Training Manual |
Chat Archives | Recruitment Strategies 8/7/01
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
From Maryam@dcck: Ok, Jane will be logging in shortly. How are
things with you, Casey? JaneKCCK just entered this room... From
CaseySutherlandServices: Things are good but slow. We are still
going through the building permitting process in order to get
underway with the renovation of our facility - including the
kitchen. From JaneKCCK: Hi everyone. Sorry I thought it was
yesterday! From JaneKCCK: Today we are discussing recruitment
strategies. What is your target audience and do you have trouble
finding candidates? From CaseySutherlandServices: We will be
recruiting exclusively homeless adults since we have a HUD
Supportive Services Only grant. I have a feeling we might have a
difficult time finding qualified candidates. savana just entered
this room... From JaneKCCK: We have had a difficult time with
homeless because their lives are so unstable. From Maryam@dcck:
Casey, what are you eligibility criteria, besides being homeless?
From tammy: Well that depends on your screening process also. From
CaseySutherlandServices: Candidates must read at or above a 5 grade
level and they must be drug and alcohol free. From JaneKCCK: Tammy,
can you be more specific about your screening process and how many
applicants do you screen? From JaneKCCK: I am convinced that proper
screening will lead to better retention. From tammy: A part of the
process is being able to read at a level of 6-8th grade,
volunteering for 3 days , coming in to fill out the application at
your agency so you get a better feel for the candidate. etc From
CaseySutherlandServices: Jane, what do you mean by "proper"
screening? From JaneKCCK: I like the 3 days volunteering. Do you
drug screen or run police reports? From tammy: If possible develop a
relationship with the shelters making the referrals. From
CaseySutherlandServices: Tammy, what do candidates do during their 3
days of volunteering? From tammy: They work in the kitchen. From
JaneKCCK: I mean a better job of screening for attributes, level of
desire, history of barriers and like you 6 grade math and reading.
We are not HR experts and I think we could use some help there. From
savana: Sometimes screening no matter how intensive does not always
prepare you for obstacles that a candidate does not inform you of.
From tammy: It would be beneficial to have someone with case
management or social service skills too. From JaneKCCK: We are now
trying to work with case managers to supplement their efforts rather
than reinventing the wheel. From Maryam@dcck: Hi Savana, what
organization are you from? From savana: We have a case manger on our
team who is involved from the beginning of our screening process.
From savana: Savana -Rainbow Kitchen-New Leaf Food Training Program
Homestead PA. From JaneKCCK: We hope to hire a case manager part
time. We had a person with social services, but she got too
involved. From CaseySutherlandServices: Jane, do you work with
candidates' case managers from outside organizations (shelters, etc)
during the screening process to get a better sense of candidates’
histories?
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
From JaneKCCK: We are just developing those relationships.
Understanding there are confidentiality issues. From JaneKCCK: One
of the programs requires 2 letters of recommendation. Do any of you?
From CaseySutherlandServices: Jane, that was my next question. Are
you able to get much information from case managers due to
confidentiality issues? From savana: We do not require letters of
recommendation from our students . From JaneKCCK: We currently have
one student!! In a class of eight three were incarcerated in the
first 2 weeks, 2 had health problems and 1 couldn't commit to drug
and alcohol free, and two others couldn't cut the mustard! From
savana: We have our students sign release forms at the orientation
meeting. From tammy: Of course you will never know all of a person’s
issues but follow up with assessments during the program and that
helps also. From JaneKCCK: If we let them know what we know and try
to work with the case managers to help with their work plans, it has
worked so far. From CaseySutherlandServices: Savana, do the release
forms allow you to talk to case managers? What if the candidates
don't agree to sign the release forms? From JaneKCCK: We have
release forms as well. From savana: Yes, once a student signs the
release forms I fax them to the caseworkers. If a student will not
sign a form they are not considered for the program. From
CaseySutherlandServices: Jane and Savana, could you e-mail me copies
of your release forms - CaseyL@hamail.org. That would be a big help.
From savana: Sure no problem From JaneKCCK: One example of working
with case managers, is a student with mental illness had delusions.
We told the case manager what he was telling us and suggested they
knew those stories and how to handle the problem. That also gave
them insight as to how he was doing and if meds needed adjustment,
etc. WIN-WIN! Yes Casey I will send release forms. From JaneKCCK:
Can we get back to who is targeted and whether you are having
trouble finding applicants? From savana: There are a lot of
situations where contact with a case manager is beneficial, one
situation is with the department of public assist. Some workers
don't always take the initiative to let a student know what benefits
they’re entitled to such as transportation assistance or clothing
and shoe allowance. From JaneKCCK: Savana, that's a really good
point. From tammy: One thing you may want to try is a cooking demo
for your targeted population they get to see hands on what your
program can do. From JaneKCCK: That's a great idea, Tammy From
CaseySutherlandServices: That's a good idea. Do you do that and if
so to you have candidates come to your kitchen or do you go to them?
From JaneKCCK: Do any of you focus only on TANF recipients? From
tammy: Yes we do that but we go to their facilities and bring some
of the current students from the class to participate and talk about
how it has helped them. From JaneKCCK: Where do you get to your
target audience? From CaseySutherlandServices: Very creative way of
recruiting, Tammy. I need to get going. Thanks everyone for all the
wonderful ideas. From tammy: We actually did the cooking demo for
some TANF recipients and some students watched their children in
another room while the others did the demo. It was great.
