That's the stereotype of the long-term unemployed and the agencies that deal with them, but our man in mufti, David Woods, found a Coventry centre that puts its faith in people - its staff and their 'customers' - to turn things around.
On his first presidential campaign trail in 1980, Ronald Reagan famously said: "Recession is when your neighbour loses his job, depression is when you lose yours and recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."
Reagan beat Carter to win that election, but his famous quip means little to the more than 2.5 million people in the UK out of a job as of September 2010, more than a year after the most recent recession supposedly ended. And with the Government's spending cuts, to pay off that recession's deficit, threatening another 1.6 million jobs in both the public and private sectors over the next five years (according to the CIPD), a campaign quote from Reagan has been made as redundant as the number of jobseekers.
But for HR directors and recruiters, unemployment statistics are just that: numbers. The war for talent rages on and employers need staff who are job-ready, keen to learn and develop within the business. But what about those without qualifications, those on long-term unemployment benefits and those who simply don't want to go back to work? Is there a place for them in the post-recession workplace in an age of austerity?
I wanted to find out, so I went undercover as an unemployed person for a day. I visited the Coventry branch of work-based training company Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG), to get an idea of what the job market is like for people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) - and neither the Fairy Jobmother on the one hand nor Shameless's Frank Gallagher on the other, was to be seen.
Coventry is home to the biggest Jobcentre Plus branch in the UK and the statistics about the city itself make unpleasant reading. The virtual demise of the car manufacturing industry in Coventry has led to soaring unemployment. The population has grown from 300,844 in 2000 to 310,500 in 2010, while jobseeker numbers doubled from 5,174 in 2004 to 11,971 at the end of 2009.
PPDG is one of the private-sector firms used as part of Labour's Flexible New Deal (FND). The programme launched in autumn 2009 as part of the then government's welfare reform plans. The idea behind the initiative is to ensure that no-one under the age of 25 should be without unemployment, training or education for more than six months, and to help older people to find work or training before they are unemployed for a year. FND aims to bring those claiming unemployment benefits closer to being active jobseekers, rather than passive recipients of hand-outs.
Private-sector organisations, such as PPDG, A4e or Calder UK, vie for contracts in their local areas to provide FND services. Jobcentre Plus then sends suitable candidates to these companies and for every jobseeker who secures employment for at least a three-month period, the firm receives a sum of money from the Government.
A slew of sensationalised television programmes such as Benefit Busters, Fairy Jobmother and Shameless show patronising recruitment agents sending unsuitable candidates to interviews for roles they don't want, or dressing them up in designer suits to impress would-be employers - while all the time calculating their commissions. So, my expectations were not high when I arrived at PPDG on a cold morning in November, unshaven and wearing baggy jeans for that desirable incognito effect.
But my first thought upon arrival was that maybe the 10,000 unemployed of Coventry were in fact all in the PPDG office at the same time. The place was teeming with people having meetings with recruitment agents, waiting for training sessions or searching for jobs online.
I went to the branch by invitation of the company's MD Steve King. Coventry branch manager Lisa Harrison and a handful of staff were aware of my motives, but none of the customers (as the company calls jobseekers) knew I was a journalist and, to protect their privacy, their names have been changed.
The first session I attended in the morning was a 9.45am 'ZIP' course for long-term unemployed people. I joined on day four.
The 12 men and one woman taking the course had been out of work for more than a year - some had been on Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for in excess of 10 years. They had been told by Jobcentre Plus to attend the course for one morning every day for a month, or their benefit payments would be stopped. These people did not want to be here and they certainly didn't want to be sitting in the room to be told how to write a CV or to polish their interview techniques. But the course went much deeper than training people in the process of getting a job. The focus that day was on conflict - and their own experience of it.
At first, the idea of even discussing conflict with a cohort of long-term unemployed people wearing hoodies and tracksuit bottoms seemed instantly unsettling, but the candour with which they talked about the conflicts in their lives made the session meaningful and insightful.
And the top two on their list of conflict triggers? Unsurprisingly, work; closely followed by Jobcentre Plus.
Branch manager Harrison explains: "Breaking down barriers imposed by other people such as employers is a major challenge. The world can be very negative and judgemental."
It is a telling sign of the state of our society that, while judged as 'benefit scroungers' by those of us in work, such people experience the process of finding employment to be difficult and complicated. Fear of the now unknown institution of work was pervasive.
