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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 026 517 VT 007 547 Effectively Employing the Hard-Core. (An Aid to Companies Joining the Growing Effort of Industry to Help Resolve Basic Social Problems). National Association of Manufacturers, New York, N.Y. Urban Affairs Div. Pub Date 68 Note-37p. Available from-Distribution Services, National Association of Manufacturers. 149 East 26th Street, New York, New York 10010 ($1.00). EDRS Price MF -$025 HC-$1.95 Descriptors-*Disadvantaged Groups, *Emptoyment Programs, Industrial Training, *Industry, Job Placement, Job Training, Personnel Policy, Personnel Selection, *Program Descriptions, Recruitment, *Unemployed Recently, members of the research staff of the Urban Affairs Division of the National Association of Manufacturers traveled around the country and met with key company representatives responsible for their. organizations' on-going hard-core employment programs. This document reports, in synthesized form, the information gained about effective procedures companies have used to employ chronically unemployed, unskilled, and undereducated citizens. It was observed that even though the problems of disadvantaged ghetto residents vary and the programs to employ them vary, there are commonalities in the various approaches that can be instructive to employers who are developing programs for the employment of the hard-core unemployed. Among the program components and issues discussed are: (1) developing an understanding of the special problems of the hard-core, (2) top management involvement, (3) Union Participation, (4) Screening, Testing, and Selection, (5) Restructuring Jobs, (6) The Question of Payment, (7) Transportation Difficulties, (8) Orientation Procedures, (9) Use of Discipline, (10) pre-vocational and on-the-job training, (11) preventing dropouts with the buddy system, iob coaches, volunteers and other procedures, and (12) data collection and program evaluation. Five specific programs, including one involving a consortium of many small employers, are described in some detail in the appendix. (ET)

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  • DOCUMENT RESUMEED 026 517 VT 007 547Effectively Employing the Hard-Core. (An Aid to Companies Joining the Growing Effort of Industry to HelpResolve Basic Social Problems).

    National Association of Manufacturers, New York, N.Y. Urban Affairs Div.Pub Date 68Note-37p.Available from-Distribution Services, National Association of Manufacturers. 149 East 26th Street, New York,New York 10010 ($1.00).

    EDRS Price MF -$025 HC-$1.95Descriptors-*Disadvantaged Groups, *Emptoyment Programs, Industrial Training, *Industry, Job Placement,Job Training, Personnel Policy, Personnel Selection, *Program Descriptions, Recruitment, *Unemployed

    Recently, members of the research staff of the Urban Affairs Division of theNational Association of Manufacturers traveled around the country and met with keycompany representatives responsible for their. organizations' on-going hard-coreemployment programs. This document reports, in synthesized form, the informationgained about effective procedures companies have used to employ chronicallyunemployed, unskilled, and undereducated citizens. It was observed that even thoughthe problems of disadvantaged ghetto residents vary and the programs to employthem vary, there are commonalities in the various approaches that can be instructiveto employers who are developing programs for the employment of the hard-coreunemployed. Among the program components and issues discussed are: (1) developingan understanding of the special problems of the hard-core, (2) top managementinvolvement, (3) Union Participation, (4) Screening, Testing, and Selection, (5)Restructuring Jobs, (6) The Question of Payment, (7) Transportation Difficulties, (8)Orientation Procedures, (9) Use of Discipline, (10) pre-vocational and on-the-jobtraining, (11) preventing dropouts with the buddy system, iob coaches, volunteers andother procedures, and (12) data collection and program evaluation. Five specificprograms, including one involving a consortium of many small employers, are describedin some detail in the appendix. (ET)

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    111113AN AFFAIRS DIMISION--1IATIONAL ASSOCIATION

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    Copyright 1968National Association of Manufacturers

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  • FOREWORD

    The staff of the Urban Affairs Division of the NAM has been involved in theproblem of effectively employing the hard-core since early 1964. At that timeNAM launched the STEP (Solutions to Employment Problems) program, whichwas the forerunner to the Urban Affairs Division. STEP canvassed the nation inan attempt to determine which companies were developing innovative solutionsto manpower problems. These solutions were documented and then published inthe form of case studies. In investigating company programs, the STEP staffidentified numerous instances of creative approaches to moving the hard-coreinto the employment process.

    Since then, STEP has become an integral part of the Urban Affairs Division,and the tempo and depth of involvement in this area of concern has increased.Recently, members of the research staff traveled around the country to meet withkey company representatives responsible for their organizations' on-going hard-core employment programs. Of particular interest was learning how companieshave contended with the inevitable problems that arise in this kind of effort.By digging for solutions, the Urban Affairs Division felt it could produce adocument that would lighten the burden for those companies now beginning tobe involved in employing chronically unemployed, unskilled and undereducatedAmericans.

    The distance between a successful and unsuccessful effort is not too great.Programs launched with sufficient thought and planning have fared compara-tively well. Others, based on nothing more solid than a hope and a prayer, haverun into trouble. The NAM'S Urban Affairs Division believes that a company'schances of developing a program to effectively employ the disadvantaged willbe enhanced if the following guidelines are adapted for local use with intelli-gence, thoughtfulness and sensitivity.

    NAM is indebted to the companies listed on the following page, and theirpersonnel, for cooperating in this venture. Their help allowed the staff to get a"fix" on the procedures and techniques that are being used in programs gearedto help the hard-core become self-sufficient and productive workers. We are sorrythat time did not permit visiting other companies that also have developed pro-grams in this critical area of nationwide concern.

    W. P. GULLANDERPresidentNational Association of Manufacturers

  • +.1

    Aerojet-General CorporationWatts Manufacturing Company,Los Angeles, CaliforniaAvco CorporationEconomic Systems Corporation,Roxbury, MassachusettsChrysler Corporation,Detroit, MichiganControl Data Corporation,Minneapolis, MinnesotaEastman Kodak Company,Rochester, New YorkEG & G IncorporatedEG & G Roxbury, Inc.,Roxbury, MassachusettsFairchild-Hiller CorporationFairmicco Corporation,Washington, D. C.Ford Motor Company,Dearborn, MichiganGeneral Dynamics CorporationSan Antonio Facility,San Antonio, TexasGeneral Motors Corporation,Detroit, MichiganGleason Works,Rochester, New York

    70.

    Honeywell, Inc.,Minneapolis, MinnesotaITT Gilfillan Inc.,Van Nuys, CaliforniaLing-Temco-Vought, Inc.,Dallas, TexasLockheed Aircraft CorporationLockheed Missiles and SpaceCenter, Sunnyvale, CaliforniaMcDonnell Douglas Corporation,St. Louis, MissouriPitney-Bowes, Inc.,Stamford, ConnecticutPolaroid Corporation,Cambridge, MassachusettsRaytheon Company,Lexington, MassachusettsRitter Pfaudler Corporation,Rochester, New YorkWestern Electric Company, Inc.Kearny WorksKearny, New JerseyWhittaker CorporationInstant Hiring ProjectLos Angeles, CaliforniaXerox Corporation,Rochester, New York

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  • TABLE OF CONTENTSPages

    Introduction: Toward Understanding the Hard-Core7

    Importance of Top Management Involvement8

    Company Staffing Patterns8

    Relationship with Minority Group Community9

    9

    Cooperation of Insurance Companies10

    Union Participation10

    Approaches to Recruitment10

    Need for Physical Examinations11

    Screening, Testing, Selection11

    Restructuring Jobs11

    Job Placement and Job Matching12

    Question of Payment12

    Transportation Difficulties12

    Orientation Procedures13

    Use of Discipline13

    Training: Pre-Vocational and On-The-Job14

    Helping Supervisors Develop Sensitivity15 to 18

    Support Services: Preventing Job Dropouts18 to 20

    Buddy System18

    Job Coach19

    Volunteers19

    Aid from Company Personnel19

    Counseling19

    Legal and Financial Advice20

    Child Care20

    Reaction of Regular Workforce20 to 21

    Awards for Performance21

    Significance of Upgrading21

    Data Collection and Program Evaluation22

    Consortium: Assisting the Smaller Companies22

    Role of Motivation22 to 23

    Appendix25 to 36

    A Large Manufacturing Company's Plan for Helping New

    Hourly Employees Succeed on the Job25

    Two Types of Volunteer Programs26 to 27

    Child Care Service for Working Mothers28

    A Consortium to Hire and Train the Hard-Core Unemployed29 to 36

    Problems of Publicity

    Effectively Employing the Hard-Core

  • Introduction: Toward Understanding The Hard-Core

    In order to maximize thechances of developing a suc-cessful program to employ thehard-core, it is imperative thatthere be sensitivity to the tar-get population with whom thecompany will be involved. Ifa program is to make sense,it is important that the staffresponsible for its implementa-

    tion start with an open mind, a determination to putaside preconceived notions, and a desire to gain realunderstanding of the problems and difficulties thatconfront the disadvantaged members of our society.Programs which ignore the realities of hard-core liferisk failure. To be aware of these realities is a firststep toward launching an effective effort.

