A new report from the Insight Center for Community and Economic Development analyzes the benefits of investing in lower-skill workers. Titled "From Hidden Costs to High Returns: Unlocking the Potential of the Lower-Wage Workforce," the report includes data from interviews with nearly five dozen American companies. From the report --
... employer after employer described deliberate, sometimes multifaceted efforts to train lower-wage workers, develop skills, build loyalty and quality-consciousness, and create opportunity for wage increases. In every case, without exception, the companies recommended these same efforts to other employers — often citing measurable business benefits and bottom-line returns as evidence that these ideas are not just altruistic, but fundamentals of sound personnel management.
You can download the full report here.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
How Does a Job Developer Fit into an Employment Program?
Recently, I’ve had a chance to talk to others about job development in the broader context of refugee employment programs. I’m new to blogging, so I did a bit of research into formats and techniques. One of them is a stream of consciousness post that is said to be more emotional and immediate. I’m going to try a bit of spontaneous posting – mostly because my thoughts are still unformed about this whole topic. Consider yourselves warned!
Last week, I had a great phone call with Jacqueline Hernandez, with Lutheran Family Services in Colorado. She’s also a Job Developer on a fairly new team. We talked about how to solidify new employers into repeat customers and all kinds of issues we see in our new roles. I’m still thinking over everything we talked about. It seems to me that adding a job developer can really change the dynamic of employment services and requires that Employment Specialists and the Job Developer communicate and work together to best use newly identified job opportunities.
This Thursday (09/30), Jaci and I are both going to participate in the RefugeeWorks Innovative Program Delivery Models Webinar where we’ll also talk about different organizational models for employment programs. The times are 1:00-2:30 pm EST (10:00-11:30 am PST, 11:00-12:30 MST, 12:00-1:30 pm CST). Send an email to information @refugeeworks.org to register and get call in information.
Stay tuned for more when I figure out what I think about all of this. It’s been great to look above individual client success and think about the bigger picture. I hope some of you will join the Webinar or subsequent discussion here.
It’s now been almost a year since Caritas of Austin was able to initiate my position as full time Job Developer. With this blog, I want to share what we’re learning and strengthen our efforts by learning from others
Last week, I had a great phone call with Jacqueline Hernandez, with Lutheran Family Services in Colorado. She’s also a Job Developer on a fairly new team. We talked about how to solidify new employers into repeat customers and all kinds of issues we see in our new roles. I’m still thinking over everything we talked about. It seems to me that adding a job developer can really change the dynamic of employment services and requires that Employment Specialists and the Job Developer communicate and work together to best use newly identified job opportunities.
This Thursday (09/30), Jaci and I are both going to participate in the RefugeeWorks Innovative Program Delivery Models Webinar where we’ll also talk about different organizational models for employment programs. The times are 1:00-2:30 pm EST (10:00-11:30 am PST, 11:00-12:30 MST, 12:00-1:30 pm CST). Send an email to information @refugeeworks.org to register and get call in information.
Stay tuned for more when I figure out what I think about all of this. It’s been great to look above individual client success and think about the bigger picture. I hope some of you will join the Webinar or subsequent discussion here.
It’s now been almost a year since Caritas of Austin was able to initiate my position as full time Job Developer. With this blog, I want to share what we’re learning and strengthen our efforts by learning from others
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Part One: Starting a Job Club
A couple of months ago, we started a bi-weekly job club to provide fresh leads and build skills for clients with enough English to follow job leads independently. We tried it with a temporary staffer for a few months a year and a half ago and wanted to see if we could improve it now that we have more permanent job development resources. No clients ever got a job from the initial attempt but we definitely saw improved job search skills among the clients who attended. I’m going to outline our initial plan and then follow up periodically as we see how it goes. It would be great to hear if and how others do this.
Why: I generate more leads on a daily basis that Employment Specialists can utilize and we hate to see them go to waste. We also wanted a venue for additional skill development for some of our clients with stronger English and work history. We also needed another way to monitor client activity levels for RCA and Match Grant compliance.
Where: When we started, we had just organized a very successful group screening interview at a chain restaurant. The atmosphere was very welcoming and friendly. As a result, we saw clients from different countries talking and interacting even with limited English. We wanted to replicate that energy, so decided to hold job club offsite - at the public library. The main branch is very close to our office so clients don’t even have to learn a new bus route to attend. We also thought this would help clients become comfortable with another great community resource.
