Elisabeth (Harney) Sanders-Park is co-author of No One Is Unemployable, The WorkNet Model and the WorkNet curriculum, and President of WorkNet Solutions

Step Two: Get Some Perspective on the Barrier

I’m in the midst of sharing our three-step process for identifying and overcoming any barrier to employment (based on our book “No One Is Unemployable”)… from too much education, to too much criminal history, and everything in between. Here’s the process:

1.  Identify the barrier. This means thinking like the employer so we catch anything they may use to screen-out, and recognizing and reducing candidate fear (covered in Part II).

2.  Get some perspective on the barrier. This means understanding the candidate and the employer’s perspectives on the barrier (covered below).

3.  Develop effective solutions. Based on the first two steps, this means developing solutions that are true and sustainable by the candidate, and satisfying to the employer (covered in Part IV).

Once you’ve identified a barrier, and before you can develop effective solutions, you must get some perspective on it! Whose perspective? That of the two most important parties in this process, the employer and the candidate. Notice we are not on the list! Our professional opinion is only helpful as it corresponds with the employer and/or the candidate’s perspective. Too often, we jump from step 1 to step 3. We see a problem and immediately begin developing solutions. However, without first clarifying the candidate’s perspective, we risk developing solutions they don’t own and use, that aren’t true of them, or that work only as long as we’re in the room. And, if we fail to get the employer’s perspective, we risk developing solutions that work for us and the candidate but don’t satisfy the employer. What a misuse if time! So, here we step aside and facilitate the process by which we and the candidate become clear on their and the employer’s perspectives about the barrier.

Clarifying the Candidate’s Perspective
In our experience, candidates tend to feel one of four ways about a barrier. They believe it:

•    CAN be overcome – They agree it’s a barrier, and think it can be overcome.
•    CAN’T be overcome – They agree it’s a barrier, but think it can’t be overcome.
•    Is the EMPLOYER’S PROBLEM – Whether they agree or not doesn’t matter, because it’s not their problem.
•    Are UNAWARE – They either don’t realize the issue exists or don’t think it’s a barrier to employment.

Don’t assume you know the candidate’s perspective! Too often we’re wrong because we assume people think like we do. It’s misuse of time. Watch, listen, and ask the candidate what they think about the fact that this issue may keep them from getting the job, negotiating a higher salary, getting promoted, moving into leadership, etc. In assessing the candidate’s perspective, I like to suggest a range of options to validate whatever theirs is. “What do you think of that? Does it surprise you that it’s even an issue, are you urked that the employer would use it, or does it seem reasonable that we’ll just have to overcome it? Where are you at with this?” We also use our Overcoming Barriers Card Sort Game to identify and overcome barriers, including allowing the candidate to identify their perspective on each barrier they face. However you do it, get a clear and accurate sense of the candidate’s perspective about the specific issue. This gives you a starting point for clarifying the employer’s perspective (if needed) and developing solutions that will work for the candidate. Here’s a thought on what to do it the candidate believes the barrier:

CAN Be Overcome – Great! Simply clarify the employer’s perspective as needed and proceed with developing solutions.

CAN’T Be Overcome – We’ve never encountered a barrier that couldn’t be overcome to allow the candidate to job search and work anyhow. Chances are there are people in your community with the same issues who are successful today. But, if the candidate feels it, it’s real. When a candidate thinks they face a barrier that can’t be overcome, they may become overwhelmed, hopeless or disengaged. You may see disconnection, sabotage, or depression. Try introducing them to someone who faces similar barriers (age, gender, work history, criminal history, etc.) and has reached similar goals (working, running their own business, in leadership, etc.). Once they see that the barrier can be overcome, proceed with developing solutions.

Is the EMPLOYER’S PROBLEM – To a great extent, if the employer thinks it’s a barrier, it’s a barrier because it can keep the candidate from getting hired. There are two ways to move a candidate forward if this is their perspective. Educate them on the employer’s perspective so they can decide whether to adjust their own outlook (we use our card sort game and PADMAN so it’s not personal, see Part II). If they adjust, develop solutions accordingly. If after learning the employer’s perspective they are unwilling to adjust, they should identify and pursue employer’s who don’t consider the issue a barrier (see “Change Where You Look” in the next article)

Are UNAWARE – Part of our job is make candidates aware of what may hold them back and help them develop solutions. If they seem unaware, let the candidate know that you stepped into the employer’s shoes and noticed something that may cause problems, and ask permission to share it so you can brainstorm together to develop solutions. Once they become aware, get their perspective on it (one of the three above), and proceed.