    What are these realities?

    The undereducated, unskilled, chronically unemployedpoor person tends to live in a different world fromthe one we inhabit. And the impact of his world colorsall of his actions and reactions when he comes intocontact with the industrial world. This fact is stressedbecause any attempt to understand the behavior ofdisadvantaged persons coming into our plants is con-tingent upon the ability to step out of our own frameof reference and grasp the impact that living in povertyhas on individuals.

    Most of us find it difficult to appreciate the extent towhich the minority group person living in a whiteman's world suffers damage to his self-respect, dignity,and sense of manhood. Without spelling out how thisdamage comes about, it is important to bear in mindthat the toughness, the surliness, the indifference ofsome disadvantaged persons is a mask that is worn forprotection. Underneath that mask there is often hurtand anger.*

    When the hard-core individual comes to work for acompany, he may feel that he is at least initially, onforeign soil. Much of his subsequent behavior relatesto his underlying fear that he will be seen as someonedifferent and apartand therefore likely to be rejected.

    A company executive has pointed out that physical examinations of over1,000 hard-core applicants seeking employment at his plant revealed therather startling finding that the most common ailment reported by physi-cians was hypertension.

    Effectively Employing the Hard-Core

    A case in point: The manager of a small companylikes to be on a first-name basis with all of the employees.However, a young Negro woman working in the plantinsists on calling him by his last name. This puzzleshim because he has tried to be a decent employer,treating everyone alike, and yet he feels this one em-ployee is rebuffing him. She senses his awkwardnessand, unable to cope with the situation, tries to keepout of his way as much as possible.

    The manager, not knowing what to do, checks with along-time Negro employee who says, "Somehow weeven have misunderstandings with the white man whois for us."

    He explains that this young woman has only recentlyarrived from the deep South, and she is not about tocall any white employer by his first name. He addsthat he knows that she likes her job and appreciatesworking for an employer who treats Negroes fairly.His final word to the manager is, "Just relax. You beyou and let her be her. You've got to understand andrespect what she has lived through. In time she'll getto understand that you're for real. Then maybe shesees past Mr. Whiteyand then you're Ted."

    The disadvantaged worker is often reticent to com-municate his doubts to his foreman out of fear that if headmits he doesn't understand what he is supposed todo he will be subjected to ridicule and possibly theanger of his boss. If the foreman, due to pressures uponhim, hurries his instructions to the new worker so thatthey are only partially understood, this can be thebeginning of the end. Rather than request clarification,the hard-core person may plunge ahead, knowing thathe is stumbling, yet too frozen inside to stop himself.

    Unless staff members are sensitive to this kind of basicdifficulty in communication and at least at the outsetmeet the disadvantaged worker more than halfway,they will one day soon scratch their collective headand wonder why that "quiet guy" who seemed to wantthe job suddenly stopped showing up at work.

    Another reality that must be understood in dealingwith the hard-core is the strong sense of failure thatpervades their lives. Not to do so is to miss a signifi-cant building block that goes into the structure of thedisadvantaged person and that can help to explainhis sometimes puzzling behavior. To the hard-core, arriv-

    7

  • ing at the age of 19, 29, 39, or more and still reading ona 3rd or 4th grade level, with a work history consisting ofjobs such as dishwasher and janitor, unable to adequatelysupport a wife, let alone a family, is to have lived with abitter taste of failure and a deep sense of worthlessness.

    If success breeds success, failure breeds failure. Againthe disadvantaged person is conditioned. To fail ishis lot. At the same time, trying desperately to hold onto his self-respect, he will resort to a variety of stra-tegems in order to avoid another failure experience.If this is how he sees the job, he is likely to feel thathe can better live with himself by rationalizing quittingthan to risk being fired for not measuring up.

    A further reality concerning the hard-core is theirdifferent approach to time. Many of them have notlearned to relate to its importance. We, on the otherhand, tend to live by the clock. Since there is so muchto accomplish, we are usually very conscious of thepassage of time. And, of course, our plants ofnecessity ruin by the clock. However, our urgencyabout time is often alien to the person with little workexperience who lives from one day to the next on akind of survival basis. He may well be puzzled by ourconcern about punctuality. But this puzzlement can bemodified if we build in procedures and incentives tocounteract the conditioning that led to his basicattitudes.

    Our staff is aware of the difficulty inherent in general-izing about the hard-core, which includes poor whitesas well as Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americansand American Indianspeople coming from a varietyof cultures, each with its unique characteristics.

    Nevertheless we believe disadvantaged people acrossour land have many problems in common. Thus it ispossible to say something significant and valid thatapplies to most individuals living in poverty, who aremoving into the world of industry.

    Certain points covered in this report will be morerelevant to one group than to another. Each readerwill have to adapt what is written to "local conditions"hopefully getting sufficient inputs to improvise andadjust to his particular situation.

    Importance of Top Management Involvement

    8

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    Virtually all the companiessurveyed stress that top man-agement commitment is a basickey to a sound and successfulprogram to employ the hard-core. What is required is thatthe chief executive officer, atthe outset, enunciate a firm,clear-cut policy to be carried

    out at all levels of the organization. And he must makesure that his message has gotten through.

    It is generally agreed that a strong statement made bythe president directly to all employees is most effective.One chief executive officer has held a series of meet-ings in order to accomplish this objective. In the caseof a very large company with plants in a number oflocations, the president has made use of video tapeto get his message to all employees. A more commonapproach is to print the president's statement in theemployee newsletter or bulletin. A special memorandumfrom top management is another means used to informthe employees.

    With or without communication to all employees, itis essential that the top executive meet with his keymanagers to ensure their active support of the com-pany's policy. They in turn are responsible for seeingthat everyone connected with management understandsthe extent of the company's commitment and its de-termination to implement the policy. Regardless ofthe approach used, the goal is to get all company per-sonnel "turned on," from top to bottom. In addition,when supervisors know that management is observingand evaluating their performance in dealing with newlyhired hard-core workers, they will put greater effortinto carrying through the company's mandate.

    When this process begins to permeate the total organ-ization, workers on the line sense where the companyis going and are inclined to respond more positively.

    Taking it a step further, some business executivesstrongly recommend that top management build in asystem of tangible rewards, such as promotions andbonuses, for innovative approaches by staff in effective-ly moving hard-core persons into the company'semployment process and upgrading them when theyhave acquired the requisite skills.(See schematic of a large manufacturing company'splan for helping new hourly employees succeed on thejob, Appendix, page 25.)

    Company Staffing Patterns

    It is vital that company staff working with the hard-corewant to accept the challenge of helping these peoplebecome self-sufficient and productive workers. Thehard-core person has a finely developed sense of whois on his side and an even more finely developed senseof who is not. It is from his contacts with the staffthat he will form his first impression of the job. Thatfirst impression can be the beginning of a positive ex-perience resulting in the company gaining a loyal andsatisfactory employee, or it can kick off a negativereaction that results in ending his relationship with thecompany.

    Therefore, management must use considerable careand caution in deciding who will have responsibility for

    NAM Urban Affairs Division

  • the company's hard-core program, since to a largeextent the men selected can make or break the effort.

    Companies have indicated that it is important, when-ever possible, to have supervisors of the same ethnicbackground as the hard-core who are being trained.For example, Negro workers can generally better relateto Negro supervisors. Many companies have takensteps to institute a policy to upgrade minority grouppersons, and in several plants located in Negro ghettos,the management is primarily black.

    For many of the hard-core, this is the first opportunityto see a member of their group in a position of authorityand responsibility. To the still suspicious minoritygroup employee, this may attest to the company'swillingness to promote a man on the basis of his ability,regardless of color. A caution should be added thatwhen a member of a minority group is given a positionof responsibility, that position must be "for real."Otherwise the workers may feel that one of their groupis being used primarily for window-dressing.

    The type and extent of staff-ing will depend on the natureof the program the companydecides to launch. One corn-pany has set up separate cowl-

    ) seling and instructor positions' for the pre-vocational phase

    of the program. The counsel-ing staff is made up of both

    kw* Ns professionally trained counse-lors and shop men with a demonstrated interest andskill in helping hard-core workers. This company hasfound that if the shop men are carefully chosen theyare able to do an adequate job of counseling.

    In other programs the instructor carries on the dualfunction of both teacher and counselor.

    Some companies use the services of community agenciesengaged in working with ghetto residents as a virtualextension of the program. They are called upon tohelp the trainees with problems that the companystaff is unable to cope with or believes it should notget into.

