Employer-Led, Value-Driven Partnerships

1. Employer-Led, Value-Driven Partnerships Sara Murphy TransCen, Inc. September 23, 2010

2. Session Objectives • Review current approaches to employment for people with disabilities • Learn to utilize person-centered plans to target employers • Learn to identify business needs and present candidates in a positive, value-added way • Discuss additional ways to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities

3. Unemployment Rates 2009 People without disabilities 35.5% People with disabilities 80.5% US Department of Labor

4. We have spent Billions on: • Raising awareness & advocacy • Policy initiatives • Support services Yet, people with disabilities are still under-represented in the workforce

5. What are we doing wrong?

6. “Successful Employment” is a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s a two-way street. Not charity.

7. Help Wanted: Company looking for individual with Autism, Cerebral Palsy or extensive history of hospitalization. Inappropriate or delusional behavior is OK. Supportive coworkers. Call for an application.

8. Service Providers must re-frame how we see job seekers and how we approach and partner with businesses . Value driven for all involved.

9. Need to see “Disability” as “Human Variance” Not aberrant or broken

10. Skills vs. Deficits • Person-centered planning with a purpose • Focus on preferences and what a person can do • Shifts emphasis to adding value • Targets businesses where job seeker’s unique characteristics and skills will be assets

11. Here’s Andrew

12. Andrew’s Profile What his “file” said… What we said… Passion is Music Plays the piano and saxophone Good clerical and computer skills- fast typist Loves gardening and lifting weights Needs verbal information presented slowly Likes clean, organized environments- hates noisy, chaotic places Likes structured, consistent tasks Hates to be interrupted • Autism • Significant verbal processing delay • 22yrs. old, just completed high school • Worked in a voc. sites: stocking and cleaning • 6th grade reading & 8th grade math skills • Impulsive and inflexible • Inappropriate behaviors (acts in an aggressive manner and/or violates personal space)

13. Use Profile to Target Employment Settings. Any ideas for Andrew?

14. Where will Andrew’s unique characteristics add value?(i.e. increase productivity, decrease expenses, improve customer service or solve a problem)

15. Andrew’s VENN Diagram Used to target employment settings Routine tasks, No customer service Music Archiving skills

16. Andrew’s Job Development Plan Something in the “Music Industry” • An administrative or cataloging position • Customer service would not be ideal, no loud, rowdy environments, something slightly conservative • Consistent job tasks or structure is important • Possible placements: Duplication houses, Music schools, Sheet Music stores or such

17. Lots of Options for Andrew • SheetMusicPlus.com • The Conservatory • ROCK RIVER • Blue Bear Music school • SF Symphony or Opera • Mixonic • American Guild of Musical Artists, BMI • Gracenote.com

18. People with disabilities have the right to choose a path toward education and employment. However, while freedom of choice is given, the right to work is earned. Earning the right to work is dependent upon a student's preparation. Stephen Simon, ADA Quarterly, Fall 1998.

19. What Employers Say:Macworld Magazine “Don’t approach employers with a charitable appeal. In the end what we need are people who can do the job.” --Shelly Ginenthal Former VP of Human Resources

20. The Employer’s Side of the Equation

21. What do Employers Value? • Motivated employees who are excited about their work. • Candidates with skills sets that can add value to their workforce. • Business solutions that improve the company’s productivity and/or workflow.

22. What Employers Say:AMB Real Estate “…treat this like any other business decision. You do it for economic reasons and it’s a great way to access good productive employees.” -- Christine Schadich, AMB

23. No more “Deficit Marketing” • “Untapped labor pool” • Focus on skills sets, not tax credits Stigmatizes your candidates

24. Employer Relationships

25. Focus on Building Long Term Relationships with Employers • Info interviews--listen and look • Establish a solid understanding of processes, essential skills and workplace culture • Build trust • Determine if there is a way to solve problems or add value

26. Always Use Positive Language and Business Terminology • Candidates vs. clients/consumers • “systematic , routine tasks”, “entry level” vs. “easy, menial jobs” or “repetitive work” • Recruit and screen candidates vs. job development • Orientation and training vs. job coaching • Tools vs. accommodations

27. Benefits for Employers • Productive, dependable employees • Reduces recruitment and training costs for support positions • Frees staff to concentrate on key aspects of their positions • Diversifies the workforce • Leverages resources of employment service to assist with orientation and training.

