Accountability Groups Help Unemployed Stay Motivated

The New York Times just reported on a new phenomenon in job hunting that has arisen as a result of the high unemployment rate among white-collar workers – accountability groups.

According to the Times, membership in various networking organizations across the country for unemployed executives and other professionals has ballooned in recent months as the recession has continued its march, sparing not even the highly educated and skilled.  Providing a spur as well as solace, the groups offer transition assistance for people who previously led comfortable lives in the middle and upper-middle class.  The group in the Times piece, which is based in suburban Chicago, meets on Mondays to provide structure for the week.  Members’ days are filled with a revolving door of networking meetings, applications and chasing down the all-important but elusive hiring “decision-maker” at their target companies.

White-collar unemployment rose to 4.6 percent in December, up from 3 percent the year before. The figures still pale in comparison to the 11.3 percent unemployment rate for blue-collar workers. But Lawrence Mishel, president of the liberal Economic Policy Institute, said white-collar unemployment rose faster in the past year than in any other recession dating to at least the 1970s, even the devastating downturn of the early 1980s. Moreover, white-collar workers also tend to form a disproportionate share of the long-term unemployed — those who have been out of work six months or longer.

WCW reader Zak Nelson recently started a similar club Tacoma, Washington.  Their goal as a group of proactive job seekers in a common geographic region (Pierce County, Washington) is to share resources, encouragement, and accountability in their job searches, no matter their ages or difference in background.

Want to find a group in your area?  I recommend checking out Meetup.com for options.

Comments

[Dan Erwin]

I'm intrigued by this kind of group work. Makes terrific sense. Although most of us can do a lot on our own, accountability groups such those focused on employment have a lot going for them.

Studies show again and again that when group members have a common objective, shared commitment and valid information, not only does learning take place, but a lot of motivation resides within a group. Those interested might want to check out a superb piece of research in the Harvard Business Review. (Jon Katzenbach, The Discipline of Teams, July 2000)

Although the huge majority of my work is one-on-one coaching with execs, whenever possible, I'll always take a small group to coach and facilitate--over a period of time. The accountability issues that surface are very powerful.

Dan Erwin, www.danerwin.com

[Alexandra Levit]

@Dan E - Thanks! Do you happen to have a copy of the HBR paper? It sounds like something I might want to write about here.

[Zak Nelson]

Thanks for the mention, Alex. And thanks to Dan Erwin for his valuable piece of evidence that this thing actually works!

I had an interview Monday that I thought I had nailed. But I was emailed yesterday by the interviewer with a kind rejection. And tonight I have a Job Club meeting: no time for paralysis to set in, I've got a meeting to go to!

In this economy Job Clubs strike a nerve. See the article in Monday's Tacoma News Tribune (http://www.thenewstribune.com/1031/story/613868.html ) — people are hungry for something that will give them an edge. And for folks who need to show an example of leadership or organizational skills, this model provides a great work sample.

Zak Nelson, http://www.job-club.org

[jobseeker]

Thanks for posting the Meetup.com link. I live out in the sticks and didn't expect to find any useful groups local to me, but several came up on a search within reasonable driving distances. The site is definitely worth taking the time to check out.

[Alexandra Levit]

@jobseeker: That's great news, and I'm pleasantly surprised. Let us know whether you find the groups useful, okay?

[Alexandra Levit]

@Zak: Sounds like you're going about things in exactly the right way. I appreciate you being a role model for other readers having a tough time in the job market right now.