    Relationship with MinorityGroup Community

    It is not news that we are living in a period of change.Minority groups that formerly operated under self-im-posed restraints are asserting themselves and demand-ing that they be given a real voice in any communityplanning which affects them directly or indirectly. Itis in this context that the importance of a company'srelationship to the minority group community needsto be viewed.

    While not every company spokesman agrees on theadvisability of involvement with the slum community,

    Effectively Employing the Hard-Core

    the overwhelming consensus is in favor of such in-volvement. In fact, a number of companies believethat it is a necessity if the program is to be successful.This is particularly true of companies with plants inthe ghetto. Given the temper of our times, the ghettoresidents may not be overwhelmed with enthusiasmabout a company moving in. The underlying attitudeis often one of suspicion or at best "show me." Alertcompany leaders are aware of this.*

    In one instance, a large corporation met with spokes-men from the minority group community before makingany final decision about developing a program to em-ploy the hard-core. The earnestness of these com-munity leaders and their knowledge of the needs ofghetto residents convinced the company that it shouldlocate its operation in the ghetto itself. This was thebeginning of a productive and healthy relationshipbetween the company and the community.

    In the long run, the relationship between companiesand minority groups in their communities may be apivotal point, which can help reverse the polarizationof blacks and whites, haves and have-nots. This couldhave far-reaching significance if the relationship de-velops to the point where the poor truly believe thatthey are not being ignored, that they are being respectedand listened to, and that a meaningful effort is beinglaunched to help them.

    Problems of Publicity

    Companies tend to react with ambivalence towardpublicity regardik; their efforts to employ ghetto res-idents.

    Obviously, if a program works out well, the image ofthe company is considerably enhanced. The companyis seen as a good corporate citizen, an equal opportunityemployer, and, perhaps most important, part of anational effort to right some basic wrongs that areplaguing our country.

    However, publicity can backfire. The company maybe overly expansive in stating its plans, or the newsmedia may give the impression that the program hasmore to offer than in fact is the case. This can resultin further alienating the minority group community.

    A basic answer is a thoughtful and controlled releaseof information based on the reality of the situation. Inaddition, when details are made public, it is importantto give credit to any persons or organizations, particu-larly in the minority group community, that have par-ticipated in planning and implementing the companyeffort. The continuing cooperation of key persons or

    "One corporation has joined with a community group to form a profit-making company that will sell a majority of its stock to employees andto residents of the inner city. A spokesman for this corporation has madeit clear that the company will remain only a minority stockholder, sincetop management is determined to avoid establishing a so-called "planta-tion in the ghetto."

    9

  • organizations can bethe program.

    instrumental in the success

    Cooperation of insurance Companies

    of Approaches to Recruitmentr ! Since lack of education and

    skills or the possession ofpolice records have in the pastscreened out many of the hard-core, they tend to remain skep-

    4 /91 tical of obtaining employmentand in some instances havevirtually given up hope. As aresult it may take imaginativeefforts on the part of company

    personnel to get them into the company's employ.

    The traditional way to recruit hard-core employeeshas been through the State Employment Service andthe Concentrated Employment Program (CEP).* Forcompanies pledged to hire and train the hard-coreunder the National Alliance of Businessmen's JOBSprogram, these agencies offer the advantage of beingable to certify individuals on the spot as "poor"thusmaking them eligible for the NAB hard-core program.

    But, increasingly, companies are obtaining hard-corereferrals from community action agencies, settlementhouses, and other organizations that have direct link-ages to the poor. In some communities, companies haveestablished a close working relationship with the UrbanLeague which provides a variety of back-up services,including referring hard-core job applicants for em-ployment.

    In other cases, specially selected and trained com-pany personnel have manned recruiting offices placedin the ghetto. Preferably the recruiters are of the sameethnic derivation as the minority groups they wish torecruit. However, where this has not been possible,white middle-class experienced interviewers with a realdesire to help the disadvantaged have been relativelysuccessful. In large measure the degree of their successdepends upon the nature of the training they receivebefore venturing into the ghetto.

    In other instances, local ghetto residents, possessingthe necessary drive and desire to participate in thecompany's efforts, have been used to effectively recruitthe hard-core.

    With increased involvement ofindustry in employing ghettoresidents, insurance companiesare faced with a new set ofconditions. The approach theytake in dealing with these con-ditions will directly affect thesuccess of industry's efforts.Without adequate insurancecoverage, programs to employ

    the hard-core may have difficulty getting off the ground.

    Where there is a question of an additional risk factorin insurance coverage, a company may find it veryuseful to spend time with its insurance company's rep-resentative to talk through the problem. In one par-ticular instance, a company official noted that aftersuch a discussion the insurance company decided thatit had an obligation tu take part in a cooperative effortof importance to the entire community. As a result,the insurance rates were maintained at the usual level.The insurance company has suffered no financial lossby going along with the program.

    Union Participation

    The attitudes of unions toward hard-core employmentprograms set up by companies vary considerably. Sinceunions operate on the principle that their basic functionis to take care of their members first, any program thatmight be perceived as undermining their position oreroding the security of their membership will be viewedwith caution.

    However, in a number of instances where managementhas involved the union in the initial planning stagesof a program to hire the hard-core there has been noopposition.

    Some companies report that by sharing their plans andgoals with the unions they have been able to allay anyfears that they intend to weaken their position. In anumber of cases, unions have cooperated to the pointof permitting an extended probationary period for thenew hard-core employees.

    Several company executives express confidence thatthey will be able to work out with the unions reason-able procedures for taking on the hard-core. Theirconfidence is based in part on the feeling that unionsare beginning to respond to increased pressure fromgovernment, civil rights groups and the public to takea more active role in social problem-solving.

    10

    These indigenous recruiters manage to get to out-of-the-way places in order to locate hard-core individualsand "sell" them on applying to the company. In addi-tion, a special advantage of using ghetto residents torecruit is that Spanish-speaking persons can be em-ployed to recruit Mexican Americans or Puerto Ricansfor the company program.

    Taking this approach a stepfurther, some companies havebrought key minority groupleaders living in the ghettointo the plants so that theycan gain first-hand experiencewith the company's program.Based on this kind of exposure,these leaders have been able

    *A U.S. Labor Department program to facilitate the employment of thehard-core.

  • to convince some of the hard-core that the companyI*3 serious about wanting to hire them.

    Need for Physical Examinations

    People growing up in the slums suffer from a dispro-portionate share of physical ailments. As a precaution-ary measure, both for the individual and for the com-pany, hard-core job applicants should have medicalexaminations.

    In some communities, the Concentrated EmploymentProgram takes responsibility for the physicals. Whenapplicants have not had physical examinations, com-panies generally require that they are seen by aphysician. One caution: If there is no company phy-sician to give the physicals and arrangements are madewith a doctor to provide this service, try to avoid hav-ing the job candidate from the slums go to his office.This is likely to be seen as alien ground, and theminority group member may not follow through at allrather than travel to a strange area.

    In some instances, physicians have given examinationsat temporary locations either in the ghetto or in theplant. This not only increases the chances that thephysical will be taken but, by reaching out this way,the applicant may begin to feel that the company isreally interested in him.

    Screening1 Testing, Selection

    From the vantage of some militant minority groupmembers, industry may be seen as dragging its heels.But within the family of industry, much has been hap-pening in recent months. As one company represen-tative puts it, "We personnel people are really spinning.I guess you could say we're now living in a state offerment!" This is particularly true in the areas ofscreening, testing and selection of the hard-core.

    As we have seen, the hard-core person besides beingpoor often posseses one or more of the followingcharacteristics: He is a school dropout, has a policerecord, is a minority group member, is unemployed orunderemployed. He is the individual who has beensystematically screened out by most companies. Nowthe thrust is to screen in these same men.

    Initial screening may be done by Employment Serviceor CEP interviewers. When a job makes particular de-mands, such as requiring heavy lifting or possessingsuperior manual dexterity, the referring agencies shouldbe notified so they can send suitable applicants.

    Many companies are eliminating the use of standardtest batteries as a screening device. These companieshave found that when their standard tests are adminis-tered to men from the slums who are already workingsatisfactorily on the job they fail the tests. The searchfor a "culture-free" test that does not automaticallypenalize the product of the "poverty-culture" continueswith minimal success. At the same time, it is becoming

    Effectively Employing the Hard-Core

    increasingly clear that motivation is the primary quali-fication needed for most entry-level jobs. If the hard-core applicant can develop enthusiasm for his work,he will, in most cases, benefit from the coMpany's train-ing program and go on to take his place as a productiveworker.

