Radio Transcript: 2018 Recruitment Event

Posted on

BILL: It’s Saturday, and that means another edition of Community Connection. In fact, another edition with Cascade Connections, yeah, I’m Bill Davis, your host, and I’m definitely not going to be messing up those two, uh, those two businesses together. Uh, we are always, of course, across all the platforms, uh, kgmi.com, which is where we load our podcasts, also at 96.5 FM in Bellingham, and the old fashioned AM dial, I wonder if they are ever going to get tired of me saying “the old fashioned AM dial”? at 790 AM. Mary Nestle-Klyn with us, from, uh, Cascade Connections, you know, I think it is, in the whole time that you and I have been chatting together, which has been what, maybe three years or so, on this show?

MARY: Probably about that.

BILL: I think I’ve only messed up and called your organization Community Connection once, and called the show Community Connection, Cascade Connections.

MARY: I don’t know how you keep it straight, honestly, that’s a mouthful!

BILL: I, I do my best. Now, your title with Cascade Connections is…

MARY: Residential Contracts Administrator

BILL: And I always say that that means, now I’m not the smartest person, I’m no doorknob either, but it means, again,

MARY: Residential Contracts Administrator

BILL: It means that you administrate residential contracts, right?

MARY: {laughs} Different day, different answer.

BILL: There you go, well, like I said, I’m no doorknob, and, uh, tell everybody, by the way, you brought a guest with you, I want you to introduce him in just a moment, but tell everybody again what Cascade Connections does.

MARY: Sure. Our mission is to help people with disabilities in the community to both work and live independently.

BILL: Mhmm, simple enough, right?

MARY: Yeah

BILL: Well, it sounds like a simple job, really. Yeah, no, not, so you have defined on more than one occasion that, uh, when you come in, it’s not the same thing every day.

MARY: No, but I think, that’s, all these years later, approaching twenty years, I know that makes me an old woman, um, but that’s what keeps it interesting for me and that’s what keeps me engaged, is, is that I get to problem solve every day and work with my team. And a great member of my team

BILL: Did you, by the way, did you just call yourself an old woman?

MARY: It’s true.

BILL: Okay, let me ask you something. Let me ask something

MARY: I cried when I turned 40.

BILL: Are you on Medicare yet?

MARY: No

BILL: See, cause I am. That makes me an old man, right, you know?

MARY: I’m not going to answer that.

BILL: You see, she knows to be nice to the host. Yes, she’s a smart girl. Yeah, well, tell me who you brought with you today.

MARY: Uh, this is Jake, and Jake is a Program Coordinator with our Bellingham Supported Living program.

BILL: Mhmm. Jake, nice to, eh, I think you’ve been on the show before, haven’t you?

JAKE: I have, just about a year ago, I think.

BILL: Excellent. And, uh, I guess the subject today, we want to talk, uh, about staffing, hiring, and uh basically how, well, tell me your story Jake, how you came to work for Cascade Connections?

JAKE: Uh, well, I moved to the Bellingham area about a year and a half ago, and soon after I moved here I started with Cascade Connections, part time Direct Support Professional. Um, it just looked like an interesting job and I wanted to keep an open mind. I kept saying yes to more and more responsibilities and now I found myself in a management position. I really enjoy it, because every day, every week is something new and something surprising, and it’s really fun, interesting, rewarding work.

BILL: Well, Mary, did you keep heaping responsibilities on him and having him say yes, yes, yes?

MARY: Well, he’s just so good at it, how could we not?

BILL: Yeah, I see. So, um, so let’s talk about staffing. Are you guys hiring right now?

MARY: We are hiring right now

BILL: Okay

MARY: And we have an exciting $500 hiring bonus going on right now, $250 upon hire, and then $250 additional dollars upon completion of the initial training courses. We also have a recruitment event happening on Thursday, December 6th, from 4pm til 8pm at our Bellingham office, which is at 1611 North State Street. You know, I would love it if people just have questions, if they wanted to pop in and say hi.

BILL: So, what is this event going to encompass? You, you know I’m going to ask you, will there be snacks?

MARY: There’s always snacks. I’m thinking probably hot chocolate and cookies.

BILL: Yeah

MARY: Nothing too elaborate

BILL: Just right for the holidays

MARY: Yeah, and some information about Cascade, we’ll have some videos, there will be a number of us there to answer questions and we will do on the spot interviews and hiring if people are interested in seeking employment with us.

BILL: Wow, so it’s an event, it’s almost like a job fair.

MARY: Yeah

BILL: And, they get cookies and hot chocolate to boot.