CaseySutherlandServices just left this room... From JaneKCCK: We
have found referrals from past students is a great way to get good
people. From JaneKCCK: Tammy did you go to DFS to do the demo?
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
From JaneKCCK: We are just developing those relationships.
Understanding there are confidentiality issues. From JaneKCCK: One
of the programs requires 2 letters of recommendation. Do any of you?
From CaseySutherlandServices: Jane, that was my next question. Are
you able to get much information from case managers due to
confidentiality issues? From savana: We do not require letters of
recommendation from our students . From JaneKCCK: We currently have
one student!! In a class of eight three were incarcerated in the
first 2 weeks, 2 had health problems and 1 couldn't commit to drug
and alcohol free, and two others couldn't cut the mustard! From
savana: We have our students sign release forms at the orientation
meeting. From tammy: Of course you will never know all of a person’s
issues but follow up with assessments during the program and that
helps also. From JaneKCCK: If we let them know what we know and try
to work with the case managers to help with their work plans, it has
worked so far. From CaseySutherlandServices: Savana, do the release
forms allow you to talk to case managers? What if the candidates
don't agree to sign the release forms? From JaneKCCK: We have
release forms as well. From savana: Yes, once a student signs the
release forms I fax them to the caseworkers. If a student will not
sign a form they are not considered for the program. From
CaseySutherlandServices: Jane and Savana, could you e-mail me copies
of your release forms - CaseyL@hamail.org. That would be a big help.
From savana: Sure no problem From JaneKCCK: One example of working
with case managers, is a student with mental illness had delusions.
We told the case manager what he was telling us and suggested they
knew those stories and how to handle the problem. That also gave
them insight as to how he was doing and if meds needed adjustment,
etc. WIN-WIN! Yes Casey I will send release forms. From JaneKCCK:
Can we get back to who is targeted and whether you are having
trouble finding applicants? From savana: There are a lot of
situations where contact with a case manager is beneficial, one
situation is with the department of public assist. Some workers
don't always take the initiative to let a student know what benefits
they’re entitled to such as transportation assistance or clothing
and shoe allowance. From JaneKCCK: Savana, that's a really good
point. From tammy: One thing you may want to try is a cooking demo
for your targeted population they get to see hands on what your
program can do. From JaneKCCK: That's a great idea, Tammy From
CaseySutherlandServices: That's a good idea. Do you do that and if
so to you have candidates come to your kitchen or do you go to them?
From JaneKCCK: Do any of you focus only on TANF recipients? From
tammy: Yes we do that but we go to their facilities and bring some
of the current students from the class to participate and talk about
how it has helped them. From JaneKCCK: Where do you get to your
target audience? From CaseySutherlandServices: Very creative way of
recruiting, Tammy. I need to get going. Thanks everyone for all the
wonderful ideas. From tammy: We actually did the cooking demo for
some TANF recipients and some students watched their children in
another room while the others did the demo. It was great.
CaseySutherlandServices just left this room... From JaneKCCK: We
have found referrals from past students is a great way to get good
people. From JaneKCCK: Tammy did you go to DFS to do the demo?
Submitted by
neda on 04/08/2002
From tammy: Try taking some students to put up flyers maybe in
neighborhoods where there are a lot of TANF families regarding the
demo and just hope they show up that's what we did! From JaneKCCK:
How many students do you have? How many is ideal? From tammy: No we
went to a church in a community where a lot of TANF families live.
From JaneKCCK: How many of the participants actually became
students? From tammy: We have 16 HUD, 12 DOL. From JaneKCCK: WOW
that is amazing! From tammy: We start out with more because you will
always lose some. From savana: What is HUD and how do you get
students? From JaneKCCK: Where do you get referrals? From savana:
Word of mouth, follow ups after I do presentations, we do not have a
DHS contract anymore. From tammy: HUD is a housing grant given to us
to provide supportive services. From savana: Getting students is
hard enough, but keeping them is almost impossible. From tammy: It
will always be like that so try to start out with more so you end up
with close to the numbers you really want. From JaneKCCK: Well our
time is about up. Thanks to all of you for the GREAT info. It has
really been helpful. Savana, I agree that keeping them is difficult,
but truly believe if we recruit right we will have better long-term
success. From tammy: I agree to that!! The more challenging it is to
get in the more undetermined people you will weed out!! From savana:
This was my first time chatting, it was great very helpful I will be
back. From JaneKCCK: Great we look forward to your input. From tammy:
Hope this has been helpful I'M OUT! From Maryam@dcck: Thank you,
Tammy and Jane. From Linda: I'm really sorry I missed the chat. I
know we all face challenges with recruitting students. One thing we
do is to offer a finder's fee for graudates. When someone helps us
sign up a student we present that graduate with a finder's fee of
$50.00 at the next graduation. Of course the "found" student must
graduate for the finder to get the money. We also do demos in the
hoods and have gotten a couple that way. We are working on
developing a strong alumni association in hopes that that will help
with recruittment and tracking. We have someone starting with the
class which starts on next Wed. that will do contract casemanagement
to help with targeting problems. We also require a volunteer day
from prospective students. We have a student contract, and are
considering a serious look at our stipend program to better enforce
the contract. From ChefRon, ccsc: These challenges are faced by all.
look foward , allow the students to create a history for the school
and themselves
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