Having problems finding and retaining good employees? Employees not showing up to work on Mondays, afterholidays, after lunch? Are your high paid employees standing over the shredder or Xerox machine? Do you wish for loyal employees, hardworking, who show up and find joy and fulfillment in simple tasks like faxing, shredding, copying? Have I got a source for you! Let me tell you about two employers' experiences….

At the law firm of Faden & Goldmacher, principal Beth Goldmacher regularly reads the NY Law Journal for relevant law cases and articles to be used in daily practice. Once read, the cases need to be downloaded, printed out, organized and filed.

At Long Island Development Corporation, lots of confidential paperwork must be periodically destroyed and senior loan officers were spending time standing over the shredder. Copying work, assembling information packets to give to prospects, faxing duties were piling up.

Enter the Nassau County Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC) and its Vocational Services Supported Employment Program (job coaching program for short). AHRC provided an employee to handle both situations- one Shelley Goldmacher (also happens coincidentally to be the sister of the law firm's Beth Goldmacher and LIDC's President Roz Goldmacher). Shelley has been a client of AHRC for many years, working on an assembly line at its sheltered workshop. AHRC determined that Shelley was capable of other things and entered her in the job coaching program. First, the AHRC determined the skills needed by the employers. Next, it identified the AHRC client who could master those skills (in this case- Shelley). Then the arrangements with the employers were finalized and Shelley came to work. But she didn't come to work alone-for each day of work, an AHRC job coach was there as well… teaching her the specific skills needed, helping her to master the job, working with her on needed socialization skills and helping her to successfully fit in with the work environment.

In the case of the law firm, Shelley works one day/week on the computer downloading, organizing and labeling the law cases and articles (she hasn't yet mastered the filing part). The job coach was there to assist every week for about 7 months and now visits once a month or so to check on things or visits when needed to teach Shelley a new skill. In the case of LIDC, Shelley initially worked one day /week and now has proven so invaluable that she works there two days/week. The job coach worked with Shelley for all those days for about 8 months and now returns for periodic checkups and when needed to teach Shelley a new skill (recently Shelley started doing some filing at LIDC with the coach's instruction).

What the employers have received is a completely loyal, reliable, enthusiastic worker for a very reasonable wage as well as the continued support of AHRC to make sure employer and employee remain a good fit. Convinced yet? There are many organizations like the Nassau AHRC on LI which provide supportive employment programs to place their physically or mentally challenged clients in community based employment, on both full-time and part time bases. For information about the Nassau AHRC's job coaching program or a referral to an agency in your area, call Janice Jesberger at 516 546 7700. Remember, with a little creativity, some patience, and the right sources, employee recruitment can work for employer and employee alike!