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1-800-Need-a-Job!

As November progresses, I start to think about hotlines. Each year before Thanksgiving, Butterball launches their Turkey Hotline for people to call in with their turkey questions and issues.  I have never called this hotline and hope to never need to, but realize that if this service is provided year after year, that there is a demand for turkey advice. There are other hotlines out there.  There are social service based hotlines for suicide prevention, to get help with various additions, and hotlines to get referrals to services.
 
All of these things are needed and demanded. Even in the age of the internet, there is still a need for the telephone. The reason is that in a time of need, whether that be turkey or lifesaving, there is a need to reach out to a person. A real person and say to that person “Can you help me?”
 
Now back to the land of workforce development. There are some customers of the workforce system that need this same kind of service.  Everyone in workforce development has had a customer like this. This is the customer that calls and engages in long, detailed, conversations. Rather than wanting to come in for an appointment, this person would rather tell their tales and engage you via the telephone.  Some workforce development professionals would rather meet in person and is frustrated by the customer that uses you like a hotline.
 
The key to not being a workforce development hotline is to find a balance between the two. It is important to encourage your job seekers to contact you for information and to work though job seeking problems. Rather than be the hotline only, tie those conversations to the face to face appointments. At the next in person appointment, follow up on the conversation that was had on the telephone.  Encourage the job seeker to come more frequently for appointments whenever possible, so that the job seeker knows that the support for him is available and consistent.
 
While providing all this support to job seekers, it is important that as a workforce development professional, you are also being supported. If you find that you have a job seeker that is unusually dependent on long telephone problem-solving conversations, make sure your manager is aware of the service you are providing via telephone. Note these conversations on your calendar and brainstorm with your manager and peers ways to deal with the hotline customer.
 
I can be reached by email at kcirincione@gmail.com; on Linked In at www.linkedin.com/in/karenjcirincione; or Twitter @kcirincione.  ~ Karen Cirincione

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