ACRE Certificate Series: Customized Job Development - Syntiro

ACRE Certificate Series:

Customized Job Development

Beth Keeton, Griffin-Hammis Associates

Debbie Gilmer, Syntiro

Job Development: The

State of the States

National Job Development Survey

• 287 respondents, across 36 states, all with significant job development duties

• No “bad” answers

• “Have you, in the past year, used any of the following strategies?”

Griffin, C.C. (2011) National Job Development Survey Results: Time to Think Outside the Box

Store. Florence, MT: Griffin-Hammis Associates. Unpublished article.

National JD Survey

• 91% reviewed want ads

• 81% asked for an employment application

• 77% took or sent someone on an interview with an HR representative

• 89% sought jobs at major retailers, common box stores, and/or grocery chains



National JD Survey

• 82% asked an employer if they were hiring

• 75% sought jobs at stores that were strictly retail

• 77% specifically looked for jobs with repetitive tasks

• 63% looked specifically for “cleaning/custodial” jobs because the person “enjoys” cleaning



National JD Survey

• 11% approached a company in their agency’s supply chain for job development purposes

• 31% approached a company in their personal supply chain for job development purposes

• 6 % had a Board of Directors member assist in getting someone a job

• 19% had their agency CEO/Executive Director assist in getting someone a job



JD Activity

• Break into small groups

• Look over the results of the survey and identify strategies that you have or have not used

• What do you regard as the biggest challenges with job development today?

Going Where the

Career Makes SenseLinking Discovery and Job

Development

Traditional Labor Market Approach

• Job developers/coaches work to find jobs for full caseload of people with disabilities (20+)

• When job opening is found, pool of applicants with disabilities are assessed to identify the most capable & qualified for the job

CreatingCommunitiesof EconomicCooperation

g r i f f i n h a m m i s . c o m

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Labor Market Approach

• Individuals with the most significant disability and complex support needs are most often:

• “Passed over” for the job opening

• Forced to wait for other job openings (and hope that their skills and abilities are a match)

• At risk of being considered “difficult to place or too severe for community employment” (especially if passed over for jobs multiple times)



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Customized Approach

• Avoids labor market trap by focusing ONLY on ONE person

• Learn about skills, interests, & vocational themes

• Explore businesses where people with similar themes work (not based on whose hiring)

• Identify, create, & negotiate win-win opportunities

Labor vs. Customized

Labor Market: One Job, Many Candidates

Customized: One Candidate, Many Jobs

Customized Job Development:

Considerations

Myth of the Labor Market

Are we Developing or Finding?

Jobs really Are Not Hidden

Employers are Almost Always Hiring

Discovery Drives Employment Development

Avoid the Dream Job Trap

Artisanal non-Retail Business

Finding the Hidden Job Market

Avoid Big Sign Syndrome

Stop Retail Job Development

Get to Know our Communities

Recognize that there’s a Lot of Commerce even in the Smallest Communities

Create Opportunities thru Economic Development

Quit going where Every Other Job Developer Goes!



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What Customized JD is Not

• Searching for available positions (online, classifieds, etc.)

• Identifying labor market needs

• Group tours

• Cold-calling on businesses for jobs

• Finding volunteer opportunities

• Meeting with HR to discuss openings/job descriptions

How the DSR Leads to

Job Development

DPG: Stage Four

1. Identify/confirm 3 Vocational Themes

2. Generate Lists of 20 for each theme

3. Schedule/conduct informational interviews for job development

• Build on team connections & social capital

• Utilize informational interview skills

Identify/Confirm 3

Vocational ThemesStage 4

Vocational Themes

• Link between Discovery and job development

• Prior to identifying AND verifying themes

• Learning, exploring, NOT jumping to job!

• Once DPG Stages 1-3 are complete and themes are verified, job development begins

• Cannot start JD in the absence of confirmed themes!



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Vocational Themes…

Vocational Themes

• Emergent initially…info interviews to confirm

• 3 themes required for every job-seeker

• 1 not enough

• Need 3 so you can lose 1 and still have 2

• Not “the answer” but provide guidance

• Encompass skills, tasks, attributes, interests



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Divining Vocational Themes

• Themes are NOT Job Descriptions

• Themes are Big and Hold Many, Many Jobs

• Themes Open up the Possibilities in even the Smallest Communities

• Consider “Cleanliness” versus “Cleaning” and how does this Change Job Development?