    This points up another fact: in hiring the hard-core, anew frame of reference must be developed. Statementssuch as the following are heard more and more often:"We are in a new kind of ball game. If we are to comeout ahead, we must quickly adapt to the new ruleswith intelligence and imagination. Otherwise we arelikely to wind up on the loser's end."

    For example, in the past, police records have auto-matically screened out applicants in most companies.

    Yet in the culture of poverty,police records tend to be thenorm. Many youngsters inthe slums acquire a record forthe same activities that oftenresult in a reprimand foryoungsters from middle-classfamilies. By now, companieshave had sufficient experiencein employing men and women

    with records to know that there is very little correla-tion between having a police record and not being aproductive worker.

    A hopeful note concerning opening the doors to thedisadvantaged is sounded by companies that have beenhiring hard-core people over a period of time. Thesecompanies indicate that the hard-core who were enabledto stay with the job have become productive and loyalworkers.* The important word here is enabled. Theenabling process, through which a man is helped toadjust to the world of work, is a crucial factor in jobretention and will be discussed in the section, SupportServices: Preventing Job Dropouts.

    A

    Restructuring Jobs

    For years, companies have been taking a hard look atwhat makes up professional jobs in fields such asengineering in order to determine those functions thatcould be handled by sub-professionals. The professionalis then freed to devote himself to tasks that make useof his specialized training.

    Recently the same hard look is being given to jobs onthe non-professional level. Companies began to realizethat many of these jobs could, in like vein, be brokendown into separate operations, some of which couldbe performed at the entry-level by hard-core workers.

    *One major corporation compared fifty hard-core workers on the job forsix months or longer with a group of regular workers and found therewere no significant differences between the two groups in terms of pro-duction, absenteeism, or any of the other important indices of workperformance.

    11

  • In examining the nature of these operations, it oftenbecame evident that the educational requirement wasirrelevant and that there was no point in subjecting theprospective entry-level worker to anything resemblinga rigorous testing procedure. One company, which hashired many seriously disadvantaged minority groupworkers over the past several years, set up its worktasks so that they fell within the reach of these unskilledpeople. In doing this, the company was able to main-tain a quality product and, in a very tight labor market,to obtain workers who became productiveeven thoughthey would have been screened'out in +he past.

    Job Placement and Job Matching

    For many entry-level jobs, companies contend thatthere are two basic requirements: a willingness to dothe work and reasonably good health. Where specialaptitudes or special capabilities are called for, it maythen be realistic to talk about the "fit" between theman and the job.

    Where this is the case or where a central referralagency has access to openings in a large number ofcompanies, the characteristics of available hard-coreapplicants can be simply and accurately catalogedalong with the specific attributes required to handleparticular jobs. Even though the hard-core person isoften unfamiliar with industrial jobs, some indicationof his interest in doing a particular job may be usefulin achieving a successful "job match." Once he has hada taste of working, his preferences can serve as a basisfor exploring where he might want to go in the worldof work.

    In most cases, the hard-core job applicant cannot orwill not wait weeks for his application to be processed.Companies deeply involved in employing the hard-corestress the importance of speed in connecting the manand the job. Since the applicant may be somewhat dis-trustful of this latest attempt "to do something forhim," it is necessary to prove that now there really isa decent job for him.

    Thus, any matching of job and applicant should bedone as quickly and as effectively as possible. Theutilization of computerized job matching systems thathave recently been put in operation may well expeditethis process.

    Question of Payment

    No one needs to be told aboutthe meaning of a paycheck.

    IBut getting a paycheck prob-ably carries more significancefor the hard-core than forother groups in our society.Apart from its buying power,it represents the reality of a

    jobhard cash, not just more promises.12

    In the companies visited, programs provide that traineesare paid from their first day in the plant, regardless ofwhether they are entering a period of orientation orvestibule training or moving directly into the regularworkforce. The consensus is that a man needs to be onthe payroll to feel he is part of the company.

    In a number of consortium plans, companies are pay-ing employees regular wages during the time they arein a special out-of-plant pre-vocational training pro-gram.

    Transportation Difficulties

    Problems revolving around transportation are some ofthe most vexing that confront companies and hard-coreemployees. Inadequate public transportation oftenplays a significant part in trainees coming in late orbeing absent. Of course, where companies have estab-lished plants in the ghetto, the transportation problemis largely resolved.

    Other plants have experi-mented with various ap-proaches to helping the disad-vantaged individual get to hisjob. Some companies havebuilt shuttle bus service intotheir contracts with the LaborDepartment to train the hard-core. In these instances, thetransportation problem has

    been resolved at least for the life of the contract. Bythen it is hoped that if other means of transportationsuch as car pools are not available, the trainees willhave acccumulated sufficient resources to take care ofthis problem on their own.

    In one company, if the new hard-core worker is with-out funds and therefore unable to use public transpor-tation, a two-week supply of bus tickets is availablecourtesy of the company. A plant manager notes that,"For a couple of hundred bucks you can buy a hellof a lot of bus tickets." Although all the hard-coretrainees were aware of the availability of the bus tickets,only 25% of them took advantage of the opportunity.Men who needed money for food were permitted todraw $5 at the beginning of each of the first two weeks.This carried them until they received their first pay-check. Similar to the bus ticket situation, less than 20%of these men made use of the available advances. Asone executive put it, "Make no mistake about itthese men, by and large, are desperately trying to holdon to their pride, whatever the sacrifice."

    Where no public transportation is available, the staffinvolved with the trainees should, from the start, assistthem in getting into car pools or in working out otherarrangements.

    NAM Urban Affairs Divisioi.

  • In the longer run, a company might consider cooper-ating with other interested parties in the communityto expand the transit system so that slum residents areable to get to the industrial centers.

    GRIM BUSINESS OR CHALLENGE?

    Too often, those working with hard-core em-ployees tend to get locked into all of the prob-lems that arise and, as a result, it may turn intoa grim business. This means missing the forestfor the trees. To see these men scramble to sweatit through and stay with their jobs is eye openingand heart warming. In one instance described bya company representative, the old battered carof a hard-core employee broke down and had tobe abandoned soon after he was hired. This manlived many miles from the plant and had norecourse to either public transportation or a carpool. So he proceeded to hitch-hike back andforth to work, adding several hours to the jobportal to portal. But he hung on, determinedto keep his job.

    Increasingly, company personnel working directlywith the hard-core are becoming turned on. De-spite their initial feelings of apprehension con-cerning their involvement in this new venture,they have gotten caught up with its challenge.Said one able young executive who has beenputting in many extra hours both in the plantand in the minority group community, "I wasbeginning to think it was time to change jobs . . .I was feeling bored. Now this hard-core thinghas got me excited. I never worked harder on ajob, but the truth is rm having a ball . . . WhenI see one of these guys has really made it I get afunny feeling in my gut and I'm ready to workharder than ever. .

    Orientation Procedures

    Effective job orientation is of particular importancefor employees who have little familiarity with theindustrial work setting. This is especially true becausetheir early reactions often determine whether they staywith the job or quit the first time anything goes wrong.

    Friendly, sympathetic staff members, preferably fromthe same ethnic background as the hard-core, shouldconduct the orientation. An effort should be madeto avoid giving the trainees any sense that theyare being rushed; they need more time than the aver-age employee to adjust to a strange work setting. Whatneeds to be communicated is that the staff is interestedin helping them understand where they fit into thecompany's scheme of things.

    Effectively Employing the Hud-Core

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    Some b.. 01 "", that have amore extended orientationperiod have set up group ses-sions, run by staff memberswith special ence, tohelp the trainees express theirconcerns any problemst h a t a 10": ot s a s 'bute to theirha. 03 1 0i0 /11 1 at work. Inmore and more companies,

    this is ming an on-going process. The hard-coreindividual is enabled to open up and talk about what-ever is hampering his efforts to 1., 11 a productiveemPluyee-

    Besides the hard-core, it is also crucial to orient fore-men and other employees regarding the im. ceof their role in helping the disadvantaged worker makeout on the job. This is discussed in Helping Super-visors Develop Sensitivity on page 15.

    If the foreman has carried out his responsibilities ef-fectively, other workers are less likely to present prob-lems for tbe trainees. As touched upon earlier in thisreport, top management in some companies has met

    the entire workforce to help them understandthe company's program and a obligation to aid thedisadvantaged worker in adjusting to his job.

    " 1

    Use of DisciplineLiving in the slums takes its toll in many ways. Manyghetto residents are forced to lead essentially dis-

    13

  • organized lives, surviving on a day-to-day basis. Others"make out." This may entail anything from gamblingto involvement with drugs.

    Obviously, such behavior is not immediately altered bysimply becoming part of the world of work. From thebeginning of their employment, many hard-core per-sons need help in their attempts to overcome long-timepatterns of resistance to authority, ignoring clock time,and, in general, functioning as independent operatorswith no sense of how their behavior affects others. Butgiven sufficient time and direction in the industrialsetting, their relationships with other workers and withthe managerial staff tends to shape the responses ofmany of the employees from the slums.

