Christa Nivens, NENA Director
COO, EmployReward Solutions, Inc.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, none of us could have predicted the magnitude of how it would affect daily life for our agencies or our ticketholders.  Now that we appear to be on the upside of things, COVID-19 has presented us with many challenges, but one BIG opportunity… job placement and growth.

Employers are hiring, and in a lot of cases, scrambling to find people who are willing and able to return to work. This has created a better opportunity for us to help facilitate job placement for our ticketholders. Plus, there’s an additional nugget for marketing the Ticket to Work program to beneficiaries who may have previously been hesitant about testing their ability.

Because of the demand for employees, employers are rethinking the typical employee benefits are now offering incentives such as:

So how do we find details about career fairs and employers who are hiring?  Simple.  A quick check at the news or search on Google will bring up scores of career fairs and employers who need good candidates.

So how do we help bridge that gap?

Marketing is one of the quickest ways to get the word out to your ticketholders.  A quick e-mail, text blast, or social media post can quickly inform clients in targeted areas or across the country of specific career fairs or employers that are hiring close-by

Another important avenue is to share on your website “breaking news” when you learn of career fairs or employers that are hiring; or develop a calendar that visitors can browse and link back to more information on your findings.

Partnerships are also a great way to help, whether it’s with job centers, employers, or job boards. The more information you are armed with, the more you have available to share with your clients. With employers being eager to find people who are willing to work, the eagerness can bring about the opportunity to develop some grassroots partnerships.

Having a quick reference sheet or flyer about your agency that quickly highlights how you can help is a great idea.  Researching companies and networking through platforms such as LinkedIn can also prove fruitful.

Last, but not least, it is important to assess whether your ticketholders are ready to return to work. Even with the COVID-19 vaccine being available, there is still some anxiety about returning to the workforce for many people. Help your clients feel prepared for the challenge.  Once you have them informed and polished with a resume, and interview practice under their belt, it is time to hit the ground running towards that finish line.  When they succeed, we all succeed!