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Themes Are Not:

• Tasks: series of actions that complete a process

• Skills: learned action that contributes to the performance of a task

• Job descriptions: a group of tasks required for a particular position. May also involve discrete skills (e.g., strong communication skills)

• Attributes: personal and behavioral characteristics. Link to work culture…



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Skill, Task, Job Description,

Attribute, or Theme

• Sense of humor

• Typing 30 words/minute

• Writing a newsletter article

• Public Relations Manager

• Communications



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From Interests to Themes

• Picking up litter

• Fish

• Baseball caps

• Kittens

• Civil War memorabilia

• Scrapbooking

• Crochet

• Collecting Guns

• Going to the Mall

Patty Cassidy; Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC

Themes: Activity

• Break into small groups

• Identify and describe a job-seeker with whom you’ve worked

• As a group, brainstorm 3 themes

• Be prepared to report to the group!

Where to Go (WTG)Step 3: Developing Lists of 20

Creativity is the power to

connect the seemingly

unconnected.

-William Plomer

Think left and think right and

think low and think high. Oh,

the thinks you can think up if

only you try!

-Dr. Seuss

List of 20

For each of the 3 vocational themes…

• Identify 20 specific businesses where people with similar skills & interests work

• Utilize Networks to get connected

• Schedule appointments to observe, tour, conduct informational interviews

Jerry

• Theme: Cooking

• Ideal Conditions:

• Morning hours

• Flexible schedule

• Autonomy with tasks

• Positive environment

• Possible businesses???

Alexa

• Attends day program in FL

• Lives in apartment nearby… one roommate… receives limited supports here

• Previous attempts at work unsuccessful

• Very successful in workshop… high productivity, helps & instructs others

Alexa’s Relationships

• Extended family lives in same region but very limited interaction… staff doesn’t know why

• Primary connections are to day program staff and participants

• Grew up in the community but no known interactions or involvement outside of day program

Home Visit

• Alexa invited you to her home but did not want you to come inside past entry way

• Brought you their new puppy to meet and then was ready to go

• Very polite about all of this… but limits opportunities to learn more at her at her home

Alexa’s Interests

• Likes coffee

• Likes to shop… Cato’s is her favorite store

• Enjoys working with the plants in the workshop but doesn’t like to be outdoors in the heat

• Used to go fishing with her grandfather… really liked this and would like to fish again

• Loves to go to Golden Coral

Small Group Activity: Alexa’s List of 20

• Team identified 3 themes for Alexa:

• Marine Biology/ecology

• Teaching

• Children

• As a group, identify 20 SPECIFIC businesses for possible informational interviews

• Cross-themes are GREAT!

• Identify 3-5 you would start with… and why

How to Connect (HTC)

Informational Interviews

“The shortest distance

between two people is a

story.”

-Patti Digh

The Transition from DPG to Job Development

Discovering Personal Genius

Formal Job Development

Griffin-Hammis Associates

Final Vocational Themes FormulationInformational Interviews…

Work Trials

Unsolicited Employment Offers…

Informational Interviews

• Brief interviews OR short (1/2 day) work experiences

• Opportunity to learn more about business, industry, environment

• Provide hands-on experience with new tasks related to areas of interest

• Allow connections to emerge



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Why Informational Interviews?

• Helps refine themes

• Reveals skills and tasks found in workplaces

• Reveals Conditions of Employment

• Warm up to Job Development

• Keeps you thinking in different ways



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2 Uses for Informational Interviews

1. To identify & refine vocational themes

2. To “inform” job development



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Setting Up the Interview

• Interview should happen with a manager, owner, or key person (not HR)

• Don’t ask for a Tour or that’s what you’ll get• Get Seat Time, and then a Tour

• 15-30 min is ideal request

• Phone calls, drop by, introduction from others

• Leverage social capital to maximum extent possible!



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Setting It Up, cont.

• Language…

• Career counselor?

• Who you are working with?

• Description of the person?

• Think this through before you make the call



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Sample Script

“Hello! My name is Jane Dow. I’m a Career Counselor with XYZ Enterprises, and I’m assisting a job seeker

named Nikki who has a strong interest in __(industry)__ and is exploring career opportunities in this field. Dave Adams, from the Small Business Development Center,

recommended I call you. We are hoping you would consider letting us come in and interview you to get your insight and advice on career possibilities in this field, and possibly take a short tour of your business. Would you be

willing to meet with Nikki and me for about 20 minutes any time next week, at your convenience?”

