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

Anna was diagnosed as bi-polar a few years after high school and has struggled to maintain her stability and quality of life ever since. She cycles often and dramatically, but is a talented office worker and wants to do something productive… Michael lost most of his right arm in an on-the-job accident over 4 years ago. He wants to re-enter the workforce… Carl is schizophrenic, has been stabilized on medication for several years, and wants to do something with his days to bring more meaning to his life… Jonathan has always had trouble with learning and retaining. He’s been in the workforce for years, but has been fired, quit twice, and has a few gaps. He needs to work but feels hopeless about ever succeeding on a job.

“A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity, such as hearing, seeing, speaking, thinking, walking, breathing, or performing manual tasks”… that’s how the U.S. Census Bureau defines disability. More than 51 million Americans (18.1%) had some level of disability in 2002, and The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 57.7 million American adults (26.2%) suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Whether your focus is helping people at top-levels transition their careers, or helping people enter the workforce for the first time, chances are you encounter job seekers with disabilities.

When I think of helping people with various disabilities get, keep and succeed in a job, these things come to mind:

Go SOLAR!: As always, I recommend using our “Five Solution Tools” for overcoming barriers… helping the client to acquire new SKILLS, adjust their OUTLOOK, changing where they LOOK for work, Developing a good ANSWER, and Accessing a RESOURCE.

Get Support: Even if you are a therapist or have been an SSI/SSDI worker, if your primary focus is on employment, partner with local service providers who can focus on the disability, so you and your client can succeed. They can help clients stabilize, access disability-specific resources and information, advocate with employers for reasonable accommodation or job re-structuring.

Check the Attitude: Be sure your attitude is as productive and helpful as can be. People with disabilities participate, succeed, even lead in the workforce everyday! Their attitude can drive or stall this process. Many people with long-term disabilities or more recent injuries self-identify strongly with it. Every story they tell about themselves is steeped in the disability, injury, ensuing trauma or resentment, etc. This makes it difficult to initiate a job search, let alone succeed in the interview. So, verify that they believe they can succeed or introduce them to others with disabilities who are succeeding, then proceed.

Match Well: Whether the disability is physical or mental, matching well is key.
Match the job: Have the client (perhaps with the help of a disability expert) research the qualifications (we use “PADMAN,” see my article 9/05) to see that they meet them.
Match the field/employer: Some fields/employers are more likely to consider the client, such as those that serve people with disabilities, those that focus on people, personal growth and relationships, or those with which the clients have a natural network.
Match the job search strategy: Encourage the candidate to job search in ways (paper, phone, person) and use tools that highlight their strengths and minimize the disability so employers can see what they offer without being distracted by it.

Does the Employer Need to Know?: The client can decide whether to self-disclose the issue. In general, I encourage clients to disclose it only if they will ask for a “reasonable accommodation” in accordance with the American Disability Act or if the employer will find out otherwise (a reference, work history, etc.) and feel like the client was deceiving them by not bringing it up.

Solutions!

Here’s what I might do with the clients I mentioned above.
Anna: I’d encourage her to approach temp agencies and let them know she wants assignments that last 1 day to 3 weeks. This allows her to work successfully when she can, without any expectation when she destabilizes or begins to cycle. It also means she can control the hours she works to maintain her benefits. She may or may not tell the temp agency about her situation, and employers would never need to know. If employers want to keep her longer or hire her on, she can respectfully decline and even let them know that she prefers the flexibility and variety of temp work.

Michael: We’d choose jobs wisely according to his current ability, as well as fascinations and values. Then, we’d structure his job search so employers don’t meet him in person until they decide they’re interested, and I’d help him develop a good answer to eliminate the employer’s concerns and prove he can meet their needs. “You may have noticed that I have use of one of my arms. I lost the other in an accident a few years ago. Since then, I’ve… You may be surprised how much I can do with what I have. I’ve learned that I’m capable of more than I realized, so I keep a positive attitude and look for new and better ways to do things. I want to work with you because…” For ideas on good answers, see WorkNet’s “No One Is Unemployable” and “Explain This!: Good Answers that Get the Job!”

Carl: First, I’d help him identify a good job match and volunteer to create relevant experience and references, and prove his stability. Then, I’d help him develop a good answer and support him in his job search. His good answer may specifically mention the illness, which will surely come up because of the lack of work history, or allow for a discussion with the employer. “Several years back I learned something about myself that helped explain a lot. I have a chemical imbalance that’s now taken care of with medicine. I’ve been quite well in the last couple of years, and recently began volunteering with …” (transition to skills and experience).

