Now hiring—like RIGHT now

Written by SAFE
Image description: A photo of a Black/African-American woman smiling at the camera. She is wearing a yellow sweater and yellow headphones. The words "We're Hiring" is to the right of her in white text. The background is primarily red.

Like so many orgs, we are hiring. And after the last 17 months, our need for new hires is urgent. You can apply to work at SAFE today. We have many positions that need to be filled, but the most acute need is for Youth Care Worker at the SAFE Children’s Shelter.

Our city and our country have faced so many disasters since March of 2020. Just to name a few of the big ones:

  • COVID
  • SNOVID
  • COVID: Part 2
  • The Great Resignation

The pandemic seemed to be ebbing in our community, and then the Delta variant hit. Rather than fully returning to work at the start of September as many of us planned, the new COVID wave put our plans in Tupperware and left us all feeling unsure.

People are tired and frustrated. As a result, a lot of us are rethinking our lives and our careers. One of the results is a vast increase in resignations—the Labor Department said that a record 4 million people quit their jobs in April 2021.

And SAFE is no different. We are now facing a huge hiring problem, just like the majority of Austin businesses and organizations.

EXCEPT that the impact of decreased staffing takes a much bigger toll here at SAFE. Not being fully staffed means that current employees are often working double and triple duty, shelter directors are filling in for overnight shifts, and children in the foster care system end up housed in offices and church basements because we cannot meet required child-staff ratios.

This problem is particularly acute with the SAFE Children’s Shelter. Potential employees must pass a lengthy background checking process and then spend many weeks in pre-service training. In the meantime, we have to reduce our census, the available staff are tired and demoralized, and children go without placement.

The good news, however, is that SAFE is hiring—with higher salaries and more flexible onboarding than ever before. We continue to nurture a community of ethics and excellence, and are excited to welcome new folks with energy and passion into our organization. SAFE strives to provide a rewarding opportunity to support survivors and stop the cycle of violence.

If you or someone you know is considering a career change or looking for a new job, please take a look at our openings here.

And if you have questions or would like to speak with someone about these opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact me at pstegenelson@safeaustin.org.