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Below are eight strategies to help workforce development professionals
effectively market customers in recovery to employers. It is important
to note that workforce development personnel must never
disclose a customer’s history of alcohol or drug treatment.
However, in some instances candidates may voluntarily share this information.
In this situation, these strategies may help alleviate employer concerns.
Otherwise, any discussions with employers about the value of employing
workers in recovery must be limited to the general backgrounds of
program customers, rather than about individual job seekers.
Most of these strategies can be used to help highlight the benefits
of hiring any customers to employers, and some are
strategies workforce development professionals use every day. Others
specifically address how to handle common fears and misperceptions
employers may have about people in recovery.
Understand the realities of the employers’ labor market
Employers always are in need of workers who are able and willing
to do a job well. Even during times of economic uncertainty, employers
may need to fill short- and long-term positions. Furthermore, it is
expensive and time consuming to advertise, recruit, interview and
train qualified employees, and these costs cannot be recovered if
they do not result in a successful placement. Replacing ineffective
employees is also expensive, making employee retention one of employers’
top priorities across a range of industries. Regardless of the type
of population served, understanding the realities of potential employers’
labor markets puts the workforce development professional in a better
position to explain why using his or her program’s services
to recruit employees makes good business sense.
Speak the same language as employers
Workforce development professionals should learn about an employer’s
workforce needs by researching the local employment market. At a minimum,
research should include reading through the classified ads to confirm
what qualifications employers are looking for in applicants. Also,
when describing how program services can help employers, terms that
employers relate to and recognize should be used.
Describe the benefits of using program services
Employers will only be interested in working with workforce development
programs if it can be demonstrated that hiring program participants
reduces the time and costs of recruiting and training. It should be
explained that the array of services available to program participants
are designed to enable employers to readily and inexpensively fill
positions, and that hiring program participants can actually prove
better than using standard hiring practices—because each candidate’s
skills are assessed and he or she is pre-screened and matched to an
employer’s specific needs before being referred. It should also
be mentioned that employers using government-funded workforce development
placement activities may be able to save on costs for application
pre-screening or the follow-up case management that helps ensure good
placements.
Celebrate the power of recovery by describing people in recovery
in positive terms
As appropriate, workforce development professionals should talk to
employers about the positive characteristics
that people in recovery generally have. They should focus on the facts—customers
in recovery have the skills employers want and they are ready to work
and motivated to succeed. Many of these individuals have overcome
significant challenges in achieving recovery, an accomplishment that
contributes to a determination to succeed in other areas of their
life, including employment. Also, integrating employer testimonials
in discussions with employers, who are likely to be influenced by
positive experiences of other employers, should be considered.
Set clear limits on how much personal information is shared
with employers
Workforce development professionals should explain that they are
not at liberty to tell employers about specific individuals and their
history of drug and alcohol abuse, but will work with these individuals
to make decisions about self-disclosing. It can be clarified that
many people in recovery find it helpful to share their recovery process
with employers, particularly if assured that it will not be used against
them and if employers are supportive.
Be prepared to address employer concerns when they arise
Employers may be leery of individuals with a history of drug and
alcohol abuse. Thus, it is probably wise for workforce development
professionals to anticipate and be prepared to dispel the myths and
anxieties employers might have about hiring people in recovery, particularly
if a program’s target population is generally considered to
be at risk for drug and alcohol abuse. To learn more about common
employer concerns and strategies for responding to them if and when
they arise, misconceptions vs. realities
regarding people in recovery can be reviewed. Also, it should
be kept in mind that despite best efforts to educate them to the contrary,
some employers may remain unconvinced about the value of hiring people
in recovery, and there may be nothing that anyone can say to change
their minds. In this case, the workforce development professional
should consider whether the employer is likely to provide a healthy
workplace in which people in recovery can succeed.
Explain how program participants receive support and help
Workforce development professionals should talk to employers about
the transitional services the program provides to customers who may
require additional support (such as mental health and substance abuse
counseling and treatment referrals). They should tell employers about
the case management services provided, such as proactive attention
designed to prevent problems before they occur, as well as staff and
resources available to help if they do. Employers should be comforted
to know that if an alcohol or drug problem exists, it is under control,
and it if re-occurs, support systems are in place to help the individual
get back on track. Also, employers should be reminded about the specific
services offered to help these individuals if they experience problems
in the workplace—such as training in communication/conflict
resolution, anger management and stress and time management. It should
be emphasized that these individuals have support before, during and
after the job placement process.
Educate employers about additional support services
It might also be helpful to discuss other types of services that
may be available, such as the Federal
Bonding Program. Thousands of employers have taken advantage of
this program, which is a business insurance policy that protects employers
against business losses due to employee actions, such as theft. Also
beneficial to mention are other employer-sponsored programs that support
people in recovery, such as drug-free workplace programs that include
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), which actually benefit an employer’s
entire staff and result in increased safety and productivity company-wide.
Workforce development professionals should assure employers that the
same workplace support services that foster success for people in
recovery foster success for all employees and that sound workplace
practices require little or no modification to provide a good environment
for people in recovery. There are a number of steps
employers can take to ensure their workplace is recovery friendly.
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