Dear hiring manager--you can change or even save a life

Had a few things happen this week that caused me to once again remember my friend and his experience so I thought it was worth sharing this again...in the hopes it can make a difference for even one person and open some eyes.

I write this with a heavy heart. Yesterday I learned a former co-worker and friend took his own life. Normally this is not something I would speak of on a professional networking site; however, the underlying reason is very relevant and prompted me to write this post. 

You see, my friend (let's call him Robert to protect his privacy) was a member of that barely spoken of, overlooked sector called the "long-term unemployed." They account for about 28% of overall unemployed workers and in spite of other areas of economic progress, this number has remained essentially stuck. In 2014, the latest data available, 35 percent of people who were unemployed 5 weeks or fewer found a job in the next month, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report. The rate for people unemployed over a year was just 11 percent. Robert had been out of work for almost 2 years. 

Like many of us on Linkedin, Robert was a well-educated professional. In his thirty some years in the workforce, he had worked hard and progressed into senior management. Prior to this, never a gap in his resume. He was smart, talented, hard-working and well-liked. Basically, he did all the right things and checked all the right boxes. Then the recession hit and like millions of other Americans he was laid off. Once he was laid off, he continued to do all the right things. Brushed up his resume, started networking with diligence, reached out to contacts, applied to all the jobs that were a good fit, kept up on trends related to his job and industry. After a few months, in spite of his better judgement he even started to apply for jobs that were far below his previous salary and for which he was clearly overqualified. He ran into all of the familiar stumbling blocks--age, we can find someone cheaper, you are a little too generalized, you're overqualified and a whole lot of competition. And the longer he went without work, the more he ran into the subtle and sometimes blatant discrimination against the long-term unemployed. The assumptions made by hiring managers when they see a gap in a resume (often incorrect), especially during a tough economy. 

Since I can anticipate many of the "why didn't he?" comments... Pragmatically speaking, if you have been in this position.. At some point you can no longer afford to continue to attend networking events if you must choose between putting food on the table or gas in the car. Taking a minimum wage job (even if an employer will hire someone that clearly is not going to stick around) isn't good for the employee nor the economy; don't we want to maintain our middle class? Learning a new skill or launching a brand new career in your late 50's with a family to support isn't practical and relocating without an income is difficult. 

After a year, Robert's wife left him and took the children. He spiraled, not just financially but emotionally. I didn't see him often but his sense of hopelessness and defeat was stamped on him and it hurt to see a previously proud, confident, successful, happy man reduced to this. I tried to imagine how he presented in an interview at that point and imagined not well. And of course this becomes a vicious cycle, the longer it goes on, the harder it becomes to find a job and the worse it all becomes.

I can speak to this from experience. As I find myself interviewing for positions now, I find my answer to "what is your proudest achievement" is no longer a professional moment. Instead I speak of my own long period of unemployment, almost 18 months, after an unexpected layoff at the height of the recession. During that time, I managed to keep my home, pay my bills, keep my sanity and more importantly keep my spirits up. I held onto my integrity and finally landed some contract work to pay the bills. But I will never forget how humbling, terrifying and at times, soul-sucking those days were. I wonder how many employers can truly understand just what it says about a candidate's strengths and values when they can make statements like that. 

I relocated to Portland and became immersed in my own job search here and (to my eternal regret) lost contact with Robert. The last time I tried to call, his phone was out of service. I later learned he had lost his home and had been living in his car for the last 2 months. I think of all he had to offer, as an employee and more importantly, as a person and am devastated by the tragedy of such a senseless waste. 

There are too many stories like this out there. And it's too easy to assume that "those people" aren't qualified or trying hard enough or must have done something wrong to be out of work for so long. It's also terrifying how many of them are less than 20 years away from retirement age. Too many people that spent their professional lives "doing all the right things" wondering now if they will ever work again, let alone retire.

To the hiring managers out there, don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating that you hand out "mercy" jobs or hire someone just because their circumstances are dire. Obviously businesses have to make a profit. What I am recommending is that you take a moment and look past that gap. Really understand why it's there and how the candidate is handling it. Remind yourselves unless the person is in some highly technical, specialized field that most "soft" skills are inherent and steady, like riding a bicycle. Once they get back on that bike they will be ready to go. Sure, you can hire someone that is currently working; that is certainly more fashionable. But if you hire someone that is equally qualified and needs this lifeline you not only help the economy, you have also just earned one hell of a loyal employee. And as I said in the beginning, you can change or even save a life. At the end of the day, isn't that the greatest thing any of us can do?