Reader comments
LDS see jump in aid needs

Good Work. What a great resource.

LDS Social Services does the horrid job in helping people get employed . . . and I know as a former user. Its volunteer missionaries often hurt more than they help because they do not effectively "job match" candidates with their talents.

I speak as a person who used their services and realized how inadequate it was -- and how empty the promises made were by the Church to help people to become their best. . . I got to know personally the man who ran the program, but his hands were tied by the "higher ups" who sub-optimized the program by using inept volunteers, rather than "doing it right the first time."

Those who lead must do more than try hard and mean well. I hold advanced degrees in HR as well as professional certifications. I volunteered to help fix the system at headquarters and was told my help was not needed.

"Denial" is NOT the river in Egypt. The LDS Church must get serious about its ethical duties to its members, and the current LDS Employment System is a failure.

Hmmm.

One of the responses above appears very much like those of a "disgruntled former employee".

Care to guess which one?

Maybe the sistem is not perfect, there is a lot of volunteers, and bacause of that the LDS church can do their best to help people like you. Instead of talking bad about somebody trying to help DO SOMETHING or be a volunteer and try to make your experience an opportunity to help somebody else better!!!
The Inept person is you not them, because there is a lot of resources to find a job, not just the LDS church.
Please next time you need a job, do it by yourself, dont be lazy and make others find your job

Dear "Not Really":

Ultimately, a job placement agency is only as good as the client it has to work with. So, all fingers point back to you, and your lack of --skill, appeal, ability, etc.

As an employer, I have tried on two occasions to use LDS Employement Services. Because they use part-time volunteers, there is no one there for an employer to interact with and the response time is unacceptable. Both times they responded "weeks" late, long after the positions had been filled.

Things will get worse. Please read D & C 29: 16

Clearly someone needed an anonymous forum to grind their ax. I live on the East Coast and the LDS Employment Center is excellent. As a matter of fact, many professionals attend the seminars as a means of improving their own skills. I am aware of success story after success story of using the LDS Employment Center.

It sounds like the above writer had his/her sights set too high. The mission of the center is to get men and women back to work and to help those who are underemployed get better jobs. It cannot take someone with only basic skills and place them in a highly technical field or in a white collar position. No employment agency worth its salt will do that. The center would be setting all parties up for failure if it were to do that.

The services offered range from resume writing clinics to optimizing work skills and targeted training and education opportunities to increase an individual's value.

to Samhill: RIGHT ON!

I am glad to see the church helping someone. All the money collected from fast offerings in the South go to help Utah.

Maybe the person is a former employee, and maybe not. Maybe the criticism is valid. Why dismiss it so easily?

All is well in Zion. The people are righteous, have the one true religion, so nothing bad will happen here and they don't ever have to worry about taking personal responsibility for things like.....oh say, overpopulating, polluting, destroying the environment....foolish things like that.

I have to agree with Not Really. When I moved here last year, I went to LDS Employment services. The volunteers really weren't helpful, but not for lack of trying. I could tell they wanted to help, they just really didn't know much. They need to have more supervsion & better training from people who know what they are doing.

Sorry, volunteers... I know it hurts, because you really do try.

No wonder 'not really' couldn't find a job....I wouldn't hire someone with that attitude either, I don't care how many degrees he has!

LDS Social Services is a joke. The people they sent me to interview were total losers. One of the guys I called to schedule an interview told me he couldn't talk because he was busy taking a nap. Most of the volunteers are old people that can't even use a computer efficiently.

If your so marvelous why couldn't you find your own job. I mean, your the one with the advanced degree in HR?

Not Really, yes there are volunteers (and missionaries) serving at LDS Employment Services but they also have paid employees that are very knowledgeable and resourceful.

I think you are confused on what they do. You must remember that LDS Employment services is not a staffing agency. If you want lists of jobs contact the state employment offices. LDS Employment Services would tell you the same thing.

Their primary purpose is not to you give a list of jobs or find the job for you. If they are aware of positions they publicize them. Their purpose is to teach you how to effectively look for employment, network, interview for one, and negotiate. Just like with the church as a whole. they provide the tools, you provide the leg work.

LDS Employment Services is a great service. I know, I worked with them when I changed jobs earlier this year.

Not really, if you have advanced degrees in HR and other professional certifications and you could not even help yourself fimd a job and turned to an all volunter service, something is wrong with that picture. I have two sisyers who are HR professinal and jobs are plentiful in that field.

Just by rerading your response it sounds like you have a very hard personality to accomidate and that you are not a team player, your personality sounds like it is your way or no way and you always no best.

Good luck in your future indevors.

By the way, I'm not a member but have voluntered many times at welfare square and have purchased food storage items from the cannery. It is a good place to volunter and the people are nice for the most part.

To Not Really,You said that you had a degree?Just do like the rest of us and hit the pavement for a job.This is an example of what former Sen. Gramm meant by his statement of us being "a nation of whiners".

A few years ago I needed several employees for my business. I posted on the church's website and the job service web site. I received over a dozen applications from the job service posting and one from LDS employment services. I do question the effectiveness of LDS employment services. I hope others have had better luck.