Clarifying the Employer’s Perspective
We recommend starting with the candidate’s perspective and sharing the employer’s perspective as needed. Some candidate’s will be aware of the employer’s perspective, for others it will be new and even shocking.

One of the keys to getting hired, being a great worker and developing a career is understanding the employer’s perspective. Over the last 20 years, we’ve not only learned the employer’s perspective, but also figured out how to teach it to candidates. The key is to understand the potentially negative impact of an issue on the employer’s bottom-line. Here’s how we get there.

Think Concern & Need. To be hired, a candidate must both reduce the employer’s concerns about them, and  prove they can meet the employer’s need. If they reduce the employer’s concerns but can’t meet the needs, they’re not a risk but they’re not worth the money. If they can meet the employer’s needs but concerns remain, the employer will likely find someone else. Reduce the concern and meet the need.

Think PADMAN! PADMAN reminds us of the six most important areas of employer focus (that is, concerns and needs). Any interview question, any reason an employer hires or fires, promotes or demotes comes down to their concerns and needs in these six key areas… Presentation, Attitude, Dependability, Motivation, Ability, and Network (for more information, see Part II).

Think Bottom-line. Employer’s take everything down to the bottom line, and if the candidate wants to be hired, they should too. Barriers are barriers, not merely because the employer doesn’t like people who are late, have criminal history, are highly educated, have been fired, filed a worker’s comp claim on their last job, etc., but because these things may negatively impact the bottom-line. They are barriers (i.e., the employer will use them to screen-out) because they can cost money!

Imagine a job seeker who is regularly late and sometimes doesn’t show-up. If the employer finds out, they may screen them out, but why? Because the employer is concerned that they will have to pay another worker overtime, divert higher paid staff, or bring in an expensive temp. If they don’t spend this extra money, they risk reducing productivity or being unable to satisfy customers.

Imagine a job seeker with extensive education but little practical experience. This is considered a barrier, but why? Because the employer doesn’t know that the person can do the job, may be concerned that they value knowledge over performance, may have to pay more to hire or retain the worker because of their education, and may lose the worker to a better offer and have to re-hire. All of this costs money!

So, in Part II I shared thoughts on identifying barriers to ensure you everything that may be used to screen-out a candidate (including their own fear). Here you have some ideas on how to get the key perspectives on the barrier. Now you’re ready to develop effective solutions! We’ll cover this in the next article. Until then, remember that this process is much more about the candidate and the employer than it is about us. We’re here to facilitate, educate and match!

This article appeared originally in the Career Planning & Adult Development Network Newsletter www.careernetwork.org

Photo by Adam Moss

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Hope & Practicality from Elisabeth.

Step 1: Identify the Barrier

Having laid the foundation on our three-step process for identifying and overcoming barriers to employment in my last article, I’ll focus here on step one, Identify the Barrier. Clearly, for barriers to be overcome, they must first be accurately identified.

What is a “barrier to employment”?
When I began my work in this field, my understanding of barriers, and therefore my definition, was quite limited… lack of experience, lack of specific education or training, having been fired in the past, and a few others. Within mere days of being on the job, my understanding deepened and my definition grew to include more and more. A barrier to employment is “anything that may be used to screen a candidate out.” Barriers include no work history, too much work history, and even a successful career with a single company for many years. They include, too little, too much or lack of specific education. It’s the way we look, where we live, how we talk, having too many children or not enough teeth, over-qualification and arrogance, immigrant status and shyness, and so much more. Anything that could result in the candidate not getting the job, is a barrier.

Who decides?
Employers decide what’s a barrier, and screen people out based on it… whether it’s accurate, fair, or even legal! Sometimes they ask questions and allow the candidate to explain, but often not. Employers may screen-out based on assumptions or realities that are illegal or uncomfortable to talk about… without giving the candidate an opportunity to respond!