    How company staff "comes on" with the hard-coreis crucial. It is important that the hard-core workersees staff as fair but firm, considerate but not open tomanipulation. Company policy regarding drinking,gambling, drug usage, lateness, absenteeism, etc. mustbe made clear, starting in the orientation phase.

    The "trick" is to enforce policies with discretion andsensitivity. For example, a hard-core worker whoshowed up drunk on the job was reprimanded. Whenthis recurred the following week he was given anultimatum: get help or be fired. Choosing the former,he accepted referral to a clinic, where he obtainedsufficient help to keep his drinking under control.

    Not all cases end on this note. Drug usage can be amore difficult problem. One company executive re-lates that his staff became aware that a hard-coretrainee was a drug user. A staff member managed toget this man into medical treatment, but when it be-came evident that he was unable to break the habit, thecompany had to let him go. In the exit interview, thisman was referred to a local community agency for help.A number of companies now routinely refer an em-ployee with persistent problems to a social agency.Then, if his employment must be terminated, at leastthe agency can continue working with him.

    Training: Pre-Vocational and On-the-JobTraining workers is no novel experience for mostcompanies; virtually all new employees need at leasta basic introduction to their job surroundings even ifthey are highly skilled and experienced. But trainingthe hard-core is another story. In many instances,the reading, writing and math skills of hard-corepersons are not sufficiently advanced to allow themto perform anything more than elementary tasks.

    Unfamiliarity with the responsibilities involved in hold-ing a steady job generally requires training in self-dis-cipline as well as special assistance in coping with thebewildering number of rules and regulations facing thenew employees. Skill acquisition and upgrading areobvious components of a well-rounded training pro-gram.

    14

    In general, training of hard-core persons encompassestwo major phasespre-vocational or vestibule trainingand on-the-job training (OTT). After the OTT phase,the worker has reached a point where he should beable to function adequately on his job,

    ----441 The training components go-ing into a hard-core programand the time span they covervary widely from company tocompany. Factors such as thecomplexity of the job forwhich the employee is beingtrained and the speed withwhich he learns play obviousroles. Also the philosophy be-reilims;

    hind programs differs. In some companies, for instance,it is felt that the disadvantaged worker should bejoined with the job as quickly as possible. Only thebarest essentials are covered in the pre-vocationalphase, with more formal learning taking place afterthe employee is working productively. In other com-panies, pre-vocational training is relatively lengthy,sometimes covering basic education and extendedworld-of-work orientation. These companies believethat hard-core persons need this extra time to becomeacclimated to their new environment before movinginto on-the-job training.

    Between these two positions on timing, one companyhas instituted a well-defined two-week vestibule train-ing program in which the time is divided into roughlythree equal partsadjustment to work, general knowl-edge, and acquisition of basic work skills. In theadjustment-to-work phase, the men are helped towork through personal difficulties that might interferewith their functioning on the job. General knowledgerefers essentially to information about company policiesand benefits, and the availability of community servicesoffering assistance in handling financial, medical orother such problems. Acquisition of basic work skillsinvolves simple assembly trainhig, designed to givethe hard-core employee a series of success experiencesin order to build up his self-confidence.

    Company hard-core programs also differ in who doesthe training. In some instances it is handled entirelyby internal staff; more often, parts of the training,such as basic education, are contracted out to otherorganizations.

    To determine what to farm out and what to dointernally, it is generally useful to start by evaluatingthe company's present training capabilities and thentake a careful look at the resources available in thecommunity as well as those that may be purchasedfrom organizations specializing in various aspects oftraining.

    In some programs, the pre-vocational training takesplace outside the plant. A Concentrated EmploymentProgram, a community action agency or a wide

    NAM Urban Affairs Division

  • variety of special programs may be used to ready thedisadvantaged person for the labor market. This pro-cedure is sometimes referred to as a "feeder" opera-tion.

    Following the pre-vocational phase, the employeeenters a period of on-the-job training in which he isactually performing a regular work assignment. DuringOTT he is applying and reinforcing the knowledge,work habits, and basic skills that he learned in thepreceding training phase. The intensive supervision hereceives during this period helps him become a pro-ductive worker.

    Whatever the length, depth, or location of the variousphases of training, companies suggest some basic guide-lines for anyone planning to set up a hard-core trainingprogram:

    The typical classroom setting should be avoided.For disadvantaged persons it tends to evoke memoriesof past failures. Preferably, classes should be small andinformal, with seating around a conference table ratherthan at the traditional desks. Some companies usetitles such as instructor or advisor rather than teacheror counselor, again departing from traditional patterns.

    The content of all training components should re-late to the job itself. For instance, traditional readingmaterials, with their white middle-class orientation, donot motivate the hard-core to improve their readingskills. If the hard-core person does not see a relation-ship between what he is learning and the opportunityto progress in his training or in his job, the whole thingmay look like another exercise in futility.

    Instructors should be careful to take nothing forgranted. What might seem too obvious to mention to aregular employee may well need spelling out for thehard-core trainee. All instructions should be clear,simple, and precise, with no extraneous material in-cluded.

    The program should be designed so that learning ispackaged in small units, with each successive stepreinforcing what has previously been learned. Whenthe trainee completes a unit, his success should beimmediately rewarded in some concrete fashion.

    The hard-core person should be able to see wherethe learning steps will take him and what he can lookforward to when he completes his training. He is thenmore likely to make the commitment to stick with it.

    Companies stress that it is extremely important thatthe hard-core person begin to have a sense of control-ling and directing his own life. This often leads to hisbeing able to accept greater responsibility for his ownactions, including his performance on the job.

    Effectively Employing the Hard-Core

    Helping Supervisors Develop Sensitivity

    Sensitivity or empathy training to help supervis-ors and other employees work effectively with thehard-core who are now moving into ae workforceis a very recent development. Most programs areless than a year old; some are sponsored by com-munity organizations, some by individual corn-panies. Yet this kind of training is increasinglyviewed as a vital component of any successfuleffort to employ and retain the hard-core. Sincemany companies are seeking information on howto set up a program to sensitize their own per-sonnel, this section had drawn on as much avail-able data as possible to suggest guidelines. It isbased on both existing company mgrams and oninformation coming from the expanding field ofencounter groups and human relations laboratorytraining.

    As we have seen, special training for people who havenever held steady jobs is receiving a great deal ofattention. We know that these people not only needto learn specific job skills but they often must obtainbasic education and be intelligently helped to copewith the world of work, a world from which many ofthem in the past have been systematically excluded.

    But if the big push to change previously unemployablepeople into productive workers and participating citi-zens is to succeed, there is another area of trainingthat is also of prime importance. The existing work-force, including management and laborers, needstraining. Whether it is called sensitivity training, em-pathy training, awareness training, or simply majoritygroup training, the objective is the same: to increaseunderstanding of and concern for people who havelived their lives in poverty and deprivation.

    Ideally, after gaining new insights and increased em-pathy, all employees in a companyfrom executive toproduction workerwould become part of the trainingprocess, each playing his or her role in helping thedisadvantaged person to achieve his potential as aproductive human being, and in the process becomea more human human being himself.

    The consensus is that to accomplish this will requiredeep commitment as well as a lot of hard and continu-ing work. Yet the growing recognition on the part ofmanagement that some kind of sensitivity training isneeded for those working with the hard-core gives riseto cautious optimism. In some instances such programsare already operating, albeit on a modest basis. Sincethis kind of training is still in its infancy, data on ex-actly what techniques, what approaches are mosteffective are still lacking. But even at this point in timewe do have some guideposts.

    To begin, there is a kind of instant training that em-1 5

  • ployees quickly comprehend. When the chief executiveof a company and his key managers make it unequivo-cally clear throughout the organization that they areconunitted to a policy of hiring and training hard-corepeople and of advancing qualified minority groupmembers as jobs become available, a lot of instanttraining will occur.

    However, if this instant training is to be truly effective,some company executives believe that a participativeprocess is required. In other words, rather than anultimatum being handed down the line, managers bringtheir work groups together to discuss how the companycan best implement its policies concerning hiring andtraining the disadvantaged. In this kind of setting, em-ployees are often able to express any anxieties theymay have about the security of their own jobs. Oncethis is dealt with, useful suggestions are often maderegarding the program, which tends to deepen thecommitment of those participating.

    At least one executive suggests that discussions suchas these, held throughout an organization, are probablythe most effective means of preventing a white back-lash problem. He says, "When the process of com-munication is non-participative, the least you can ex-pect is passive sabotage. But when people participatein formulating a program, they often develop a senseof ownership. It becomec, their program, not just thecompany's. They have a, real stake in making it work."

