SCP seeks to connect qualified candidates that come through community employment service organizations with local employers that provide good jobs and meaningful career paths.
SCP currently is engaged in 2 initiatives where we work to connect employers with community employment service organizations (ESOs).
Franchise Community Hiring Program
In 2006, SCP launched our Franchise Community Hiring Program with the objective of creating access to more job opportunities for people who have experienced barriers to (re)entering the workforce. In this program SCP facilitates access to low interest loans for prospective or existing franchisees in exchange for a commitment from the franchisee to hire a significant percentage of entry-level employees through community ESOs. The program also incentivizes franchisees to increase the number of people hired through local agencies, by attaching a socially-adjusted interest rate to the franchisee’s loan. These socially adjusted interest rates are reduced by a certain percentage for every person hired through a community agency.
In this program, SCP considers multiple criteria before deciding to work with a franchisee.
These include:
- A significant number of entry-level positions that require minimal previous experience and a focus on soft-skill criteria
- Access to skills development opportunities and career pathways
- Demonstrated history of being a good corporate citizen
- A commitment to creating an inclusive workplace and supporting entry-level employees
Value Proposition:
From the perspective of an ESO, SCP:
- Performs upfront business development (job development) and secures a commitment from employers to source candidates for entry-level positions through community agencies
- Works with employers and agencies to identify the right fit and processes that help create successful on-going community hiring partnerships, including writing job descriptions and organizing on-site visits for agencies to meet employers
- Helps organize job fairs among multiple local agencies when a new location is opening or has a high volume hiring need
- Maintain on-going data tracking of the success and progression of candidates hired by the employer
What we expect from ESOs we work with:
Over the last 10 years, SCP has worked with many community ESOs to place candidates with employers in our programs. Through this experience, we have identified a series of best practices that contribute to successful and sustainable job placements, as well as a short list of qualities that we look for in the community agencies we work with. These include:
- Timely response to new job opportunities, with a time estimation of when and if referrals can be expected
- Effective screening and matching of candidate referrals based on employer job requirements
- Processes or tools used to gauge the ‘job readiness’ of job-seeker clients
- Capacity and process for post-hire client follow-up and support
- Track record of working with local employers across different sectors of the economy
- Capacity to meet with the employer to develop a strong knowledge of the company culture and job opportunities available
- Capacity to help organize job fairs for employers when hiring volume is high
- A commitment to professionalism, transparency and customer service for both job seekers and employers
Corporate Community Hiring Pilot
In 2010, SCP launched our Corporate Community Hiring pilot project, to test the feasibility of connecting the hiring needs of large employers with the services and pre-employment training offered by ESOs. In this pilot we are currently working with 3 of Canada’s largest employers to test the feasibility of integrating community hiring into corporate HR operations, and build a business case to demonstrate the value of community hiring to Canada’s largest employers. Read more.
Employers we work with:
Currently, we work with franchise partners in the automotive, hospitality and communications sectors as part of our Franchise Community Hiring Program , as well as 3 of Canada’s largest employers in our Corporate Community Hiring Pilot Project.
Our franchise program has been focused largely in Ontario over the past 5 years, however will be expanding to other provinces in the coming months.