1. Establish the benefits (the why).
Always start with the ‘why’ before jumping into the ‘what’ (‘ask’). Articulating the benefits to your employer partners is essential if you want them to engage in a partnership. By knowing your partners, you should be able to identify what they are looking for, what drives them to engage in educational outreach. If a partner is going to commit, they want to be confident they will have some kind of impact. For example, if investing in student talent, partners should be confident that the workforce over the next several years will be strong enough to pay them back. Jobs are now following talent... not the other way around. So, if partners and staff can strengthen and link the pipeline between student and a business partner/ job, obtaining the partner’s initial involvement should not be too difficult. Others may want to contribute to their Corporate Social Responsibility or simply help raise the profile of their sector to help reduce the skills gap.
2. Ownership is first built upon sharing the work.
Involve employer partners in the initial exploration around your careers and business engagement programme, what does it look like, sound like, and link with your local community. The best way for them to buy-in is for them to share a deep understanding of the why, what and how. This allows the partners to own the vision, goals, and success criteria with you.
3. Spend the time to on board and reflect.
Don’t expect your partners to understand the ask straight away. Spend time on boarding them to the experience. Doing so will ensure that your partners are set up for success. Another important step is to take time to reflect. It’s easy to skip this step, but engaging your partners to the fullest requires that you ask for their input on how the experience could be improved. Partners have perspectives and insights they are usually willing to share, especially when asked. So, to be successful, engage partners in the full process. Share goals; spend sufficient time on boarding; engage in and measure the activity; and celebrate and reflect. Doing so will truly lay the foundation for a deep and lasting partner relationship.
4. Customise opportunities to engage.
Just like there is more than one type of student, there is also more than one type of employer partner. Be sure there is a variety of activities appropriate for every partner and potential partner to select from, including activities that take just a few hours to those that require ongoing involvement. Find out what motivates your partner. Is their desire to strengthen the organisation’s workforce, or is it to support community prosperity? Perhaps they feel it’s just the right thing to do. Once you know the partner’s motivation, align activities and opportunities that engage their interests and participation.
5. Provide partner support.
Set your employer partners up for success from the beginning by determining the level of support that will be necessary. Identify and connect partners with the resources needed as they embark on this journey. Remember, educational outreach is an addition to their work and not part of their normal business responsibilities. The more scaffolding and support you can provide for them, the more capacity and enthusiasm they will have for being involved and owning the work. This can’t be overstated. Take special care of your partners if you want them to eventually own the work.
