Building & maintaining relationships with employers



Building & maintaining relationships with employers

Successful employer engagement should be based on the following four Rs:

1. Recruitment

2. Relationships

3. Retention

4. Reward

The most important factor in maintaining a successful relationship with an employer is to follow the following rules of business etiquette:

• be positive, responsive, courteous and helpful

• respond immediately

• meet agreed timelines

• provide a personal point of contact, direct phone number or email address

• recognise value of contribution and welcome employer as member of the school community

• ask yourself “how can business benefit from the engagement?”

Before the event:

1. Explain clearly what you would like the employer to do, when and where.

2. Provide a direct means of them contacting you, email being preferable.

3. Explain who the students are and how the activity fits in to their learning, indicate if students have special needs.

4. Jointly plan the activity, establish why the employer might get involved and how that involvement might address their own aims and objectives.

5. Share with employer the learning outcomes.

6. Make sure they know where the school is, where they can park and meet them at reception.

On day of event:

1. Brief reception with their name and time of arrival.

2. Make sure they feel welcomed to the school. Remember they may not have visited a school since they were a student themselves.

3. Inform Headteacher or SMT that they are coming and ask them to make a point of introducing themselves and thanking them for their involvement.

4. Offer refreshments at the appropriate times.

5. Formally introduce employer to students. Ask employer to explain who they are, the company they represent and what they do in the company.

6. Discipline and behaviour of students is the school’s responsibility.

After the event:

1. Share with employer student and staff evaluation.

2. Identify the positive benefits that you have identified as a result of their involvement.

3. Ask the employer for feedback.

4. Share with employer whether learning objectives were achieved.

5. Write to say thank you.

6. Provide employer with certificate of participation.

7. Invite employer as guest to school celebration event/s.

8. Ensure you have regular contact with employer by inviting them to participate in another activity at some point in the school year.

9. Employers may like to know individual student destinations, this is particularly relevant if they have been a business mentor.

10. Put them on your School newsletter mailing list.

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