Q & A with Jane Samargia

Jane Samargia has served as HIRED’s executive director for 25 years, playing a vital role in the growth of the organization. Here are her thoughts on HIRED’s beginnings, its future and what sets it apart from other Twin Cities employment agencies.

Q: When you joined HIRED in 1975, what was it about the organization that first appealed to you?

A: I was intrigued with the impact I could have… At that time HIRED was serving ex-offenders and I realized I could help people see better ways to re-enter the workforce. The idea of opening doors of knowledge – of how to function in the world – was one that interested me most. Once I arrived, it was great to be part of such a dynamic staff. Our backgrounds and perspectives were so different, but we made a great team that had excellent synergy. Today, I see the same synergy and creativity. HIRED is about the people who work here – bringing everyone’s skills together to form a team.

Q: What do you know about the people who were there as HIRED got started 40 years ago?

A: Forty years ago, the focus was on serving ex-offenders – peer-to-peer counseling. Shortly thereafter, Stan Kano was hired as the executive director and professionalized the organization. Board members listed in the articles of incorporation included a Native American individual, ex-offenders and business representatives. From the very beginning HIRED has been a diverse organization that has truly benefited from the various perspectives of the community.

	Abraham Lincoln High School student Salma Mohamed meets with HIRED Employment Counselor Brenda Knapper.

Q: Do you think they ever suspected HIRED would become what it is today?

A: Absolutely. Stan Kano was very ambitious and had high expectations. He is no longer living, but wouldn’t be surprised – he had a vision for the organization, as did many of the board members.

Q: What does it mean to “provide personalized and innovative work solutions”?

A: It means providing one-to-one relationships between HIRED counselors and job seekers or HIRED counselors and employers. It’s the attention we pay to our clients to develop innovative solutions. We look at the whole person and his or her family situation to solve problems that are keeping them from working. When we’re working with employers, we engage in forward-looking dialogue… working to identify current and future workforce needs, what would help their businesses be more productive, and how HIRED can develop training that will allow their employees and businesses to be successful.

Q: What about HIRED excites you? What brings you into work every day?

A: There is so much to do and there are a lot of challenges out there, but at the same time, there are so many ideas and models that we’ve demonstrated as effective – models that will benefit and dramatically change the lives of so many people. I’m here every day because I’m excited to play a key role in the health of the community… helping 16-year-old mothers who have dropped out of high school, immigrants without work experience or basic understanding of the English language, and older workers who need to be retrained. It’s a necessary and important job.

Q: What’s next for HIRED?

A: HIRED continues to create new programs that respond to worker needs – helping the Twin Cities community and others. Also, with HIRED’s new fundraising efforts, we’re educating many more people about workforce development. People understand the need for jobs, yes – but the issue of workforce development is so much deeper. The ways that we prepare people for work are so different. In many ways, we’re not just training for a job, but a career. The outreach is exciting. It’s an opportunity to broaden our constituency and get people involved with HIRED and workforce development.

Q: HIRED has changed a lot over the course of the past 40 years; what in your mind has remained the same?

A: Throughout our history we’ve remained an organization that has helped people become self-sufficient through employment – helping our clients become productive members of the community. Additionally, HIRED has consistently used technology and partnerships with other organizations to accomplish its work.

Q: What are the major “turning points” or landmarks in HIRED’s history?

A: First and foremost it was our transition to serving a broader population. Our work with ex-offenders was extraordinarily effective, but Stan Kano – who was a highly-motivated leader – recognized that HIRED needed to obtain some economies of scale to further improve its services. With that, he successfully bid to manage large portions of the 1976-enacted Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA). CETA allowed HIRED to provide interview skill training, resume construction, job development and job placement assistance to disadvantaged people looking to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Additionally, HIRED has always incorporated technology into its services. Job Link – HIRED’s online, proprietary job search database – was the first of its kind and has proven to be highly-effective in connecting job seekers and employers.

	HIRED staff strategize in a conference room (circa 1976).

Q: HIRED has helped jobseekers weather economic downturns in the past. How is the current employment situation different?

A: Today’s economy is really quite different from the one we had even ten years ago. With changes in technology and manufacturing, we’re living in a global economy that is impacted by global conditions. In general, workers need a higher level of skills than they did in the past and the competition for jobs is greater. HIRED is responding to help solve employment problems. Through our sector initiatives we’re working with groups of employers who have a labor shortage or anticipate a labor shortage, and partnering with technical colleges to develop short term training models.

Q: What do you hope clients remember when they think of the time they worked with HIRED?

A: That we listened; we worked with them as an individual, with individual goals and individual personalities; they received services were customized to meet their needs; and that we gave them the assistance they needed – in the short term – while also preparing them for the long term.

Q: HIRED has recently undertaken some new fundraising initiatives. Why should someone support HIRED? Doesn’t the organization get the funding they need from the state government and grants?

A: Unfortunately, no, the government doesn’t fully-supply the funding we need to operate. In my opinion, the greatness of a country is determined by how it supports its weakest and most destitute residents – right now, our country cannot be defined as great. There are a lot people who are struggling. HIRED has the skills to help them, but we need additional funding, and that’s where our new fundraising initiatives come into play. We’re looking to build partnerships with Twin Cities residents who can support and sustain our mission.

Q: HIRED is constantly working to help legislators understand the work that happens here. What one or two things would you like them to know more about?

A: I think together, we need to take a closer look at the criminal justice system. Currently, ex-offenders are being released without any skills and little assistance to help them navigate their re-entry. HIRED has proven that its metalforming training program can work within the prison system – giving prison mates skills and job-search assistance. Ex-offenders are one portion of our future workforce. We need to be talking about how to better serve and

Q: HIRED has been around for 40 years, now…will there ever be a time when HIRED’s services aren’t needed?

A: I don’t think so. Workers are our most valuable resources and our services are more important today than ever before.