Employment Services Representative

About the role

The Employment Services Representative is responsible for all case management and job development activities as they relate to individual consumers acquiring and maintaining employment. This includes acting as a liaison with multiple entities, managing Individual Service Plans (ISP), managing records and providing supportive services. Also provides information on other available resources through Community Partners.

Responsibilities

• Implements strategies to achieve the goals for the organization and case management and job development activities.
• Sustains policies, procedures and programs.
• Effectively plans and manages own work to reliably complete routine job responsibilities and special assignments.
• Periodically serves as a team member or subject matter expert on formal or department projects.
• Effectively engages in change affecting her/him, communicating appropriately with supervisor.
• Follows through on learning, skill building, and practice necessary to adapt to change.
• Serves as an ambassador for Goodwill in the wider community.
• Serves as liaison with employers, union, public and private employment agencies and other Goodwill staff to develop job opportunities that match both business and job seekers needs.
• Supports clients in job searching and placement.
• Establishes and maintains working relationships with employers, industry organizations, and public agencies to source job openings and secure employment and vocational training opportunities for clients.
• Develops, implements and monitors Individual Service Plans.
• Establishes mutually-agreed and appropriate goals for each individual consumer.
• Evaluates individual's background, skills, and interest and matches to potential job openings or training programs.
• Orients newly hired consumers to the company's policies, procedures, products, services, standards, fringe benefits, and opportunities.
• Processes and maintains in a timely manner, all necessary records and data including Monthly Progress Reports, computer entries, placement, follow-up and status change data, and Employer Job Orders.
• Provides counseling, guidance and supportive services as needed, including career exploration, personal grooming, personal finance, job seeking, community resources, transitional jobs.
• Provides weekly orientation to new clients giving an overview of Goodwill's services, programs, process and procedures.
• Provides job retention services that identify behavior or work conditions that are problematic to the individual consumer.
• Develops a plan to reduce target behavior(s) and remedy the situation.
• Provides emotional and problem solving/support techniques to individual consumers.
• Develops and maintains cooperative, professional relationships with all referral sources.
• Maintains a safe and orderly work environment.
• Completes other duties/responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

• Two years of college education or experience equivalency, and a minimum of 1 year experience.
• Must have a valid Illinois Driver's license.
• Previous experience working in placement services or case management.

Core Cultural Competencies

• Customer Focus: Independently anticipates and meets customer needs, while searching for ways to improve customer service. Internalizes customer feedback, and follows up with customers to ensure problems are solved by providing innovative ideas to meet their future needs.
• Values Differences: Seeks out the diverse perspectives and talents of others, striving to work effectively with others who have different perspectives, backgrounds or styles. Behaves with sensitivity towards differences in cultural norms, expectations, and ways of communicating. Challenges stereotyping or offensive comments.
• Communicates Effectively: Shares information and updates with others, while ensuring a clear, concise and professional communication through reports, documentation, written and other communications. Listens with interest to what others have to say.
• Situational Adaptability: Demonstrates flexibility of responses to different situations through adapting to the changing needs, conditions, priorities or opportunities. Monitors how well an approach is working to see if a change is needed, recognizing cues that suggest a change in approach or behavior is needed.
• Drives Results: Demonstrates a strong drive to achieve meaningful results, through driving tasks to successful completion and closure. Sets high standards for own performance, showing determination in the face of obstacles and setbacks. Ensures accountability: Takes responsibility and ownership for successes and failures in own work. Monitors progress of performance and changes approach accordingly, following through on commitments.

Physical/Sensory Demands

• Remain stationary for extended periods of time.
• Repetitive use of hands and vision required while using computer keyboard and work with written and electronic information.
• Able to hear and communicate on phone and in person.
• Ability to travel.