MARY: And great conversation with Mary Klyn

{both laugh}

BILL: Yeah, yeah, and a $200, $250 bonus if they get hired right on the spot

MARY: Yep, and then, well, it’s a total of $500

BILL: Yep

MARY: So $250 at the time of hire and then $250 upon completing those training requirements, which, we know that there’s a lot of students out there so we have our initial training courses set up specifically for students in December to be able to access us while they’re on break.

BILL: Oh, excellent. Mary Nestle-Klyn with us. She is of course with the, the wonderful organization Cascade Connections. Also Jake is with us as well, Jake tell me, you’ve been there, I’m sorry, how long, about a year?

JAKE: A little over a year and a half.

BILL: What’s the, for somebody who’s thinking about working and then maybe taking up employment with Cascade Connections, what do you think the most rewarding part, or the most fun part, you know, of your job is?

JAKE: Um, well, it’s a privilege to, and it’s humbling to be such an important figure in the lives of the clients that we serve. Um, it can take your role for granted. If, if you’re looking for personal growth, um, I think this offers a great opportunity to explore, um, deeper connections with people, and, uh, as you’re helping others you’re helping yourself along the way.

BILL: Yeah, it’s not a place where you just come in, sit down, do a job for eight hours a day, clock out, go home, and you leave it all behind.

JAKE: And Cascade really does care about their employees and it great about showing appreciation and it’s a really good work culture.

BILL: Mhmm, well that’s a pretty good endorsement right there, Mary.

MARY: Oh, that’s great, I’m happy to hear that.

BILL: Yeah, I’m sorry, you haven’t heard that, it feels like you would have heard that many times.

MARY: Well, we try really hard, but it’s super meaningful when I hear from people that it is working out that well. That’s what we strive for, for sure.

BILL: What, is this event, that you’re going to have coming up, it’s the 6th, you said? Thursday?

MARY: Yep

BILL: Thursday

MARY: Thursday, December 6th.

BILL: At the, uh, Cascade Connections headquarters, and we’ll tell them where that’s going to be here in just a moment. Um, are you looking for something in particular right now? As far as staffing?

MARY: We have a variety of different shifts and positions available. It’s a great job for a student because of that flexibility. We have overnight shifts, I know a lot of our students really enjoy those overnight shifts cause they can get some studying done.

BILL: Oh, sure, absolutely. Yeah, that sounds pretty cool. Um, what about people who you have placed in positions, your success stories going right now? You know, we’ve had a lot of people come in on your segment, we’ve interviewed them before, that, you know, are working at, let’s see, Cascade Dafo, I know, um, Fred Meyer, you know, places like that.

MARY: There are so many, that would have to be a whole another show.

BILL: That’s a whole, that’s a totally different show, right?

MARY: I think that our clients who are living in the community and working in the community are, I mean, they’re doing great. Our issue is that we want to serve so many more people, but we can’t do that without the staff.

BILL: Right. And you need the staff. Jake, you gonna be there, at the event?

JAKE: Absolutely.

BILL: Um, and let’s tell everybody again, the day and time and where you guys are located. So it is on Thursday, December 6th at our State Street office, which is 1611 North State Street, from 4 to 8 pm.

BILL: Do they need to RSVP or anything?

MARY: No, just drop on by, you know, it’s totally relaxed

BILL: Drop on by and get a job!

MARY: Yeah

BILL: Oh, oh, oh, I’m sorry, how about, get a career.

MARY: There, there are career opportunities, and I think Jake’s a great example of that, that he just came in part time as an entry level staff, but he’s already

BILL: And you didn’t think it was going to blossom into that, did you?

JAKE: Um, I had no expectations about that. I was pleasantly surprised.

BILL: No, absolutely. Do me a favor, both of you. Come back, tell me what a big success it was. Once again, it’s on Thursday, December 6th, what time?

MARY: From 4 to 8pm.

BILL: And, that’s uh, we called it an event, but technically I guess it’s a job fair, really?

MARY: Yeah

BILL: And you can explain to everybody what positions you have open

MARY: Yes

BILL: And what they might want to do. And then they get that $250 bonus if they get hired, and then another $250 later.

MARY: Yep

BILL: Man, that’s pretty cool.

MARY: We’re really excited about it.

BILL: Yeah, well best of luck with it.

MARY: Thanks so much.

BILL: Mary Nestle-Klyn, and Jake, both from our friends at Cascade Connections with us here today on Community Connection, and, uh, we’ll continue here on the big show on KGMI.