Process Mapping
With the help of employment counselors across Spain, AITEC has gathered a rich dataset of information, which was then analyzed to identify the key phases, common activities, and challenges faced by counselors and beneficiaries throughout the employment support process. The mapping and insights generated serve as a resource for employment counselors and other employment stakeholders, providing a comprehensive overview of the employment counseling process and potential areas where AI-based tools can help ease common challenges.
Methodology
The following approaches were used for the mapping:
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Desktop Research: Desktop research was conducted regarding common processes of employment counseling, especially in the NPO space.
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Survey: A pre-focus group questionnaire was designed and distributed to gather initial data and understand the level of difficulty faced by employment counselors in performing various tasks. The survey also identified the digital tools used by counsellors in their daily work and gathered suggestions for potential solutions to address the challenges faced.
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Focus Groups: Two focus groups were conducted with employment counselors in Spain. These focus groups provided a platform for in-depth discussions and exploration of the challenges and potential solutions related to the employment counseling process.
Phases, Activities, Issues
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The following main phases and common activities were identified, including common issues and pain points. Click on the topic to directly jump to the section:​
​1. Qualification
The qualification phase decides if the beneficiary qualifies for the specific track of employment support or if they require different assistance. This can include different support offers depending on a person’s legal status, health, etc. This decision is the prerequisite to any further support actions.​
​2. Intake
After a beneficiary has qualified for the employment support, the intake phase consists of the welcome and diagnosis of the person’s professional profile and background.
Activities typically include:
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A welcome interview
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Making of a professional profile
Issues commonly faced during the intake phase include:
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The first interview often fails to capture all the necessary information counselors need.
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Administrative processes are cumbersome, with delays caused by paperwork and waiting times.
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Users frequently underestimate the value of their skills.​
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Useful AI tools during this phase can help with:​
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Task & Project Management
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Automation & Productivity
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Communication & Scheduling
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Skill Assessment & Development
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Career Development & Coaching
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For examples of such AI tools, explore the List of Tools and select the corresponding filter.
​3. Personal Analysis
After the intake, a personal analysis of the beneficiary and the definition of a personalised itinerary are done.
Activities typically include:​
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Collection of documents and validation
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Itinerary definition
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Issues commonly faced during the analysis phase include:
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Validating credentials and managing processes like driver’s license exchanges.​
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People often don't understand the value of skills.
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Useful AI tools during this phase can help with:​
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Task & Project Management
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Automation & Productivity
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Skill Assessment & Development
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Career Development & Coaching
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For examples of such AI tools, explore the List of Tools and select the corresponding filter.
​4. Employment Orientation
This phase focuses on the development of employment orientation and counselling, including individual and group actions such as tutoring, training and active job search groups. Any training referrals or workshops, e.g. for job search and interview preparation, fall into this phase.
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Activities typically include:
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Individual actions
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Group actions
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Training referral
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Legal advice
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Job interview preparation
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Issues commonly faced during the employment orientation phase include:
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Users need guidance for completing online administrative tasks.
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Limited access to ICTs and unequal opportunities create barriers.
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Counselors often encounter the need for legal advice on labor-related issues.
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Useful AI tools during this phase can help with:
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Training & Courses
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Skills Assessment & Development
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Career Development & Coaching
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Communication & Scheduling
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For examples of such AI tools, explore the List of Tools and select the corresponding filter.
​5. Labor Market
During this phase relations with the labour market are established. Beneficiaries receive support with active search of employment vacancies and mediation between companies and potential employees.
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Activities typically include:
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Prospecting job offers​​
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Job search tools
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Job portal registration
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Labor intermediation
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Writing a CV and cover letter​
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Researching and contacting companies
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Job application process
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Issues commonly faced during the labor market phase include:
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Crafting cover letters and CVs, which are sometimes inaccessible due to costs.
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Employers may be hesitant to hire marginalized job seekers.
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Lack of certifications to verify language skills.
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Cultural differences can lead to a lack of understanding about the importance of a CV.
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Time management
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Personal and family obligations might conflict with scheduling.
Useful AI tools during this phase can help with:
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​Resume & CV
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Job Search & Matchmaking
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Communication & Scheduling
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Content Creation & Design
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Career Development & Coaching
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Research & Knowledge
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Automation & Productivity
For examples of such AI tools, explore the List of Tools and select the corresponding filter.​​​
​6. Intervention Analysis
During this phase, the success of the intervention is assessed, including the employment search, labor inclusion, training, and the overall service.
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Activities typically include:
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Follow-up
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Of employment search​
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Of labor integration
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Evaluation
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Of training actions​
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Of service
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Issues commonly faced during the intervention analysis phase include:
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Evaluation activities.
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Useful AI tools during this phase can help with:​
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Communication & Scheduling
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Task & Project Management
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Automation & Productivity
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Career Development & Coaching
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For examples of such AI tools, explore the List of Tools and select the corresponding filter.
​7. Closing
Lastly, the itinerary and with it the beneficiary’s case are closed.​
​Additionally to the issues mentioned above, the following transversal issues have been identified across multiple phases and activities:
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Many users lack digital literacy, hindering their ability to engage with online processes.
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High rates of no-shows for scheduled sessions disrupt progress.
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Transportation challenges limit accessibility for many.
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Social barriers such as adaptation difficulties, bureaucratic hurdles, and language barriers complicate the process.
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Ensuring the process is tailored to the individual abilities of each seeker remains a significant challenge.
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While some of these might be hard to solve, AI tools might support both counselors and beneficiaries throughout all phases with:
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Communication & Scheduling
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Task & Project Management
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Content Creation & Design
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Automation & Productivity
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Research & Knowledge
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For examples of such AI tools, explore the List of Tools and select the corresponding filter.
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For the full overview on phases, activities and issues, you can download the in-depth mapping here (1.5 MB, pdf).