Past arguments with supervisors, problems with benefits payments leaving bills unpaid, difficulties over redundancy packages and being forced to work unreasonable hours with lack of health and safety procedures came up time and again from the group. Some had been through tribunal or disciplinary action for matters they deemed unfair.
One message to HR directors came across strongly here. These people are, in many cases, skilled and talented potential recruits, but burned by past incidents at work and reluctant to put themselves through the grief again. For them, it is easier to claim benefits than to go through the stress of working life.
"What if I get a job and I hate it?" asked George, a 40-something participant. "If I get a job and I don't like it, how will I find another job? I won't have time to hunt for new jobs if I am working all day."
The PPDG moderator was quick to explain that people in work are four times more likely to find a job elsewhere than those who are unemployed. But the message looked as if it would take time to sink in.
This was the crux of the session - to change participants' attitudes to work and to their role in society. Not to train them to work, but to make them mentally prepared to find employment. After all, it seems ridiculous to give training in how to write a CV to someone who can't stomach the idea of going to a job interview, for fear of facing rejection.
The group went on to talk about ways of resolving conflict and I couldn't help but feel that, while the group was clearly unhappy with being in this room discussing their problems, they were frustrated too. Frustrations about money, the Jobcentre, previous employers and families came up time and again. The longer I stayed in the session, the less threatening the situation appeared, as light-hearted anecdotes were used as solutions. The approach from the PPDG staff member was always rational - never patronising, never overly sympathetic.
The session the previous day had been on finance and budgeting and one participant, Pete, a man in his late 50s, said to the group: "I went home last night and told my partner we need to budget - just as we talked about yesterday. And she didn't like it."
Answer: "But it's two months until Christmas. You are on benefits. You have to save."
In spite of this, the impressions I had of the group were no confirmation of the ignorant stereotype I had built up of the long-term unemployed: people who sit at home all day, taking money off the state for doing nothing. This group of people, by contrast, has busy lives. They go shopping, they go to town, they meet friends, a lot of them carry out charity work - and a job would mess with this structure.
Harrison explains: "The challenges here vary between different jobseekers. Some people come to us and have a real fear of a future not on benefits. They worry about paying their bills and housing benefit run-ons and this all feels very secure on Jobseeker's Allowance. People have full lives with routines and there can be a reluctance to break this - and then potentially lose their job. It provides a real challenge for us."
The next part of the session was a personality test, which I also completed. After filling out the questionnaire, each jobseeker was allocated a 'style': 'compete', 'avoid', 'accommodate', 'compromise' and 'collaborate'.
Unsurprisingly, since I work in a competitive industry, my style is 'compete' (goal-orientated, enjoys achieving, dislikes compromise), but I was surprised at the numbers in the group who also fitted into the category (when they chose to share their own findings), while very few fell into the category of 'accommodate', meaning they would be prepared to ignore their own goals, and could get taken advantage of.
When the session reached a break, I was allowed to explore the centre at my leisure to witness first-hand some of the other projects. The Learn Direct suite had a number of jobseekers taking courses, ranging from basic literacy and numeracy to GCSE qualifications, while another job-search room housed about 10 people scanning newspapers and recruitment websites looking for jobs.
I decided to test the water. That very week, I had written a news piece for HR magazine about Marks & Spencer's plans to recruit 10,000 Christmas temps. I suggested to a member of PPDG staff that this would be a good solution for placing some candidates - but I imagined she wouldn't want to allocate someone on short-term contract, because the cut-off time would stop the agency from receiving its fee from the Government.
But the fees didn't seem to be at issue at all. "If I can help someone get a job and earn some money coming up to Christmas, then I think that's a good thing. Plus, they have some work experience and a reference for a CV if they need to look for work again after the temporary contract ends," she quickly explained. Contrary to stereotype, PPDG doesn't seem to employ staff simply engaged by bonuses and commissions for putting people into the first job that will take them. The company also scores high on the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For list in 2010, taking number 19 in the medium-sized companies listing (up four places on 2009), suggesting PPDG staff are engaged and happy in their workplace.
My view of recruiters as bonus-orientated and heartless began to diminish and I realised this isn't an easy job for them either. Each day is packed with half-hour meetings with jobseekers. The same staff are dealing with a broad spectrum: professionals going through redundancy periods, the long-term unemployed, manual labourers, people who struggle to read and write, as well as non-English speakers.
