You've heard it before: Small businesses, especially
high-tech firms seeking tech-savvy workers, are in dire straights
when it comes to finding qualified employees. But take a closer
look. "We have as many people in the world as we've always
had," says Terry Moskus of Olsten Staffing Services in
Melville, New York. "It's just a matter of how creative
you are at finding [workers]."
So who are these potential workers? They are temporary workers,
people with disabilities, ex-offenders, mature workers and
discouraged workers (those who haven't sought work in at least
four weeks). Here are a few facts about these folks:
- Seventy-four percent of all temporary workers seek temporary
work as a way to get a full-time job.
- Sixty-eight percent of the 32.4 million Americans ages 15 to 64
with a disability are unemployed; 79 percent of them want
work.
- An estimated 2.36 million of the nation's ex-offenders are
on parole or probation. A significant portion can't find
employment.
- Some 450,000 individuals age 55 and older are unemployed.
- Some 343,000 discouraged workers want jobs: Of that, nearly 42
percent are women, and approximately one-third are ages 16 to
24.
Dipping into these labor pools requires thinking on another
level, as Phil Kosak discovered. For the first three years he
operated Carolina Fine Snacks, a Greensboro, North Carolina,
nutritional snack company, he struggled to find reliable employees.
"Our efficiency was 60 percent of capacity; the turnover rate
was 80 percent every six months. Absenteeism was 20 percent, and
tardiness was 15 percent to 20 percent," says Kosak.
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Things changed when Kosak attended a job fair for people with
disabilities. Kosak was so impressed with what he encountered, he
hired someone that day; since 1985, more than half his staff has
been people with disabilities. "Initially, I had the same
stereotypical concerns most employers have. [With my first disabled
employee,] I focused on what he couldn't do, not what he
could," Kosak admits. "But that changed quickly because
of his enthusiasm." Meanwhile, production has increased to 100
percent, tardiness and absenteeism are negligible, and morale has
increased.
Ex-offenders are also a good source of potential employees. They
range from high-risk youth referred for alternative sentencing to
recovering drug addicts to those who exit jail without a work
history, says Sandi Franklin, a psychologist and consultant to New
York City-based Fortune Society, which helps ex-offenders turn
their lives around. Contrary to popular belief, Franklin says,
ex-offenders will not always be offenders; they are also not lazy
or unreliable. "They're more motivated than the average
new worker," says Franklin, "because they want to prove
they can reintegrate into society."
Hiring mature workers can be beneficial as well. According to
Green Thumb Inc., an Arlington, Virginia, federally funded
employment training program for rural people ages 55 and over,
hiring such individuals will get you knowledgeable, experienced
workers.
The hardest group to find is discouraged workers. "They are
probably not reading newspapers, and they're usually not
well-connected," says Shulamit Kahn, an associate management
professor at Boston University. They might also be less skilled,
less educated or have constraints such as lack of child care or
transportation.
These workers might not seem like the best potential employees,
but they often avoid the labor market simply because they lack
training or believe no work is available for them. Once you find a
discouraged- worker candidate, be prepared to offer assistance,
such as providing referrals to agencies that can help with child
care. To find these workers, talk to your own employees, then
branch out to churches and community centers.
Dipping into these alternative labor pools won't be as
simple as running an ad and sorting through pristine resumes, but
employers who shelve misconceptions and think creatively will be
the most successful.
Contact Sources
Carolina Fine Snacks, 3718 Alliance Dr., Greensboro, NC
27407, (336) 852-1900
The Fortune Society, 39 W. 19th St., New York, NY 10011,
(212) 206-7070
Green Thumb Inc., http://www.greenthumb.org; Taylor
Hartman, 7070 Union Park Ctr., #335, Midvale, UT 84047, (800)
761-0001;