28. Research Employment Settings & Build a Professional Network Customized Employment: It Works!

29. Research: The Initial Conversations • Focus on the Business (not the job seeker) • What is the product or service? • What is valued? • What are the trends? • What are the challenges?

30. Building Relationships • Participate in professional events/activities • Act as a resource for business • Resource for employees who are injured • Disability awareness • Engage business in “small ways” • Mock interviews for job seekers • Critique resumes and evaluate skills • Acknowledge an employer’s efforts and successes

31. Informational Interviews:Eyes wide open! Identify ways to benefit and add value to the business. Improve workflow and reduce “waste”

32. Ways to improve processes and “workflow” What is the product (or service)? • Are there ways to make “product” faster? • More goods = more money • Are there ways to make product cheaper? • Efficiency = bigger profits • Are there ways to increase the number of customers served or improve customer service? • Loyal customers = repeat business

33. Ways to “Eliminate Waste” • Wasted Talent • Are highly paid (or income-generating) employees doing entry-level/administrative tasks? • Wasted Time • “Value Stream” (product to the customer) • Would hiring your jobseeker reduce staff turnover? • Wasted Resources • Need 50 packets- so we ordered 1,000 so they are available…now they are obsolete. • Is the employer using temporary workers? Paying overtime?

34. Look for Problems: • Customer /employee complaints • Log jams/backlogs/ long lead times • Unassigned, but critical tasks • Burn-out or high turnover • Managers or key staff pulled away from core tasks • Workload fluctuations • Rush times, crunch times, seasonal fluctuations, sporadic- but important- tasks

35. Getting from “Contact” to “Job” • Know how a business works and more importantly, how it doesn’t • Build a relationship with the employer and determine if your job seeker can help improve an employer’s ability to do business (“Prospect”) • “It’s the perfect place!” -present ideas and your candidate Customized Employment: It Works!

36. A Visit to Rock River • Business is growing in leaps and bounds • Used interns from Recording school- not very reliable, don’t want to do the things they need done • “The library is a mess- we pull things and never get them back in the right spot– or even in the room.” • “Categorize CD’s by genre- but knowing label would help.” • Business Development does large promotional mailings– whole team is pulled to stuff packets. • Just developed an on-line song catalog- need to up-load songs.

37. Framing Your Ideas and Presenting a Candidate

38. Present Your Solutions to an Employer Using a Potential Task List

39. Potential Task Lists… • Translates a candidate’s Features into Benefits • Are based on targeted employer’s needs and a specific job seeker’s skills • Demonstrates how a job seeker with more limited skill sets can be a valuable addition to an employer’s workforce

40. Effective Tasks Lists • Speak the employer’s language • Use employer’s jargon and organizational terms • List specific job tasks • not general ideas like “file”, “copy” • List most important tasks (needs) first • Which tasks will have the greatest impact? • Gets the employer thinking- and better yet- talking

41. Andrew an employee at Rock River Communications • Organizes and maintains CD library • Stickers CD’s by genre and label • Downloads songs into database • Files prospecting letters and collates mailings for Business Devo.

42. Not a good “prospect” for your candidate • Continue to build a relationship with this employer by: • Staying in contact • Have them engage with your organization in small ways: • Business Advisory Council • Talk at Job Clubs • Critique resumes • Mock interviews

43. Customized Employment:a Business-Centered Approach • Must approach as an employment service, not social service • Must understand how a business works, what they value and the challenges they face • Must talk their language • Must offer employers something they value

44. Implications for Change Agents • Teach person-centered and value-added job development to direct service staff • Encourage programs that start early and provide community-based, realistic work experiences • Support transition- collaborative programs • Reduce funding for shelter based, day program services, create flexible, “menus” of services that foster independence and the use of community resources • Federal entitlement to adult services, long term support for Rehab. clients with Dev. Dis. (e.g. IDEIA) • Simplify SSI & Medicare

45. For More Information: • Sara Murphy TransCen, Inc./WorkLink 785 Market Street, Suite 670 San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 979-9520 s_murphy@sbcglobal.net