    But crucial though this is, something still more isneeded.

    From the Supervisor's Vantage

    Look at it from the supervisor's point of view. Whatdoes he actually face when hard-core people who havenever held steady jobs are suddenly part of the work-force that he supervises? In the first place, they are dif-ferent from the people he is used to supervising. He findshe must sp4nd an inordinate amount of time, as hesees it, instructing them in the simplest work pro-cedures. Even with this extra attention, their pro-duction is low and their rate of errors high. They areoften late to work. They are often absent without call-ing in. Their wages are frequently garnisheed. Further-more, many of the regular employees resent thesepeople and are not reluctant to cause them troublewhen the opportunity arises.

    The supervisor has been trained to get out productionand keep costs down. How can he do his job with allthese new headaches? Clearly this is no supervisor'sdreamit's more like a nightmare.

    Most people involved in sensitivity training for super-visors believe it is essential that management, in theperson of the supervisor's boss, makes it absolutelyclear that supervisors will be tangibly rewarded fortheir efforts to train hard-core employees on the job.Supervisors cannot respond adequately to the newemployees' need for extra time and attention if their

    16

    bosses expect production as usual. The two are initiallyincompatible.

    Beyond this, most people agree that special trainingneeds to be provided to increase the supervisors' under-standing of and real concern for hard-core people. Asone Negro recently put it, "Whitey has made it so coldfor Blacky, so cold, that we feel shut out. Make usfeel wanted. Give us work that is uo to our capabilities.Respect us. And we'll do a hell of a job."

    How does empathy training build such respect, suchconcern?

    Tell It Like It is

    To begin with, employees need factual information.Most middle-class white people have no real conceptionof what it's like to live in the ghetto or what it's liketo be trapped in poverty, or what it's like to have ablack or a tan or a yellow skin. These facts of life needto be brought home to the majority of employees. Andit is probably best that they get these facts in their owncommunity if possible. When supervisor K gives newemployee Joe a dressing down for being late, let himbe aware of the house Joe lives in, the block on whichthe house stands, the distance Joe has to travel eachday to and from work, how long it takes him, and so on.

    This may be accomplished by asking articulate minoritygroup spokesmen who live in the ghetto to "tell it likeit is" to groups of supervisors. Slides or a video tapepresentation giving the views of minority group mem-bers can also be useful. In the latter instance, the tapecan be played back as often as desired; and simpleinstruments can be constructed to enhance learningfrom the tape.

    The white supervisors might also visit the ghettotofeel it and smell it as well as to see itaccompaniedby a ghetto resident who can help them understandwhat they're looking at. This might lead directly intoa discussion of what the supervisor can expect fromhard-core job traineestheir language, their dress,their unfamiliarity with the whole industrial scene,their difficulty with clock time, and the need to spendextra time in explaining the work to them.

    What Are Your Feelings?

    But factual information is not enough. The assumptionis made that in today's climate of violence and mistrustbetween races, it is the unusual supervisor who issufficiently free of prejudice to be able to see minoritygroup members as individuals. Most of us are afflictedwith stereotyped vision. We need to discard our one-dimensional glasses and take a new look at ourselvesand the people around us. One small example suggeststhe dimensions of the problem. When a personnel di-rector asked his supervisors to give him the names oftheir most able men who might have supervisory po-

    NAM Urban Affairs Division

  • tential, he noticed that Bill's name was missing. Bill,a Negro, was well known as an outstanding worker.Asked about this, the supervisor readily replied thathe'd just never thought of Bill as making it into thesupervisory ranks, even though he acknowledged hewas qualified. "That supervisor is not a prejudicedman, in the usual sense of the word," the personneldirector added. "But to the black man, he's just onemore example of how Whitey keeps the Negro down."Bearing this out, many companies find, on closer ex-amination, that a large number of minority grouppeople are overqualified for their present positions.When job openings occurred in the past they were con-sistently overlooked.

    Whatever the extent of pre-judice in an organization, ifempathy training is to get re-sults, it is important that su-pervisors and other employeesare encouraged, in an appro-priate setting, to openly ex-press their feelings withoutfear of reprisal or rejection.Once these feelings are out in

    the open, it becomes possible to deal with them ration-ally, and then perhaps to modify them or even changethem.

    The most likely vehicle to accomplish this is the smallgroup-10 to 12 people with a trained leader, in asetting that allows everyone to participate. The leader'srole is to help the men express their feelings whateverthey areanger, hurt, fear, anxiety, shame, disgust.

    Once expressed, the leader and often other group mem-bers can help the person understand why such feelingsmight have come into being and look at their relevancein today's world. The emphasis is on honest expres-sion of feelings and attempts to understand them.

    Small groups may also utilize the concept of experien-tial learningthat is, a situation is set up so that theperson actually experiences what it's like to be black,to be Puerto Rican, to be poor, to be a failure, to bealways put down. Role playing, psychodrama, the useof black and white masks to reverse roles are some ofthe techniques being successfully employed to increaseempathy for the voor.

    Much More to Come

    Some of the people working in this area stress theirbelief that "we're just at the beginning." In the nextyear or so, they are convinced that new and powerfultechniques will be developed to help cope with theproblems of prejudice. For instance, the nonverbalapproaches being successfully utilized today in encoun-ter groups and advanced laboratory training are seenas particularly relevant in our attempts to break throughthe artificial barriers that separate one man fromanother.

    Effectively Employing the Hard-Core

    Confrontation is another aspect of empathy trainingthat needs to be stressed. At some point, the majoritygroup members must be confronted by, and must con-front, minority persons. This could involve two peopleplus a trainer, or it could take place in a small groupsession. For instance, a Negro and Puerto Rican mightat some point join the group of supervisors who areexpressing their feelings about prejudice. Whateverthe procedure, the important thing is that communica-tionat a feeling levelbegins to be established be-tween members of the two groups. When this happens,there is a basis for building understanding and respect.

    Does it sound easy? It's not. A long, on-going processis required. And while a company may be well advisedto get outside assistance in providing empathy training,the real on-going everyday work must be performedby the employees themselves if the program is to bemore than window dressing.

    As one executive has put it: "The potential of eachperson to help or to harm is staggering. A mean word,an angry look, a turned back speak volumes to thehard-core employee who is attempting to move intoa world that has never welcomed him in the past. Onthe other hand, a smile, an understanding pat on theshoulder, a kindly word also speak volumes. Everyemployee who has any contact with these peopleinthe cafeteria, in the washrooms, in the hallwayscanmake a difference one way or the other. That's whyall our people need to understand that they are partof this company's effort. We need everyone's help."

    Train the Trainers

    Recognizing the importance of on-going sensitivitytraining to any program that seeks to get unemploy-ables into permanent jobs, the National Alliance ofBusinessmen is sponsoring a series of workshops de-signed to "train the trainers." NAB pledge companiesin each of the 50 cities will be invited to participatein one-, two-, and four-day workshops which willtrain people to run on-going sensitivity programs intheir own companies. Also the Labor Department'sManpower Administration contracts, which reimbursecompanies for the extra expense involved in traininghard-core people, cover sensitivity training for super-visors.

    But many companies are notpart of the NAB JOBS pro-gram. Some of them no doubtwill see the need for havingtheir own empathy training.For those looking for help, aninformal survey of companyexecutives who have been in-volved in such training pro-grams suggests some guide-lines:

    17

  • Top management must communicate, throughoutthe organization, its unequivocal stand on hiring, train-ing, and upgrading the hard-core and other minoritygroup members.

    The person administering the program should besensitive and knowledgeable about minority peopleand their problems and have some background in groupdynamics. If you don't have such a person on yourpayroll, hire someone with the requisite qualifications.

    When possible, all parties concerned should be in-volved in the training design.

    Relationships should be established and maintainedwith various community groups that deal with minoritypeople and the poor, such as the Urban League, thelocal anti-poverty agency, and other organizationsrepresenting minority people. Advice and counsel fromthese sources can be very valuable.

    A well-chosen qualified outside consultant(s), par-ticularly members of minority groups, can be a valu-able resource, especially in the early stages of the pro-

    gram,

    The program itself should be on-going, innovative,and flexible. As new techniques and approaches be-come available, they should be incorporated into theprogram. A program that is conceived as getting thejob done in a month, six months or any stated periodof time is unrealistic. Empathy training should con-tinue as long as there is any need for it.

    Hard-core employees should themselves be involved

    in training the majority.