Candidates may also decide what’s a barrier, and thus screen themselves out… even if the issue is unlikely to be a problem for the employer! I’ve worked with candidates who were sure their age was a barrier, and though I disagreed, it became an issue… they avoided some opportunities, told on or sabotaged themselves, attributed negative outcomes to their age and gave up. It became a barrier. I’ve also worked with older and younger candidates who felt their age wasn’t a barrier. In the end, their clarity, confidence, and willingness to explain (or even bring it up!) made it a non-issue. If a candidate believes something will be a barrier, develop solutions accordingly. We’ll focus on solution in Part 4.

Identifying Barriers by Thinking Like the Employer
Unless you’ve done a lot of hiring, it maybe challenging to “think like the employer.” Your focus may lean toward helping people secure, succeed in and develop satisfying careers. Yet, we know the employer must be also satisfied. Here’s a crash course in “thinking like the employer” so you can identify candidate barriers (and strengths!).

Introducing PADMAN!

PADMAN, silly but memorable, is the super hero who helps us (and our candidates) quickly, accurately think like the employer. His name and our “PADMAN Wheel” remind us of the six most important areas of employer focus… and that it all comes down to the bottom line.

Presentation – Will you represent the company image?
Ability – Can you do the job (or learn it in a reasonable length of time)?
Dependability – Will you work in the company’s best interests?
Motivation – Will you help achieve company goals?
Attitude – Will you fit into the company culture?
Network – Will you attract the right people?

These six areas work together as system. Like a tire on a car, a hole in one area causes the whole tire to go flat; it’s useless and you can’t get you where you want to go! In the same way, candidates who get hired have some strength in each area. A candidate who is all but motivated, or has everything but a good presentation is likely to be screened-out. From job title to job title, the amount of weight given to each are varies. We’ll explore this more as we seek to understand the employer’s perspective of barriers in the next article.

For now, PADMAN is a simple and effective way to think more like the employer and, therefore, identify barriers. Think about it! Every reason an employer hires or fires, or promotes or de-motes, comes down to their concerns and needs in these six areas. Every interview question asked is an employer’s attempt to discover if the candidate will cause them concern and/or meet their needs in these areas. So, identify barriers means thinking like the employer, considering the specific opportunity the candidate is pursuing, and scrutinize them in each of these six areas. This helps identify strengths too!

The Fear Factor
Candidates may also decide that something is a barrier. If the employer is likely to agree, simply develop solutions and move forward. However, when the problem seems to be the candidate’s perception about the issue (not the issue itself), look for underlying fear.

My experience is that fear is the biggest barrier… biggest in that it’s most common, and that it’s the most damaging. If left unchecked, it can covertly rule this process and quickly unravel great progress. Whether a candidate has recently been released from prison or a prestigious but recently eliminated position, whether they’re low-skilled and risk homelessness or highly-specialized and risk irrelevance, there is fear. We all face barriers, and in this process we all face rejection. What if? What if? What if? Fear is present and is often the underlying cause of barriers, especially barriers identified by the candidate but unlikely be an issue for employers.

What are candidates afraid of? You name it, people are afraid of it!… Not getting the job, getting the job, boredom, too much responsibility, family resentment, not fitting in, not performing well, people discovering something negative about them, relapsing into addiction, not making enough money, losing government benefits, answering tough interview questions, and so much more. To identify what a candidate is afraid of, watch, listen, ask! I often identify fears by asking “what’s the worst thing that could happen if you… showed up to all our meetings, went to the interview, didn’t get the job, got the job?, etc. If the candidate is being honest, you’ll get to the thing they hope to avoid. I actively “de-mystify” the fear factor for candidates. We interact early and often about fear, that it’s not just them, they aren’t weak or bad for feeling it, etc. By getting it out in the open, they can more easily work through before it sabotages the process.

What does fear look like? Well, it doesn’t look like “fear.” It must be observed, asked about and discovered because it manifests as various actions and attitudes… tardiness, avoidance, non-completion of tasks that create progress, bravado, defensiveness, excuses, distraction, and more. I once worked with a man who dealt with his fear of getting hired then quickly fired by being a “great candidate.” He came early, stayed late, served coffee, and helped everyone else job search. People actually thought he was on staff! He did just enough that it appeared he would soon be working, but not enough to actually get an offer. It took me a little longer to recognize the underlying fear here, but now I’m savvy to it! Fear looks like lots of things. Get great at detecting it!

