Staffing Services | Direct Hiring Opportunities
Big Shift — All job applicants participate in
an orientation we’ve termed the Big Shift. In
this half-day session, we explain that:
- They will have to go through a “big shift” in their life
and their thinking to succeed in the workplace. They must be willing
to change, to let go of the past — with its bad choices, poor
performances, and less-than-stellar results.
- They need to will themselves to do what’s necessary to succeed
at work.
- Our training is rigorous and unlike any other training/employment
program they might have encountered. We focus not on specific job skills,
but rather on life skills – taking personal responsibility; shifting
attitudes and expectations; and unlearning negative behaviors.
- The first step to working is taking a free drug test, emphasizing
from the outset the need to be prepared for work.
- There is much work to be done before they ever step through the door
of an employer.
- We offer them a unique opportunity.
- We expect them to succeed. Starting immediately.
Member Services Program — Once accepted into
the program, members will move through the program’s four
phases:
1. Discovery Time (2 weeks) — Following
an initial screening and assessment process, we offer intense work-readiness
preparation in a classroom setting. We are the only organization in
Chicago licensed to deliver the internationally recognized STRIVE
training.
Members learn to recognize and wrestle with the self-imposed barriers
that result in unemployment and poverty. Harborquest delivers thorough
preparation and support so members can develop the habits and skills
they need to ensure their long-term effectiveness, dependability, and
marketability in the labor market.
2. Action Time (6 to 13 weeks) — Our
members receive on-the-job experience through our alternative staffing
service. Each person is assigned a temporary job at one of our private-sector
customers where they receive paid work experience
and Harborquest coaching. The individual’s level of work readiness
and their progress in developing sound work habits determines the length
of this phase.
3. Transition Time (1 to 13
weeks) — Members return to the Harborquest training rooms for
a series of five personal marketing workshops over the course of five
days or more. Again, they are paid for this time. Depending on the
specific needs and abilities of each person, we use three different
methods -- often simultaneously -- to secure long-term employment:
- Employer Referrals — We set up interviews
between members and employers.
- Self-Placement Support — Members learn to
identify appropriate job openings independently.
- 20/20 View Trial Placements — We
offer employers and applicants a chance to evaluate each other in a
specific work situation, before making a long-term commitment. Our 20/20
View trial placement service shifts the focus away from an applicant’s
background, work record, or interview skills, and lets the employer
observe the applicant’s work habits and ability to do a specific
job within the employer’s own work environment.
4. Prime Time (no
time limit)— When a Harborquest member
lands a job with a private-sector employer, they’ve entered Prime
Time. For as long as they choose to remain a member of the organization,
they are eligible for Prime Time’s post-placement counseling, ongoing
support and, if warranted, re-placement services following a layoff or
downsizing. By encouraging long-term membership, we are better able to
track their progress, step in should a problem arise, stay in contact
with them when/if they change residences, and better understand the reasons
they might leave a job. To further encourage ongoing communication with
our members, we are currently developing a “membership program” — a
series of attractive benefits including free career-development workshops,
tickets to entertainment venues, discounts on various products and
services at local businesses, and more.
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