    In regard to this final point,a number of people involved inhard-core programs stress theimportance of getting themajority to understand thatminority people have manythings to offer middle-classwhite America. It is a two-way, not a one-way street,they say. This view was elo-

    quently stated by senior editor George B. Leonardwriting about black America in a recent issue of Lookmagazine:

    "The Negro culture has flaws . . . but it also has quali-ties this country now desperately needs. In the ghettos,you can find a rare sense of community and brother-hood . . . just what is lacking in white suburbia. Pallidand sterile, the suburbs could use a large portion ofwhat the Negro calls soul . . . Indeed, the flowering ofNegro culturein literature, the arts, and the politicsof feelingcan enrich all of American life .

    Industry, if it wishes, can play an important role inbringing about such an enrichment.

    18

    Support Services: Preventing Job Dropouts

    A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reviewedthe experience of a large company that began employ-ing sizable numbers of the hard-core in some of itsplants in the Chicago area back in 1963. The articleunderscored the difficulties that the company initiallyfaced. The staff was simply not prepared to deal withthe many problems posed by new workers who weredifferent from the employees that personnel and shoppeople were familiar with. The result was high turn-over and severe discipline problems that included ex-cessive latenesses and unexcused absences.

    Gradually, however, management got a "handle" onthe situation and built the necessary support servicesinto their operation. Eventually, what had been afundamentally negative situation was converted intoa positive one. The company now plans to hire hard-core workers in other locations, incorporating theprograms that were successfully developed in the Chi-cago area plants.

    Support services need stressing because they play akey role in cutting down hard-core job attrition. Sincethey are key elements in the process of enabling thehard-core worker to succeed on his job, their inclusionin a program helps to answer the perennial question,"These guys are here one day and gone the next. Howdo I keep them from disappearing?"

    There will, of course, be tremendous variance in thesupport services offered by companies of differentshapes and sins, located in different parts of thecountry, faced with different local, ethnic, and eco-nomic considerations, some with Manpower Adminis-tration contracts,* some without.

    A brief description of various support services mayhelp you adapt one or more of these techniques to fityour particular situation. Each has been successful inreducing turnover, absenteeism and lateness; each hashelped the hard-core worker adjust to his job.

    Buddy System

    Perhaps one of the earliest attempts to build in supportswas the use of the "buddy system," which pairs mature,sympathetic workers with newly hired workers on aone-to-one basis. As problems arise on the job, thehard-core trainee has someone to whom he can turnwhen he needs specific help, understanding, or reas-surance. In some instances the seasoned worker hasgone so far as to help the trainee get to the job ontime or assist him with personal problems that mightotherwise interfere with his coming to work. For thisapproach to be successful, it is important to involvemen from the regular workforce who really want to

    "A National Alliance of Businessmen's program, funded by the LaborDepartment, that reimburses companies on a contractual basis for theextra expenditures required to hire and train the hard-core.

    NAM Urban Affairs Division

  • play a part in aiding the disadvantaged employee tomake out on the job.

    Job Coach

    Another successful support service used by a numberof companies is the "job coach" concept. This concepthas been refined to a point where it is now recognizedas one of the most effective ways to crack the problemof keeping the chronically unemployed individual onthe job. The essential ingredient here is to have thejob coach stay in close contact with both the hard-coreworker and the employer. Sympathetic and dedicatedto helping the employee, the coach is also aware ofthe realities of the work setting. He functions, in a sense,as a "broker"bringing the two parties together formutual gain.

    In most cases, the coach is associated with a communityagency that works with the hard-core. Also some Em-ployment Service units have adopted the coach conceptas part of their programs to place the hard-core insteady jobs.

    :

    Successful job coaches havea variety of backgrounds andneed not be "professional."The underlying characteristicof a successful coach is a ca-pacity to work with peoplehonestly, sympathetically andrealisticallywhether they areunemployed persons from theslums or management and su-pervisory personnel.

    The job coach keeps close tabs on the new employeeand offers him encouragement and assistance with anyproblem (family, legal, medical, etc.) that interfereswith the person doing his job. At the same time hestays in touch with the appropriate company personnel,particularly the supervisor who reports on the trainee'sprogress. The coach, in turn, offers whatever guidancehe can to the supervisor concerning the most effectivemeans of helping the worker. In some cases, the super-visor gives the coach regular reports that provide abasis for charting the worker's progress and pinpoint-ing his problem areas.

    The coach attempts at all times to be on top of thesituation and to move in on problems before they getout of hand. Companies report that the performance ofpersons seen regularly by a job coach is superior tothat of individuals not receiving personal attention.Some company officials frankly state that without theconstructive involvement of this third person they mostprobably would have terminated some hard-core work-ers who later turned out to be good employees. Anumber of them have been sufficiently impressed torequest that the job coach be located on the premises sohe can be more deeply involved with the program on a

    day-to-day basis.

    Effectively Employing the Hard-Core

    Nothing is fixed or static about the job coach concept.Several variations are presently being used and morewill undoubtedly be developed. Even the name is aconvenience; various titles are assigned to people doingessentially this kind of job.

    Volunteers

    Another approach to offering special supports to hard-core workers is the use of volunteers. These volunteerscome from both the white and black communities. Thevolunteers assist the trainees after working hours withproblems that interfere with their functioning on thejob.

    The value to be gained through the involvement ofvolunteers is worth thoughtful consideration. The useof citizens of goodwill, eager to participate on theirown time in helping others, is a relatively untappedresource.

    For a description of two different types of volunteerprograms see Appendix, pages 26 and 27.

    Aid from Company Personnel

    Staff members assigned to work with the hard-coreoften find themselves increasingly involved with prob-lems requiring assistance that goes well beyond whatis usually provided employees.

    Not only do hard-core workers come to their jobswith many unresolved personal difficulties but theyalso have to contend with new problems daily. Invarious companies, staff members caught up with thechallenge of helping these employees adjust to theirjobs have taken on such assignments as appearing incourt on behalf of employees, working out financialarrangements to prevent garnishment, and helping toget family members into a hospital.

    Counseling

    Some companies have had reservations about hiringthe hard-core because of the problems the disadvan-taged resident of the slums brings to his job. Theycannot see the work setting as a place for "troubled"people.

    In practice it turns out that, while many of these indi-viduals do have their share of special problems, withforesight and planning they can be helped to becomesatisfactory workers.

    Increasingly, it is found that work itself is therapy.Most disadvantaged persons can be helped to relatepositively and productively to their work with the aidof nonprofessional support services, such as thosejust outlined.

    However, there will be some individuals whose personaldifficulties require professional attention if they are

    19

  • to find their way toward productive employment. Thisis where counseling can play an important role. Usuallya counselor will have professional training which equipshim to help the individual explore, in greater depththan could or should be done by the job coach or avolunteer, some of the factors leading to his difficultyin coping with the job.

    A counselor may be assigned to work with roughly15 to 30 trainees. He may meet them individually or ingroup counseling sessions. The group provides an op-portunity for workers who have problems to sharetheir feelings in a non-threatening setting. They can behelped to face and understand their fears and conflictsand hopefully be freed from some of the inner pressuresthat bog them down.

    Counselors are generally available to all the hard-corein the plant. Many trainees who are getting by danwell use the opportunity to talk with a skilled counselorto clarify some of their misconceptions and to betterunderstand and control their feelings.

    By and large, companies offering a counseling servicesay they have been amply repaid in terms of increasedmorale and, many feel, increased productivity.

    Legal and Financial Advice

    An increasing number of companies are finding itworthwhile to provide information on credit buying,legal matters, and consumer education. In some in-stances outside experts are brought in to present specificinformation. For example, a representative of theLegal Aid Society may alert the new employees fromthe ghetto to the availability of his agency's servicesshould they need legal counsel.

    The poor person confused by the intricacies of creditbuying, interest charges etc., most often overextendshimself financially and is caught up in a morass ofindebtedness. In addition, he is frequently confrontedwith the threat of garnishment.

    Helping disadvantaged persons to use their incomewisely might start in the orientation period. After that,company staff, community agency workers, or volun-teers can assist these employees with their financialproblems on a continuing basis, as needed.

    Child Care

    A long-time vexing problem in many companies isthe high rate of absences and turnover of femaleemployees who have to provide care for their childrenwhile they are at work. What is particularly frustratingis that many of these women are highly motivatedand productive workers, who want nothing so muchas to continue to earn the wages they so badly need.

    20

    Working mothers use much ingenuity to find suitablepersons to care for their children while they are atwork. Arrangements are made with relatives, friends,and neighbors on a paid or unpaid basis. In addition,when available, settlement houses, nurseries, publicand private agencies are made use of.

    Still the problem remains. Too often, the helpingperson is not able to follow through, and the motheris forced to stay away from work to care for thechildren. Community child care facilities are scarce,crowded and sometimes difficult to get to.