How do we distinguish actions and attitudes as “fear-based”? Imagine two candidates, both of whom are chronically late and somewhat arrogant. For one, it’s habit and personality; for the other it’s fear… on some level they know that if they show up on time with a willing attitude, they’ll quickly move forward, and they can’t let that happen because what if?…. To distinguish between the two, watch for timing and inconsistency; fear often crops up as new behavior when the risk is greatest. Watch for changes in body language, or a desire to reconsider the overall direction of the process. Listen for excuses, reasons for slowing down or reconsidering. Demystifying it early and making it regular part of your conversation will allow you and candidates to recognize fear. In the end, if a candidate is clear on what they get out this process, has the information and training needed to make it happen, and has adequate support throughout, and is still not moving forward, it is probably fear.

How do we help candidates reduce their fears? In many of the same ways we reduce our own fears as life comes at us more quickly than is comfortable, and in lots of other ways… talk about it with a friend or counselor, journal or process internally, exercise, get out in nature, talk with others who are in similar situations or have successfully moved through them, gather information, partner with someone and do it together, reduce tasks to manageable steps, just go for it, pray or meditate, and more. What works for one person, doesn’t another. So, have a long list of fear-reducing strategies to suggest, and be sure they promote forward movement rather than avoidance or sabotage (i.e., I have worked with candidates who reduce their fear by getting high, getting pregnant or in some other way sabotaging this process and so much more). I limit my suggestions to what is legal, non-dangerous, and within my morale code, and I recognize that the best strategies are those that respond to each unique individual.

To overcome barriers we must clearly identify them. This means thinking like the employer so we catch everything they may use to screen-out the candidate, and recognizing candidate fear and the barriers it can cause in this process. Next time we’ll focus on understanding the employer’s and candidate’s perspectives on a barrier (step two), so we can quickly develop solutions that satisfy both parties (step three) and create success for all.

This article appeared originally in the Career Planning & Adult Development Network Newsletter www.careernetwork.org

Photo by Fabio Venni

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Hope & Practicality from Elisabeth.

I love the work we do, and for nearly 15 years it’s been my pleasure to help people make employment and career transition… in groups and one-on-one, in one-stop centers and drug rehab programs, from the Silicon Valley to San Quentin prison, in growing and fledgling economies, in big and small towns across the US and Australia… and a lot of places in between. It’s a joy and a privilege to do work so vital to our society, so pivotal for families and communities, and so satisfying to me. What’s more, over the last decade, while serving job seekers and career transitioners, I have developed another, equally exciting, even more powerful body of work… equipping and inspiring employment and career professionals as they serve multitudes of people across this nation everyday. I’m here to serve you, as you serve your candidates.

This work we do is exciting and challenging. And, as often as it’s a joy for which we can hardly believe we’re paid, it can also be downright difficult! In addition to the fact that you serve unique human beings with unique career aspirations, many of the candidates you serve face significant employment barriers. The challenges seem to multiply exponentially, and excitement can become exhaustion! So… although the job search/recruiting process can be long and winding, and although you serve many candidates who each have at least a handful of barriers, let’s make this as simple as possible. I’m going to present our process for identifying and overcoming any and every barrier to employment in three steps. In this article, I’ll introduce the process and key ideas for success. In the next three articles, I’ll add to the process and focus on each step in succession.

First, a bit of good news and a challenge to you. Any barrier can be overcome. Does this mean we can expunge a felony history, make a disability go away, change a candidate’s age, race or gender, or erase a workers’ compensation claim? No. But, there are ways to help a candidate overcome a barrier so they can job search, and work, and achieve career success. This is vital! Our mindset on this is vital! If you don’t buy what I just said, suspend your disbelief for a moment and remember the self-fulfilling effect beliefs have on our reality. If we believe any barrier can be overcome, we’ll be creative, willing and more effective; if we don’t, we won’t! You may want to re-read my last article and replace the phrase “no one is unemployable” with “any barrier can be overcome.” Cultivating this belief and practically equipping it is essential to our success with candidates who face barriers. Try it. What’ve you got to lose!?