When: Job Club is scheduled on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 10:30 – 11:30 and longer if we’re in the middle of something and need more time. Having it on Monday morning allows us to capitalize on a weekend’s worth of job announcements. The combination of both days gives clients enough concrete leads to keep them busy all week.
How: I made simple flyers with a map and distributed lots of copies to all of the Employment Specialists. We also publicize the resource by distributing flyers in our monthly Job Readiness Classes. I sit at a visible table on the third floor where people are allowed to talk quietly and talk to clients as they come in. We thought this would spread attendance out over the hour so people could get more personal attention or just listen in.
What: I compile fresh job leads the morning of the meetings, utilizing Craigslist, newspaper classifieds, several websites we check daily and quick cold calls to employers in our database. I include applications if applicable and sometimes prepare additional information like flyers for job fairs or instruction packets for major online employers like Walmart and Target. Sometimes I include articles or announcements about other resources. I try to have several fresh materials every day, including the “Caritas Hot Jobs List”, which I also distribute to the Employment Specialist in hard copy and electronically so they can also use it for other clients.
Coming up: In part two, I’ll share some of the details of how it’s working and what we’ve decided to tweak. We just finished meeting to discuss this, so I’ll share our ideas when I’ve compiled them and finalized a couple of points.
Why: I generate more leads on a daily basis that Employment Specialists can utilize and we hate to see them go to waste. We also wanted a venue for additional skill development for some of our clients with stronger English and work history. We also needed another way to monitor client activity levels for RCA and Match Grant compliance.
Where: When we started, we had just organized a very successful group screening interview at a chain restaurant. The atmosphere was very welcoming and friendly. As a result, we saw clients from different countries talking and interacting even with limited English. We wanted to replicate that energy, so decided to hold job club offsite - at the public library. The main branch is very close to our office so clients don’t even have to learn a new bus route to attend. We also thought this would help clients become comfortable with another great community resource.
When: Job Club is scheduled on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 10:30 – 11:30 and longer if we’re in the middle of something and need more time. Having it on Monday morning allows us to capitalize on a weekend’s worth of job announcements. The combination of both days gives clients enough concrete leads to keep them busy all week.
How: I made simple flyers with a map and distributed lots of copies to all of the Employment Specialists. We also publicize the resource by distributing flyers in our monthly Job Readiness Classes. I sit at a visible table on the third floor where people are allowed to talk quietly and talk to clients as they come in. We thought this would spread attendance out over the hour so people could get more personal attention or just listen in.
What: I compile fresh job leads the morning of the meetings, utilizing Craigslist, newspaper classifieds, several websites we check daily and quick cold calls to employers in our database. I include applications if applicable and sometimes prepare additional information like flyers for job fairs or instruction packets for major online employers like Walmart and Target. Sometimes I include articles or announcements about other resources. I try to have several fresh materials every day, including the “Caritas Hot Jobs List”, which I also distribute to the Employment Specialist in hard copy and electronically so they can also use it for other clients.
Coming up: In part two, I’ll share some of the details of how it’s working and what we’ve decided to tweak. We just finished meeting to discuss this, so I’ll share our ideas when I’ve compiled them and finalized a couple of points.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Strategies for a Down Economy: Part Time or Short Term Work
We’ve been having some luck building client resumes, confidence and skills while helping them earn some money with part time and short term work. It requires multiple placements before a client is earning enough to cover basic expenses, so it’s more work for us. But, we see a lot more of this type of position than full time jobs. If we can get clients started along this path early enough while they still may have some financial assistance from RCA or Match Grant, we believe it will help them achieve self-sufficiency in this touch economic climate.
For example,
· We placed an African client in a six week gig at a local private school polishing the floors and preparing classrooms for the school year. We helped him leverage that new skill into a part-time evening janitorial job. He already knew how to do floors and now he’s learned vacuuming, trash collection, bathroom cleaning and other basic skills. With two US jobs on his resume, we’ve just applied for a full time lobby attendant job at a hotel. We don’t know the result, yet, but he has definitely gotten an interview and we think he’s competitive because he has some specific skills and local work experience that he didn’t have 3 months ago.
