Recently, HireUp reached out to its community social assistance partners to discuss how they felt about the platform. This needs-based assessment we sent out was used to gather information on how to better implement the services and resources HireUp provides.
Key Findings
From our needs-based assessment we’ve sent to our community partners, we have found that:
- Youth-targeted programs report using and recommending HireUp more frequently than other community partners
- Promotion of job retention is highly valuable
- The job and employment opportunities posted on HireUp are seen as an appropriate fit for jobseekers who use the site
- The HireUp platform is viewed as a program that creates an environment for continued success
Results
As we stated in our last HireUp blog post, a large number of HireUp users identify in an age group often referred to as “youth”. Community partners who are focused on supporting youth have told us that they often recommend and utilize HireUp with youth-aged jobseekers more often than other job-search sites. These partners also report using HireUp on a more regular basis, in comparison to our other social partners that are not youth-oriented.
- By far, HireUp’s emphasis on long-term success is the attribute our partners are the most attracted to.
- More than half of our community partners communicated in the assessment that connections to supportive employers are one of their favorite parts of the HireUp platform.
HireUp’s youth-serving partners have reported that HireUp’s reputation for providing strong support and growth is one reason why they so often seek out the platform. This supportive environment is highly attractive and encouraging for those seeking out their first jobs, which is what makes HireUp a better fit for their outreach than other jobsearch platforms.
Unlike other job searching sites, HireUp provides a clear path for mediation and guidance through any difficulties jobseekers may experience when starting a new job.
- Jobseekers can turn to their community support organization for help when they face various difficulties they may not have experience dealing with.
- Jobseekers can grow and learn in the job, rather than potentially leaving or being dismissed due to lack of understanding.
This system overall supports and promotes job retention.
Room for Improvement
Most community partners agree, HireUp is an innovative platform to introduce underutilized and disadvantaged jobseekers to the labor pool. Our partners and jobseekers alike enjoy the variety of job opportunities and diverse employers the platform connects them to. However, our social partners have communicated to us that there is a high demand for opportunities focused in entry level trade work, retail positions, and service industry jobs. These types of jobs have been reported as the most attractive types of employment for the jobseekers they work with.
From both our jobseeker analysis, and the needs-based assessment we have sent to our community social partners, there is a clear trend of overall positive impressions and interactions of HireUp.
If you would like to read the detailed summary of our recent HireUp analysis, follow the link here: HireUp Needs Assessment