    Industry, which has found it-self moving in directions itwould have considered verystrange not too long ago, isnow taking a closer look at thepossibility of being directly in-volved in day care centersif only to keep needed compe-tent workers from having toleave their jobs. Some com-

    panies have already taken such a step.

    Companies may wish to tie in with other groups in thecommunity or explore the availability of public fund-ing as a means of developing a child care program thathas importance for the community as a whole as wellas for working mothers and the company.

    For a description of a company's involvement witha child care center, see Appendix, page 28.

    Reaction of Regular WorkforceAs companies become creatively involved in develop-ing strategies and techniques to enable the hard-coreto adjust to their jobs, concern is sometimes expressedabout the reaction of the regular workforce to thespecial treatment accorded the new trainees.

    Early in this report, reference is made to the impor-tance of involving all company personnel, top to bot-tom, in developing a successful hard-core program.Sensitivity training for supervisors and other employeesis also cited as an effective approach to help em-ployees gain an insight into the lives of the hard-core.Hopefully, as a result, they then become part of theprocess of assisting the new workers from the slumsto become productive.

    But instances inevitably arise where a segment of theregular workforce is obviously dissatisfi i with the at-tention being paid to the newly hired 1r i-core workers.

    How does a company counteract this reaction?

    A firm and unequivocal stand by management, whichspells out in detail the minimum expected of all em-ployees in implementing the company's hard-core pro-gram, is a necessity.

    While no one disagrees that a firm stand must be taken,a number of companies lizive concluded that the regularworkforce will cooperate more wholeheartedly if they

    NAM Urban Affairs Division

  • also benefit from the company's hard-core program.

    Some programs are now designed to provide positivegains for the regular workforce as well as the hard-core. As one personnel director put it, "We have backedinto a new managerial technique." He explains it thisway: "We found that a smaller percentage of hard-coretrainees were leaving their jobs than were newly hirednon-disadvantaged workers. So we come to the con-clusion that the extra attention provided by staff,along with special support services, would be good forall employees, not just the hard-core.

    "Toward this end, our staff has become increasinglyattuned to approaching each employee on an individualbasis, in terms of his particular strengths and limita-tions. We believe that because we are now responsiveto the needs of all our workers, the company has cutdown on job dropouts, across the board."

    Awards for Performance

    The hard-core, as this report stresses, have tastedfailure too often. They not only need to experiencesuccess but also to be assured that the company ap-preciates their achievements and gives them concreterecognition. For the chronically unemployed personto stay with a job long enough to become a respectedmember of the regular labor force is an achievement.

    Pay increases and further skill acquisition leading toeventual promotion are generally the rewards for tenureand achievement. But one company that establishedan operation in the slums has added something extra.After six months of satisfactory performance on thejob, a worker receives a written commendation. Atthe end of the first year he receives a special pin.Men who are trained to be supervisors get a certificateafter successful completion of their training.

    In the overall picture, such rewards may not seem im-portant. But the advice is not to sell this concept short.Middle-class whites may joke about a pin or a goldwatch received from their employer. But underneaththe levity there is often a feeling of a closer bond withthe company, which is no longer seen as quite so imper-sonal. Some imaginative form of tangible reward forachievement may help the disadvantaged worker todevelop a feeling that he belongs.

    Significance of Upgrading

    An increasing number of companies involved in hard-core programs have concluded that hiring and trainingare only the first steps in the process of effectivelyemploying the disadvantaged. If these employees areto feel they have any real future in the organization,job upgrading must be a reality for them. They needto know that good work performance can lead tohigher wages and greater job responsibilities.

    Some companies, however, have focused so exclusivelyon the hiring process that they have given little

    Effectively Employing the Hard-Core

    thought to the possibility of upgrading hard-coreworkers. Others, on the other hand, have already setup programs to assist these new employees tO in-crease their skills and move ahead in the organizationas they become qualified. As one executive put it,"This not only provides us with needed skilled work-ers bu t also opens up entry-level jobs."

    In many companies, skilledjobs remain vacant for lack ofworkers with the minimum re-quired education. To meetthis problem, special programsof basic education are beingoffered in-plant to unskilled,undereducated employees. Ina matter of some 160 hours'

    4 instruction, many employeeshave been able to raise their language and arithmeticskills three to five grades. As a result, companies have

    been able to upgrade these men into skilled positions.

    A number of systematic approaches are being usedto encourage upward mobility. One example is anopen job-posting system, in which the company postsall job openings and their requirements in an accessiblelocation. This has the two-fold effect of enablingthose who feel they meet the qualifications to bid onthe job and of letting others who do not have thequalifications see what they must do to prepare them-selves for future openings.

    While posting unquestionably increases upward mo-bility and encourages employees to learn new skills,it also requires real commitment on the part of thecompany if it is to work. For instance, it is essentialto fully explain to those who apply but do not get ajob why they were passed over and suggest how they

    may improve their chances for promotions in thefuture. A successful posting system requires a skilledand dedicated staff and is generally buttressed by awide variety of advanced training programs.

    Whether the investment required to establish andmaintain a posting system is seen as worthwhileobviously depends on the individual company. Butthere is general agreement that companies involvedwith the hard-core should develop methods that will

    encourage employees to more fully realize their poten-

    tialities in the work setting.

    For employees with drive and ability, dead-end jobsengender only frustration and despair and result in

    high turnover, absenteeism, and lateness. This senseof frustration was recently expressed by a hard-coreNegro employee in a large plant: "If Whitey thinksit's enough to get me in a job, to get me to workevery day, I've got newsit's not enough. If I'm notaccomplishing anything, if I'm not getting anywhere,it's the same as welfare. Unless 'the man' can makeme feel I'm doing something, that I'm part of some-thing real, he can forget his job."

    21

  • Data Collection and Program Evaluation

    Staff people involved in ef-forts to employ the hard-corethrough community programssponsored by public or non-profit agencies have had diffi-culty keeping adequate day-by-day records of what hap-pens to the trainees. The im-portance of disciplined record-keeping seems to have been

    lost in the excitment. As a result, valuable data thatcould have pointed up lessons for the future weresometimes not recorded.

    Several companies, aware of the importance of datacollection, are detr;rmined not to repeat that mistake.Staff members intend to capitalize on everything thathappens in their hard-core programs; they will learnfrom their failures as well as their successes.

    *

    In one instance, a personnel director, responsible forhis company's hard-core program, points out that hisstaff is keeping a "diary" in which all pertinent detailsand events are noted for future reference. The programis far enough along for him to realize that an incrediblenumber of "happenings" occur daily which are en-lightening as well as challenging. He feels the diarywill serve a variety of purposes, from having publicrelations value to helping to chart a more fruitful long-range program.

    By setting up a system for documentation of facts andfigures, staff with the necessary expertise can make avaluable contribution. If further research capabilitiesare available, a research design can be developed totest some aspect of the process entailed in successfullyemploying the hard-core. How elaborate the designdepends on the resources at hand.

    Consortium: Assisting the Smaller Companies

    Smaller companies often state that their limited train-ing facilities make it difficult for them to adequatelyprepare hard-core persons for employment in theirplants. One answer to this is to work out a cooperativerelationship among a number of companies. In thisarrangement, training is centralized in a separatenewly formed corporation or an existing agency orcommercial organization or in one of the larger com-panies. The financial problems involved in trainingbecome manageable when companies tie in with aconsortium.

    A consortium permits groups of smaller companies,not normally involved, to participate in the businesscommunity's effort to put people to work in meaningfuljobs. Also, by joining forces, the probability is in-creased that the new employees will be effectivelytrained, thus making it more likely that they willsucceed on the job.

    22

    An example of a well-thought-out consortium planappears in the Appendix on pages 29 to 36.

    Role of MotivationAs companies become involved in employing the hard-core, they are faced with the reality of turning a pro-posal on paper into a successful action program. Asproblems inevitably arise, sooner or later the cry isheard, "But how do I go about motivating these men?"

    Unfortunately, there is no simple solution, no shot inthe arm that injects motivation into the bloodstream.This does not mean, however, that there is nothing acompany can do to motivate employees. In the mostbasic sense, everything a company doesand manythings it does not dodetermines the extent to whichthe hard-core workers will be motivated. This is essen-tially what this report has tried to coverall the ele-ments that go into creating the "climate" of an organ-ization.

    For instance, if hard-core workers perceive the worksituation as one in which they are set up for failure,they will have little motivation to stick with the job.To become productive workers they need appropriateexperiences and special encouragement which lead toa feeling that they can succeed.

    What most hard-core workers are after is fundamental:a good income, a steady job, and the opportunity tomove ahead. If the job pays little more than welfare,or if the hard-core employee can make much more"hustling," his motivation will probably not be strongenough to keep him working. On the same score, ifthe newly hired employee gets the impression tha