Here is our process for overcoming barriers, in three steps.
1.    Identify the barrier.
To overcome a barrier, we must accurately identify it. This means thinking like the employer and defining barriers as broadly as they do, because they decide what’s a barrier. It also means dealing with fear and issues the candidate believes are a barrier, even if you don’t think they will be problem. In Part II, I’ll introduce a technique for quickly, accurately thinking like the employer so you can identify barriers (and strengths!). I’ll shed some light on dealing with the Fear Factor, and offer tips on catching whatever may hold a candidate back and prioritizing barriers to keep the momentum going.

2.    Get some perspective on the barrier.
This means understanding the perspectives of the two key parties in this process, the employer and the candidate. Understanding the employer’s perspective about the issue helps ensure that the solutions developed will satisfy them. Understanding the candidate’s perspective allows you to maintain the partnership, persuade when helpful, and develop solutions that are true and sustainable by them. This will be covered in detail in Part III.

3.    Develop effective solutions.
They key here is to develop solutions that are true and sustainable by the candidate, and satisfying to the employer. To satisfy the employer, a solution must reduce their concern, and allow the candidate to prove they can meet the employer’s needs. In Part IV, I’ll introduce Five Solution Tools for overcoming any barrier, and how to choose and implement them, as well techniques for turning barriers into selling points!

For clarity, we think of barriers in two categories, general and specific. General barriers are those that give most employers pause when hiring for any position, from janitor to CEO. They include being late, being rude, having been fired or quit, having filed a worker’s compensation claim (especially for neck, back, stress or harassment), having a criminal record, and more. Specific barriers pertain directly to the qualifications for the work the candidate is pursuing, such as lacking experience with a specific software program or not having a license/certificate needed to do the job. From the very beginning and throughout the process with each candidate, we can identify and overcome general barriers. As their career direction becomes clear and they transition into the job search, we can apply this process to specific barriers, unique to the jobs they are pursuing.

Another helpful framework to use in getting our minds around the many and various barriers our candidates face is to think in terms of personal barriers, candidate base barriers, and systemic barriers.

Personal Barriers – Some barriers touch on sensitive information, such as domestic violence, sexual preference, body odor or gender issues. These, along with any others the candidate is sensitive about such as age or criminal history, should be dealt with in a personal, one-on-one manner. Clearly, we must manage our time. However, even if many of our candidates face the same sensitive issue and we have developed partnerships and resources to overcome them (see below), individual solutions to these barriers are often developed and almost always applied one-on-one.

Candidate Base Barriers – When the same barrier is faced by 30% or more of the people we serve, we should consider developing partnerships, solutions and resources that can be easily accessed or applied for many candidates. These issues may include lack of interview clothing, disability, criminal history, single parenthood, age, and more. Depending on the sensitivity of the issue, the perspective of our candidates and how we structure our services, solutions for these barriers can be developed and applied  in groups (with great advantage to us and candidates), or one-on-one.

Systemic Barriers – These barriers may result in personal barriers for many people we serve, and although we can offer “band-aids,” the real solutions are developed through systemic, community-wide or even legislative change. These issues may include an ineffective public transportation system, lack of shelter beds or drug/rehab programs in your area, a rampant and damaging employer bias in your local job market, lack of jobs, and more. To be effective in our work, we and our candidates must proceed in developing personal solutions (Part IV will give you lots of ideas). Meanwhile, we may also decide to facilitate systemic change. If you think this is too much work or not worth the effort, at least identify someone who is already doing it or a person who does this naturally, joyfully and well, and support them.

I have a colleague, Robert Egger who wrote “Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient, and Rewarding for All” (2004) and started the DC Central Kitchen. He’s always off to do something great, to challenge the establishment and to create a wider path of opportunity for people in his community. I often end my emails and phone calls to him with a line from the movie The Princess Bride… you remember, the scene where Billy Crystal and Carol Kane bid someone good-bye with, “Have fun stormin’ the castle!”

I encourage you to do the same. Go for it! Whether your speciality is working with people in a highly individualized way, or your average day makes big changes that affect many, approach overcoming barriers with purpose and creativity! “Have fun stormin’ the castle!” Apply these tips and watch for the next three articles.

This article appeared originally in the Career Planning & Adult Development Network Newsletter www.careernetwork.org

Photo by Jes (Mugley)

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