develop WorkKeys Service Center policies for all students and staff members    Ensures consistent WorkKeys testing Use ACT and your college’s policies as guides Ex. return policy for purchased curriculum  Develop a policy to handle the release of additional score reports for your WorkKeys assessments  Our current policy was designed around Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)  Maximize your testing center capabilities  Sometimes it better to have fewer hours and more seats full as opposed to more hours and fewer people in each seat. This will maximize the proctor’s time with fixed overhead expenses. Managing Personnel in a WorkKeys Service Center WorkKeys Testing  The majority of our clients take WorkKeys for hiring or promotional reasons through a company or client  Staff members should understand the many functions within the WorkKeys Service Center   Know what resources are available Know where to locate these resources for the customer  Assessments  Study curriculum WorkKeys Service Center Operations and Customer Service Overview  Staff members should understand the WorkKeys testing process     Know how to provide support to potential customers when inquiries concerning WorkKeys are made Know which assessments are required for each company when applicants call (employment clearinghouse) Know what information can be made public per individual company policy Provide accurate turnaround times for results  Results should be available by the next afternoon for testing done at WorkKeys Service Center  May need to allow more time to process results for larger groups  Must maintain scoring equipment to keep test results on track Support Personnel Requirements  Duties of WorkKeys Service Center administrative staff   Providing excellent customer service and support Provide all services in a timely and professional manner  Requires a great deal of patience  Requires listening to the customer Support Personnel Requirements  Job roles  Office administrator  Office manager (when the director is away)  One must be able to have enough knowledge to “run the show” along with the director’s confidence to do so  Must be able to “multi-task”    Be able to handle various duties Be flexible enough to change tasks to meet the urgent demands of industry and the college Provide hands-on help in the WorkKeys Service Center Support Personnel Requirements  Must be able to work with internal customers (college) and external customers (business and industry)  Must be able to establish relationships with other administrative staffs and work to meet companies’ human resource and training needs  Ability to interface with people from all backgrounds to meet individual and company needs such as  General public  Human Resource Directors  Management  Business Owners  Employees  College students Support Personnel Requirements  Must be business focused but also understand roles and functions of an educational institution  Responsible for end of the month reporting     Processes all monthly billing reports from ACT Handles billing requirements for all customers and prepares monthly invoices to be sent to clients Maintains the WorkKeys Service Center’s monthly revenue and expense reports Responsible for posting that invoices have been paid after the business office receives payment Customer Service  Return your calls (Always within 24 hours)  Allow your customers (employers) to speak directly with you, the director, when they call  Maintain personal relationships with company personnel when transferred to new locations (Ex. ConAgra's & SCA Tissue companies provide Job Profiling in NY, GA, MO, and IL)  Directors should randomly follow up with personal phone calls to customers Customer Service  Emphasize customer service to your staff  Operate with a business focus  Remember 80/20 rule: 80% of your business from 20% of your customers  Do “small things” to make your WorkKeys Service Center better for your customers and students. (Ex: Assist with the administrative HR functions for industries when using WorkKeys) Questions or Comments? In Closing  Know your market and your community  Remember the examples we discussed here are generalizations may not be applicable to every college or workforce situation  Thank you time and attention; it has been my sincere pleasure to be with you today.  If I can be of further help please contact me at dws35611@pclnet.net