Saving Face
What is the best way for someone that is new to the position to regain credibility with an employer that has had 2 or more negative experiences with previous interns/students?
Amy,
I like the idea of ensuring no 'personality conflicts'; this is an issue not often addressed. I'm sure you've found that staying on top of the student's progress at their externship goes a long way toward creating a fruitful relationship with the employer.
Elizabeth Kemler
Offering an interview is a great first step. Let the employer know that you have an excellent candidate (and send them your "superstar") and that you would like them to meet the candidate first to avoid any personality conflicts. Also, be sure to reassure the employer that you will be stopping in week 1 to confirm all is going well and if it's not working that you will pull them right away.
Shelisa,
Well, first of all, I would find out exactly why they had those negative experiences--get the specifics, so you can figure out how to prevent them from happening again, then you need to implement some kind of extra training/workshops for the students to address those issues (using the 5 Keys to Work Success included here can help) and when you call the employer, let them know about all you're doing to improve the quality of candidates.
Elizabeth Kemler