By the end of 2010, the numbers of people on JSA in Coventry had decreased to just over 10,000, but with a growing population and no sign of employment booming, the situation is far from rosy.
My job is not to judge 'benefit scroungers' - society does a good enough job of that itself - nor is it to critique the work PPDG is attempting to do. But, as the Flexible New Deal comes to a conclusion and the Coalition Government looks for other ways to 'deal' with the problem of 'Benefit Britain' (see page 26), I couldn't help but leave Coventry on that cold autumn day feeling encouraged at the work that was being done to find suitable jobs for capable people who just need a chance. Britain is open for business after all, isn't it, Mr Cameron?
THE MD'S VIEW: FIND THE MOTIVATION
"We are in a particularly challenging period, where more people than ever are seeking help to secure employment. The spending cuts will see more jobseekers entering the marketplace, with the inevitability of increasing numbers moving from what they believed was a certain future to uncertainty. However, the public sector contains immense expertise, which offers fantastic opportunities to the private sector as the economic situation gradually improves.
Although it is inevitable there will be countless redundancies, it is vital that people who find themselves unemployed are able to access support services. During these tough times, motivation can easily be lost, so it is essential that unemployed people adopt a positive approach in their search for work. This may involve improving qualifications or even a career change but, be assured, there will still be employment opportunities and everyone has portable skills that can be transferred to a different job role.
As a business, we at PPDG are working harder than ever to provide prepared candidates who match employers' requirements. Our unique feature is the provision of an aftercare service which, balanced with opportunities for career progression, helps ensure employment is sustained. Having a passionate and empowered workforce dedicated to providing excellent customer service has enabled us to build the strongest of platforms to ensure our continued growth well into the future."
Steve King is UK managing director, PPDG
SENT TO COVENTRY
HR magazine put the questions on HR directors' lips to the recruiter, Lisa Harrison, manager of PPDG's Coventry branch.
HR magazine: Are the people who come to PPDG likely to be job-ready by the time they have finished their course?
Lisa Harrison (LH): It's a very mixed bag. Some jobseekers have strong employment histories and will be ready to slip back into a job as soon as they find one. Others will have no recent work history, so may have confidence and motivation issues. These will need to be addressed before they can move into work and sustain it.
HR: Do long-term unemployed people have high or low expectations of what sort of job they can get?
LH: People who have come from professional backgrounds expect that they will be able to just go back into work at that level, regardless of their gap in employment history. On the flip side, some who have been bringing up families believe they have no skills, so only apply for domestic or cleaning jobs. It is a big barrier for jobseekers to realign these expectations, but a massive and positive breakthrough when we do. This is what really changes peoples' lives.
HR: Do you feel the Government could do more to help long-term unemployed?
LH: A controversial question ... I think there is a definite group of people who abuse the system and potentially will always do so. The new changes to provision may help transfer some of the help and funds to the most vulnerable and needy groups.
HR: Do you feel that long-term unemployed people are afraid to return to work - and if so, what should employers be thinking about to help them to conquer this attitude?
LH: People are afraid and employers can have a negative view of someone who has been on benefits. Employers could be more supportive of the long-term unemployed by offering work trials and placements and from this they may find a great way of recruiting staff and finding some really loyal and determined people.
'BENEFIT BRITAIN': STICK AND CARROT?
Secretary of state for work and pensions Iain Duncan Smith has no qualms in saying part of the reason for the UK's £155 billion deficit is the giving of 'handouts' to five million benefits claimants. His new framework for finding careers for the jobless will attempt to tackle the problem head on.
Rather than putting the jobless into training schemes, the Government plans to impose penalties on those who are out of work and refuse to take up jobs. That's the stick.
Although facing a backlash from poverty charities such as Save the Children, plans for a work programme to force jobseekers to work or carry out voluntary community projects were presented to parliament in October. So unemployed people who persistently fail to turn up for work or turn down/refuse to apply for jobs, will lose their £65-a-week Jobseeker's Allowance for up to three years.
Those without jobs will lose benefits for three months if they fail to take up one of the options on the work programme for the first time, six months if they refuse an offer twice and three years if they refuse an offer three times. But while the minister promised support for those who want jobs, he proposed penalties for those who don't.
In a bid to eliminate complexity, the 30 types of unemployment benefit will be reduced to one single credit, while the carrot is that the Government has promised 'to make work pay', putting in place graduated arrangements, so jobseekers do not need to fear they will be worse off if they work than if they remained on benefits.
