We continuously monitor user experience on EYJA to ensure our service is the best it can possibly be.

One of the things we have noticed is that many members create a profile when they join, but then sit back and wait for someone to contact them. We understand that logic but there is a slight issue with this – if everyone waits for someone else to make the first move then nothing ever happens!

Who should make first contact on EYJA?

So who should be making first contact on EYJA? Well that would be you!

Whether you’re an employer or a care worker you need to be proactive in order to find the right person. For example, if you are an employer there may be PA candidates that meet your criteria, but if they haven’t visited the website recently they might not see your vacancy. By reaching out to these individuals, rather than waiting for them to contact you, you’re likely to find a support worker much faster.

Our advice is to send candidates a message including some information about your needs and the role you’re looking to fill. Also ensure that your profile is complete and up-to-date.

If you’re a job seeker, it’s really not wise to sit back and wait until someone finds you. Some employers may struggle to use the EYJA platform regularly due to a physical condition or time restrictions; or they simply might not be tech-savvy. Therefore taking the initiative as a job seeker saves employers’ time, shows your initiative and also your respect.

Our advice is to contact as many relevant employers as you can – whilst ensuring you only apply for roles that genuinely interest you. Also make sure to personalise your application in order to help you stand out.

Success stories

We’ve already started to hear success stories from members who have connected via EYJA, which is wonderful. Although every story is different, in many cases a successful connection came about thanks to proactive users keeping their profiles up to date, replying promptly to messages and regularly making first contact themselves. It works, so why not follow their lead? Perhaps in the future we’ll be able to share your own personal success story with our members.

When the things don’t go as expected…

If you’re already doing all the above and haven’t had any success then we understand this can be discouraging. Although sometimes this can just be down to a bit of bad luck, quite often with a little work you can uncover potential issues that are holding you back.

If you’re in this position we recommend asking yourself the following questions…

• Does my profile provide enough information about myself?
• Perhaps my profile send a wrong message regarding how I look or describe myself?
• Am I meeting the basic requirements of the people I’m contacting?
• Am I personalising my application messages or just sending generic texts to everyone?
• Are my messages polite and professional?
• Am I contacting enough people or am I just trying one or two and then giving up if I don’t get a reply?
• Am I regularly checking for new members to see if we’re a good fit?

Answering these questions can help you to detect possible issues that might be stopping you from making a good connection. Use these to find out if there are any weaknesses in your strategy and make some changes. Don’t give up – the right person is out there, but you have to be proactive to find them.

If you’d like some more great tips and resources to help you make the most of EYJA then please check out our How it works, Customer support and Safety tips pages. We’re here to help you make the most out of your EYJA membership or subscription and want you to succeed in finding that perfect connection.

All the best,

The Eyja team