MDHI employment network meeting (Name to be rebranded)
Interim Meeting: June 5, 2015
Notes
Attending: Laura Ware, Ernest Cienfuegos-Baca, Tammy Bellofatto, Richard Anderson, Dan Katzenberg, Katie
Hester, LB Konkol, Deborah Hopkins, Wanda Harrison, Tom Horton, Lanette Keever, Annett Gallegos, Kathy
Lopez, Chris Venable, Amanda Trujillo, Molly Ream, Patrick Walton, Alice Sueltenfuss, Kris Dafni, Kathleen
Bates, David Henninger, Laurie Clark, Erica Endorf, Cameron Shropshire, Matt Kilian, Lindsey Finklang, Susan
Maynard, Melany Deem, Alfonso Suazo II, Sara Leeper & Travis Smith.
Members of the committee described the purpose and desired function of the meeting:
To tackle systemic and personal barriers
 Creating systemic innovations
 Recognition that we all have needs
This isn’t just a job fair – something more sustainable
Recruit employers to come to next meeting
 From employers in room: what would be the incentive for them to recruit?
Idea, concepts & suggestions that came out of the discussions:
Branding of initiative? Needed to recruit other employers / members
 Logo, theme
 Clear goals
 Time commitments
 Vision / Mission of group
 What is the incentive for employers?
 Erica Endorf and Lanette Keever both have marketing persons
 Amanda Trujillo will follow-up with Erica & Lanette week of June 8th about the
marketing person for branding purposes
Dating website format to match employers & job seekers
 Jobmatch.com concept
 Members of the Employment Network could vouch for job seekers
 One central location to send job openings
 Centralized database
 LinkedIN group
 Needs to be specialized to avoid another Connect Colorado
Interim Solution – Directory of Non-profits and Employers
 Needs to be specialized to avoid another Connect Colorado
Technology
 Research Match Day @ University of Colorado
 Matches students with universities
 LinkedIN group
 MDHI Employment Webpage as one resource for Network
 Innovate on top of existing systems
 Don’t reinvent the wheel
 Distribution Lists – Not Effective
Barriers to hiring
 Job retention
 Too many points of contact for one open position
 Employers need employment specialists to understand job requirements
 Life skills to get work
 Commitment to job – career path
 Outside forces, ie doctor appointments, babysitter, transportation, etc.
 Reliability
 Get to the root of the issue, why are they late? Requires compassion & patience
 Employers asked for training from non-profit folks
 Lindsey Finklang will follow-up with everyone about HireDenver trainings and
workshops. Next one is July 16th Mental Health First Aid
Another Chance Initiative
 Structured program / partnership
 Job coaching
 Establish an employment specialist standards
 Best practices
 Certification
 Database
 Idea that if there was sensitive information in system then site would be password protected
 Specialized job description for our population
 Screening process – is HR aware of persons barriers?
 How to minimize automatic throw-out
Centralized Directory of who is on Employment Network
 Post on MDHI website?
 Relationship building / networking
 Valuable to a number of people in the room
 Can a partner organization host this information?
 Profile of who we are and what we do
 Excel spreadsheet fine?
Is there value in continuing?
 Most of the attendees said yes
 Employers want to know the # of clients that need to be placed
 Employers want to know the returns – for motivation
Cross Training – across sectors
 Building capacity of private sectors
 Majority of attendees present said they are willing and interested in cross-training
 HireDenver offers trainings – good resource – Lindsey Finklang is contact for that
 lfinklang@goodwilldenver.org
 Sensitivity training
 Consistency in how we do training with one another
Recurring topics / goals
 Job matching – LinkedIN group
 Technology used to our advantage
 Computer skills will are necessary for generation gap and clients
 Centralized location / email for job posting & communication about open jobs
 Job retention is key
 Employment Network needs branding
 Directory of Employment Network participants
 Needs for recruitment:
 clear goals, time commitments, vision/mission of network, logo/theme, branding of
initiative
Next Meeting Time:
 August 7, 2015 @ 8:30am -10:00am
 Urban Peak offered to host – exact location TBA
 Material that will be provided for group;
 Branding
 Goals / time commitments / vision & mission
 LinkedIN group research
 Directory of agencies & employers