Jonathan: I’d define work as “getting paid to do what you’re good at and enjoy doing” and identify jobs that match has abilities and passions. I may also have him tested and diagnosed, so we have access to resources, and we’d brainstorm how he can manage his own learning needs once on the job. I know people who use a hand-held recorded to capture verbal instructions/tape meetings, take notes every time they get instructions, have an agreement with their supervisor that they can repeat back instructions or ask clarifying questions, etc. I’d prepare him to share with employers what he has learned about himself, his solutions and what he needs to perform best for them.

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

Photo by Ashley Kyd

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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 Three: Develop effective solutions.

Now comes the fun part! First, we identified “barriers” by thinking like the employer and understanding what the candidate thinks could hold them back. Then, we got both parties perspective about each barrier. Now, it’s time to overcome the barrier by developing solutions that work for the employer and the candidate.

Good News!
Any barrier can be overcome! Of course, this doesn’t mean we can eliminate criminal history, change someone’s age, or make a disability disappear. But, there are people in the workforce who face any barrier your candidate does. So, the question isn’t whether it can be overcome, but how. What’s more, not only can any barrier be overcome, but any barrier can be overcome with our five simple solution tools. You may have 12 or 112 candidates who all face multiple barriers. Do the math! That’s a lot to overcome! So, keep it simple.

WorkNet’s Five “Solution Tools”
Using our five “solution tools,” and teaching your candidate how, allows you to focus, and your candidates to cultivate skills vital for success on the job. If it’s helpful, use the acronym “SOLAR” to quickly remember all five. Here they are.

S – Learn a New Skill – In the job search process, little things make a big difference. If a candidate shakes hands poorly, interrupts, asks too many or not enough questions, sits, stands or walks wrong, doesn’t maintain eye contact, arrives late, etc., they may not get the job. Many of these skills can be taught before the candidate interacts with employers. If they learn the skill adequately, employers don’t need to know the candidate didn’t dress for success, ask questions or send a thank you note before. Often, we must role model, and actively teach these new skills as quickly as possible. Remember, telling is not teaching. Our teaching process is to tell, show, watch, praise, correct, repeat! Sharon Bowman’s work on accelerated learning is excellent, and mentors and role models work well too. If the candidate is still learning a skill needed to do the job, they may verbally acknowledge this to the employer.

Note: Unless your program/services are designed to teach them, we recommend accessing a resource to teach vocational and bigger skills. Partner with another organization and stay focused on your goal.

O – Adjust An Outlook – Sometimes, the problem is not (or not just) the issue, it’s the candidate’s outlook about the issue. They’re sure their age, work history, lack or plethora of education, criminal history, family name, race, gender or something else is holding them back. There may be truth in this, and the other four solution tools can help, but first the candidate should be challenged to adjust their outlook so they don’t sabotage the process. They key is to help them see the “WIIFM?” (what’s in it for me) to adjust. People adjust their outlook only when they see how it hinders them from getting what they want. Help them see that they can have ONLY the outlook (no one will hire me because, everyone I know who, employers never/always…) OR the goal (a job, promotion, leadership opportunities, more money), but not both, then have them decide which is more important. If it’s more important to keep the outlook, which many be safe and familiar (if not growth-promoting), they won’t adjust. At this point, I recommend connecting them with the resource of someone who faces similar “barriers” and is reaching similar goals, such as a female felon who owns a successful business or company man whose job was eliminated and forced him to successfully reinvent himself at 50-something. They can say in moments what you can’t in weeks, and may get the candidate to adjust. If they remain stuck, you might change where they look to focus on opportunities they think they can get.

L – Change Where You Look for Work – This is a quick way to overcome barriers! Often, we don’t think of it, because we’re busy so molding the candidate into our own image (or that of an acceptable career professional) that we don’t think of it, or it feels like a sell out. Consider it! The idea is to find employers who won’t be put off by the issue, or are even looking for the candidate’s attitude, image, whatever! There’s a place in the workforce for everyone, and we get to help them find it! There are basically three ways to “change” where you look:
1)    Change the skills group used (moving away from or toward certain titles and roles),
2)    Change the field they work in (considering work environments, interests, company culture), or
3)    Change another issue for which we use the catch-all phrase values (image, geography, pay, schedule, etc.)

When choosing jobs, there’s value staying in a field where the candidate has knowledge and contacts, and in maintaining the title and using the skills they already have. So, identify what must change and endeavor to maintain the rest, unless the candidate wants to change them too.

