In early October, the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families released its “Race to Equity” report, a frank accounting of racial disparities in Dane County.
Many of the report’s findings were jarring, and pointed to a racial gap that’s at best stubborn and at worst widening.
Among the report’s findings were the following:
- Half of African-American students in Dane County fail to graduate on time.
- Around three-quarters of black kids in the county live in poverty.
- Blacks in the county are about five times more likely than whites to be unemployed.
That last bullet point is perhaps the most troubling, considering that the gap in Dane County is far more pronounced than elsewhere. The report used 2011 figures, noting that black unemployment in Dane County was 25%, compared to 5% for non-Hispanic whites. That compared to rates of 23% and 7%, respectively, for Wisconsin and 18% and 8% for the nation as a whole.
| “Looking for a job is one of the hardest things an individual does. I don’t care if you’re a vice president of an organization, a teller at a retail location, a receptionist, or a sales manager.” — Margaret Leitinger |
As director of business development at the Madison office of Spherion, a national staffing company, Margaret Leitinger takes those numbers seriously. And she’s in a better position than most to do something about them.
“It’s our responsibility as a local employer and we need to own it, and we need to do what we can do to try to be a part of the solution,” said Leitinger.
Those aren’t just empty words or promises. Earlier this year, Spherion’s Madison office received the President’s Award for Leadership and Empowerment from the Urban League of Greater Madison. The award was given to recognize the company’s “superior commitment to equal opportunity and advancement.”
More specifically, Spherion has worked with the ULGM on Featured Employer Job Seminars, participated in the inaugural One Madison Community Festival, sponsored a Diversity Summit and One Madison Jazz Cabaret, and provided job interview training through the ULGM Foundation’s Work Readiness and Customer Service & Sales employment-training academies.
Those are tangible ways the company helps bridge some of the employment and skills gaps that exist in Madison. And the company’s efforts can help draw people into the workforce who either weren’t ready or not confident enough to find employment.
“A lot of times these individuals that we’re working with don’t believe in themselves, so we try to reach out,” said Leitinger. “Sometimes we’re just the catalyst or the boost that can help them take that next step. We just help open doors. We provide opportunity and help, so sometimes that’s just interviewing skills, or how they utilize technology.”
And sometimes, says Leitinger, it’s not just about opening doors to the job market — it’s about building ladders to better opportunities.
“We can also help people make changes into more lucrative careers, more stable careers — careers that might offer benefits, with upward mobility, things of that nature,” said Leitinger. “One of the sectors that we’re targeting right now are people who are working in hospitality, retail, and restaurants/fast food, and we’re taking those skill sets and identifying other opportunities, like customer service, administrative support, things like that.”
Good coaching
One of Spherion’s go-to phrases — and one that helps encapsulate the company’s guiding philosophy — is “we redirect, we don’t reject.” For Leitinger, that simple sentiment goes a long way toward helping people who may not have all the skills they need just yet, but have plenty of desire and potential.
“In other words, if an individual comes to us seeking employment and may not be job ready, we try to help and coach those individuals and then direct them to different community organizations that might be able to offer additional training,” said Leitinger. “If they need résumé-writing skills, if they need further education, those types of things. So everybody here knows that we and our community partners from the United Way, Urban League, YWCA, the Employability Group, we need to make it a positive experience.”
That sounds like the kind of thing that, at the very least, goes above and beyond a staffing service’s mission, but for Leitinger, it’s a small gesture that yields outsized gains, both for job seekers and the larger community.
“Looking for a job is one of the hardest things an individual does,” said Leitinger. “I don’t care if you’re a vice president of an organization, a teller at a retail location, a receptionist, or a sales manager. When you look for a job, you’re actually putting a lot out there, a lot of who you are. So it’s easy to internalize that and take that as rejection.
“Now, if for any reason you may not have the particular skill set for that position, it doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be a great employee in a lot of other capacities. So if there’s room for growth or skill sets that they need to enhance or particular training they need, we try to connect them.”
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Throughout the screening process, says Leitinger, the company looks for reasons to hire people rather than to exclude people, and that helps the company create a more diverse candidate pool for its clients. And to hear Leitinger tell it, the approach works. The company’s client retention rate is around 90%, and Leitinger estimates that between 50% and 70% of the company’s placements eventually are hired for permanent positions.
Part of the reason for that success, says Leitinger, may be the company’s approach, which puts a premium on potential and opportunity.
“When you give someone an opportunity, I think they’re more loyal and they’re more dedicated, and they truly look at it as an opportunity versus trying to just steal someone from another company that’s been doing the exact same thing,” said Leitinger. “So we look at a person’s core ability and try to identify that for a variety of things.”
Meanwhile, Leitinger is keenly aware of the achievement gap in Madison’s schools, as well as the employment gap in the county as a whole. Leitinger, who has been involved with the Madison Equal Opportunities Commission for the last 20 years, said these issues remain top of mind for herself as well as her organization.
“I think it starts with us, and so we’re taking our responsibility as being part of this community and what we need to do to help, to be part of the solution,” said Leitinger. “And we could do a lot more. It’s all of our responsibilities. We’re going to do this together and we’re going to succeed, or we’re going to all fail together.”
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