CONTEXT:

Part of the broader Commonwealth’s PA CareerLink^® System, MontcoWorks exists as a public resource to support employers with their hiring and retention challenges, connecting qualified talent to open roles. However, many area employers are not aware of PA CareerLink^® Montgomery County as a resource. Some have misconceptions about the career seekers the county serves or are deterred by the thought of getting involved with a complex government entity. MontcoWorks asked for Afton’s help to better position themselves as a hiring and retention resource for all area employers.  

GOALS:

MontCo leaders sought to improve business services and answer the questions:

• How might MontCoWorks’ service offerings better align with local employer needs?
• What additional services could be offered? 
• How could MontCoWorks streamline processes and deliver services to employers in a more targeted, long-term relationship-building way?

APPROACH: 

Together with a MontcoWorks advisory board, we engaged in a rich human-centered design process using personas and journey mapping.  

Personas

As input for the personas, we conducted focus groups and a survey with Montgomery County employers. We asked them to identify existing challenges with recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, and retention, and assessed their familiarity and experience with the PA CareerLink^® Montgomery County system. Through additional research, we identified the county’s top industries and employers, reviewed job descriptions for median wage information, and developed an understanding of the availability of certain resources, such as public transportation, across the full reach of the county. 

Ultimately, we developed four different personas to represent composite employer characteristics. Below is an example: Emma Smith from Montco Cares Retirement Community. 

Journey Mapping

From there, we led the team through a journey mapping process with each persona. We used specific scenarios to map out detailed actions, steps, thoughts, and feelings for each persona. For example, Emma needed to hire a third shift Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and was attempting to post her job opening to PA CareerLink^® Online for the first time. 

By putting themselves in the shoes of each employer, the team was able to identify gaps or slow-downs, pain points to be addressed, and ways to alter or enhance their services to produce better outcomes for each employer. Below is the journey map created for Emma above.

OUTCOMES and IMPACT: 

Several core learnings came out of the personas and journey mapping process:

1. Through the data collection phase, it became clear that an even larger share of employers was unaware of MontcoWorks than originally thought. This led to identifying several solutions to increase outreach and marketing.
2. The personas surfaced the realization that the MontcoWorks team cannot be all things to all employers. They needed a tiering system to help them identify which employers they are best equipped to serve and how to tailor services accordingly. Prioritizing their engagement and outreach methods would help them address team capacity constraints, as well.
3. Journey mapping allowed MontcoWorks to see that employers have many competing priorities. The business services team saw the opportunity to conduct more assertive follow-ups to meet employers where they are and help address their hiring and retention challenges.

Our engagement enabled the MontcoWorks team to identify key new services for employers as well as ways to improve existing operations, reorganizing personnel to improve coordination and representation across teams. The recommendations also informed strategic planning for the county, and MontoWorks developed a business services advisory council to own and operationalize them. 

Armed with actionable, direct input, Montgomery County is now better positioned to answer the needs of employers and has a strategy in place to continue cultivating relationships for the long term.