A – Develop A Good Answer – Some barriers must be explained to the employer, especially negative past events or patterns like having been fired, relocating often, decrease in pay, poor reasons for leaving, job/field hopping, lack of education, having filed a workers compensation claim, criminal history, chronic illness and more. Often, an interviewer will ask direct questions about these issues, other times the candidate may choose to acknowledge the unspoken issue.

Get the whole story from the candidate, then help them develop an answer in which they: 1) welcome the question to set a comfortable tone, 2) take responsibility for the issue without glossing-over or it or blaming, 3) share their moment of clarity which assures the employer that the issue won’t recur, 4) paint a new picture of their life today so the employer’s concerns are fully reduced, and then 5) transition to what the employer gains by hiring them so they move from negative to neutral to positive ground and end the answer there. Steps 1-4 are designed to reduce the employers concerns, while 5 allows the candidate to share how they can meet the employer’s needs for the job and end positively. The candidate should maintain a natural and comfortable presentation while sharing the answer. They should avoid giving too little or too much information, and ensure, even invite, the employer to ask follow-up questions.

R – Access A Resource – This is another quick way to create solutions. In many cases the employer never needs to know that until recently they didn’t have reliable transportation, a professional wardrobe, an address or phone number to use in the job search, etc. In other cases, resources require more time and other tools must be used too. Whether the need is for dental work, counseling, tool belts and work boots, mental health care or make-overs, we’ve always believed that “whatever you need, someone’s got!” Be creative! Partner to access needed resources for free, or barter. Then, be sure the candidate actually accesses the resources, makes good use of them, and thanks the source!

With these five solutions tools, we develop individualized, effective solutions for thousands of unique candidates. They are memorable, flexible (clearly within each are hundreds of specifics!), and reliable.

The Best Solution Tool – It has to work for the employer!
Remember, solutions are only effective if they satisfy the employer and work for the candidate. With any barrier there are several solutions that would satisfy the employer. For example, if a candidate is competing for a lower-paying job than they’ve recently held, they may:
1)      Share a good answer that reduces employer concerns that they’ll demand more money, want to advance quickly or will leave as soon as they get a better offer, and proves they can meet the employer’s needs,
2)      Learn the skill of marketing their qualifications while downplaying their work/salary history so the employer isn’t distracted by it,
3)   Change where they look to pursue growing companies that want people willing to sacrifice to grow the company and increase their compensation as the company succeeds, or
4)     Change where they look to focus on companies that would be glad to have their skills at the lower rate for even 3 to 6 months while they continue job searching.

Imagine a candidate whose image doesn’t match that of the industry/companies they are pursuing. They might:
1)   Access a resource to update their wardrobe and learn the new skill of presenting a new image,
2)   Change where they look to focus on companies with an image similar to theirs, companies they patronize or companies pursuing new markets and customer bases, or
3)   Change where they look by focusing on jobs that don’t require much customer contact in companies whose image they don’t fit, then develop a good answer about why they would be great for the job and will make the company more than they cost, despite the image disconnect. This is riskier, but still an option.

The point is, there’s always more than one way to overcome a barrier, and more than one way to satisfy the employer. So, what’s the best solution tool to use? Those that make most sense for the candidate as long as it will also satisfy the employer.

The Best Solution Tool – It depends on the candidate!
For anyone whose goal is not mere job placement, but retention, excellence, advancement and satisfaction, the best solutions are those that produce long-term results. Effective solutions must be TRUE. They must clearly and honestly represent what the candidate offers today. And, they must be SUSTANABLE by the candidate. Those that only work in a mock interview with us, or that the candidate can “pull off” for the first few weeks on the job aren’t the long-term solutions we should promote. Candidate’s must “own” the solutions and present them as a natural part of who they are today.

So, our candidate who is competing for a lower-paying job than he has recently held has several options (see above), but the best choice is one that works for him. If he’s recently picked-up a felony, can’t return to his old field and must take whatever he can get, he’ll need to change where he looks, learn to market himself without getting off the subject, and develop a good answer. If he’s merely tired of the corporate world and looking to do something more creative and entrepreneurial, he may change where he looks to focus on small, growing companies, and develop a good answer to explain that his priority is opportunity and creativity, not immediate income. Understanding what is true of him today will help choose the best tools and develop the most effective solutions.

The candidate with the image disconnect also has several choices. If his image is a non-negotiable expression of who he is, he may simply change where he looks to focus on companies he already matches. If he decides he wants a “real job” or discovers he can make the money he wants in a more traditional company, he may adjust his outlook, access the resource of a professional wardrobe and learn the skill of dressing for success in the business world. Either will work for the employer, so the choice is his.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS… things I’ve learned along the way!