· One client helped two members of a senior citizen support organization with light housekeeping and companionship as a PRN home health aid. Later, he was able to get a competitive position in an in-house CNA training program at a very high end nursing home, in part because of the related experience on his resume.
· We’ve placed a couple of clients in part-time work at late night food carts or as on-call banquet workers for a staffing agency. The hours aren’t perfect and the clients have to really be proactive to get hours. But, they are gaining skills and experience, as well as local references. We’re in the process of watching for full time positions they might be able to get with that local experience on their resumes.
Even when this strategy hasn’t worked perfectly, it definitely builds client confidence and understanding of the soft skills expected in our work culture. It would be great to hear about other strategies for building client competitiveness in this economy. Feel free to share your experiences here.
It’s now been nine months since Caritas of Austin was able to initiate my position as full time Job Developer. With this blog, I want to share what we’re learning and strengthen our efforts by learning from others.
For example,
· We placed an African client in a six week gig at a local private school polishing the floors and preparing classrooms for the school year. We helped him leverage that new skill into a part-time evening janitorial job. He already knew how to do floors and now he’s learned vacuuming, trash collection, bathroom cleaning and other basic skills. With two US jobs on his resume, we’ve just applied for a full time lobby attendant job at a hotel. We don’t know the result, yet, but he has definitely gotten an interview and we think he’s competitive because he has some specific skills and local work experience that he didn’t have 3 months ago.
· One client helped two members of a senior citizen support organization with light housekeeping and companionship as a PRN home health aid. Later, he was able to get a competitive position in an in-house CNA training program at a very high end nursing home, in part because of the related experience on his resume.
· We’ve placed a couple of clients in part-time work at late night food carts or as on-call banquet workers for a staffing agency. The hours aren’t perfect and the clients have to really be proactive to get hours. But, they are gaining skills and experience, as well as local references. We’re in the process of watching for full time positions they might be able to get with that local experience on their resumes.
Even when this strategy hasn’t worked perfectly, it definitely builds client confidence and understanding of the soft skills expected in our work culture. It would be great to hear about other strategies for building client competitiveness in this economy. Feel free to share your experiences here.
It’s now been nine months since Caritas of Austin was able to initiate my position as full time Job Developer. With this blog, I want to share what we’re learning and strengthen our efforts by learning from others.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Getting Repeat Hires from New Employer Contacts
It’s now been a few months since my initial article in the print newsletter kicked off efforts to share what we’re learning and learn from all of you as Caritas of Austin initiates a full time Job Developer position. I’ve been saving up this rant to vent my frustrations and seek some advice from others. This issue is really where I could use some help and I think it could provide the context to generate some diverse perspective and strategies.
I felt really good about several new employers I targeted and convinced to hire a client. My lofty plan was to send a great first candidate, wow them with our support services and seal the relationship for future placements. That reads well, but the reality has been different. It seems like we only get one shot. If the first client we place doesn’t work out for some reason, we don’t get another chance. Here are examples:
*** I worked for months to develop placements at a large, locally owned, city contractor that sorts recycled plastics and turns them into pellets that they then sell as a raw material. We placed an English speaking African client. The overnight crew was all Spanish speaking and at least a foot shorter than the 6.6 ft. Congolese. Everyone was visible in the open warehouse and they said he needed to work faster, watch how others behaved and mimic them. They fired him despite our efforts to provide an interpreter and coaching. Now they won’t even return my calls.
*** A casual Japanese café was poised to franchise and we thought it would be a great partnership. They hired two part-time people and were happy with them, but they quickly got jobs with more stable hours. Now, the owner won’t respond to my calls, but I always see ads for hiring as they expand.
*** A small private motel hired a client, but she accepted a better offer at the same time. They’ve never even been willing to interview another client since then.
*** We got four people hired in the kitchen at a start-up high end cinema that advertised on Craigslist. We provided all kinds of support, but all four clients quit and stated various reasons. The employer perceived that they just didn’t like the hard work. We haven’t been able to place anyone else there.
I strongly believe that our clients are the best marketing for refugee employment. But, these false starts have left me feeling really discouraged. I’d really appreciate suggestions and comments from the experiences of others out there.
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