Change the Job Target, Not the Candidate!
Changing where you look is a quick and easy way to overcome barriers. For many potential barriers, we can identify a job title, an industry, a company or a hiring manager for which the issue is not a barrier by creatively avoiding some opportunities and/or actively focusing on others. For example:
~ Criminal History – Avoid fields and positions the candidate is legally banned from working in, opportunities that would put them in compromising situations, and companies with policies against hiring people with criminal history. Focus on industries and companies proven to consider people with criminal histories (i.e., construction, the trades, corrective services, etc.). Within these fields are opportunities to use a wide variety of skills.
~ Job Hopper – You may focus on fields and positions that experience high turn-over and consider 3 to 12 months a reasonable stay. There may be good reasons for the turn-over and it may not be a great job, but it’s a place to start.

Try A Combo!
Often combining2 or 3 of the tools works best, or is even necessary. For example:
~ Teaching a candidate the skill of highlighting strengths and minimizing barriers generally requires developing good answers to explain barrier issues when they arise.
~ If a candidate has no transportation and accesses the resource of a bus pass, they must also change where they look to focus on companies located near the bus line, and they may want to develop a good answer to reduce employer concerns about them riding the bus. If they’ve only recently become carless, they may need to adjust their outlook about having to take the bus to work (this ensures the good answer works) and learn to use the system.

Adjusting Outlooks is Often Foundational
How many times have we arranged an appointment or scheduled an interview, and the candidate didn’t even show up!? Have you ever offered a resource or developed a good answer that they never used?! We like to point fingers at the candidate, but this often happens when we fail to see their perspective. We arranged for them to access interview clothing, but they don’t believe anyone will hire them because of their age, current legal battle with a past employer, visible disability, etc. We developed a good answer to satisfy the employer, but didn’t account for their fear or doubt, so they sabotaged! Recognizing where the candidate’s outlook is causing problems and encouraging a process by which they adjust it is often the piece that makes the other tools work. Missing it can result in frustration, disconnect in the partnership and wasted time. If you find that the solution you develop are going unused, re-visit their outlook and start fresh.

Watch Your Default!
We are not the most important people in this process, but we have a job to do. Watch yourself. Chances are you have favorite ways of overcoming candidate barriers, but the best solutions aren’t those quickest or most convenient for us to develop, but those that work for the candidate and employer. You may be prone to challenging candidate outlooks (maybe even to think, dress, or behave more like you!), when it’s more appropriate to change where they look so they “fit” (perhaps into an environment you wouldn’t choose). I know “resource junkies” who have a phone number for every problem and think giving it to the candidate solves the problem. Sometimes a resource is a great way to overcome a barrier, and other times it’s simply what’s easiest for us. Watch which tools you use by default, and be willing to diversify to choose the best tools for each situation.

Good Answers Are Great!
Honestly, if I had to choose between only developing a resume with my candidates and only developing good answers, I’d choose the good answers. Mostly because it’s not possible to get a job with paper (resume, app, references). Paper helps, but no employer reads a resume and calls the person with a job offer. The best the candidate can hope for is a phone call or interview. I’d rather help my candidates  (who tend not to look great on paper, by the way) prepare good answers, then interact with employers over the phone or in person before they are seen on paper. Good answers get the job. Good answers allow the candidate to be a real person, reduce the concern and prove they can meet the needs. I use all five solution tools, but this may be my favorite (perhaps I need to diversify!). Good answers are a quantum leap in the job search for many of my candidates, and I highly recommend them.

It’s Not Just for Candidates!
A final thought on this reliable, versatile tool box. It’s not just for job seekers. We use them in solving all sorts of “barriers,” from marketing and business development, staffing issues and even personal, relational and parenting dilemmas. I hope they serve you well. Let me know how you use them, what’s working and what’s not!

Remember, a barrier to employment is “anything the candidate or employer is willing to use to screen-out the candidate.” If it’s a problem, develop a solution. It increases candidate motivation, confidence, and long-term success, and decreases frustration and job search time. A worthy investment!

So, we’re at the end of this series on our three step process for overcoming any barrier. Feel free to contact WorkNet to order “No One Is Unemployable” or our Barriers Card Sort Game, find out when and where I’m speaking, and put in your vote in for future article topics. Until next time, stay hopeful, innovative and practical, or “H-I-P” as we say!

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

Photo by Patrizio Cuscito

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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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