Informational Interviews: A Tool for Customized Employment, GHA

“When people talk, listen

completely. Most people

never listen.”

-Y-Ernest Hemingway

What to Do When You Get There

The Art of the Informational Interview

• Be prepared… but keep it casual

• Smooth listening

• Be a novice

• Observe everything

• Ask for advice – warm leads



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During the Interview

• Start with “tell me about yourself” and listen

• Find out how they got started

• Their interests as a child/teen/job seeker

• Schooling/training

• Family ties

• Reference job-seeker’s common interests, skills, etc.



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Keeping the Conversation Going

• Identify things to ask about if necessary to keep the conversation going

• Initial focus on the business/industry

• Advice for someone getting started in this field

• Most important skills or characteristics

• What they like most & least

• Other fields where people with these interests work

• Recommendations on other businesses/individuals to talk to



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Keeping the Conversation Going

• If there seems to be a connection, strong opportunity, etc., may get more specific (but still conversational)

• What do you look for in an employee?

• What could improve your business?

• What technologies can you foresee helping your business grow?



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While You’re There, Look For…

• Unmet Needs: Opportunities to Help the Business

• Company Culture

• Tasks or Skills that Match the Job-Seeker

• Resource Ownership & Small Business Options

• Learning about industry… meeting people… identifying other key businesses/contacts



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Questions to Identify Unmet Needs

• Are there tasks that don’t get done, or don’t get done to your satisfaction?

• If you had an additional staff person, what would you have them do?

• How has technology changed your business in the past few years?

• What are trends in your field right now?


Questions to Identify Unmet Needs

• If you had $10,000 to invest in your business, what would you do with it? (possibilities for resource ownership)

• Are there things that customers ask for, or complain about? (possible new products, potential for a business within a business)

Goal: ask conversationally & flexibly… only ask what relates to specific business…add/edit as needed based on specific context


Don’t Forget…

• Employers are always hiring

• CE relies on mutually beneficial negotiation

• Small businesses are abundant & often undercapitalized

• You are not there about volunteering…keep the discussion focused on them, their business, and employment



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Informational Interview Activity

• This afternoon, hold an impromptu info interview with a local business

• Do not go to a food business if it’s mealtime!

• Must be a small business… no big box or chains

• Cannot be your brother’s business…but using social capital to connect is fine!



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Activity, cont.

• Can work in small groups (2-3)

• Be polite… if the business is crowded and the owner/employee is swamped, find another business

• May take 2-3 stops



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Activity, cont.

• Goal is to learn about the business

• Use your covert eyes to identify possible job tasks, resource ownership opportunities, and/or self-employment or business-within-a-business opportunities

• Practice your approach… “Hi, we’re taking a class down the road & we have an assignment to learn about local small businesses...”

• Be prepared to report back to group!CreatingCommunitiesof EconomicCooperation


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Info Interview Debrief

• What happened on the info interview?

• What did you learn?

• What opportunities did you notice?

• Spontaneous job offers?

• Easier or harder than you expected? Why?

Post-Interview Debrief

• Debrief with team

• Highlights & salient points

• Write down key information to share

• Identify next steps

• Worth pursuing?

• If yes, schedule foll0w-up

• If no, move on to next business on the list

Post-Interview Follow-Up

• Send thank you as appropriate

• Schedule additional interviews with job-seeker if necessary

• Continue to build relationship

• Follow-up visit to conduct Job Analysis

DPG Stages

Stage 1 Home & Neighborhood Observation

Stage 2 Interviews & Discovery Activities

Stage 3 Vocational Themes & Profile

Stage 4 Job/Business Development Plan

DPG Stage 3

1. Complete Vocational Profile

2. Identify 3 Vocational Themes

3. Create List of 20

4. Schedule Informational Interviews

Conduct Job or Business

Analysis

Stage 4

Job Analysis

• Foundation for employment negotiation

• Schedule time to observe projects

• Tasks/jobs that match job-seeker

• Job Analysis Record (JAR):

• Write down key components for all related work routines

• Identify best possible job options for job-seeker

• Determine benefits to employer

Business Analysis

• Market Research/Feasibility Analysis

• Talk to industry experts

• Spend time in similar businesses

• Gather data

Negotiate Job or

Launch Business

Now You Can Jump to Job!

Negotiation

Negotiation begins when the job developer sees ways in which the job

seeker can contribute to the business is ways that are valuable to the business.



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Customized Negotiation

• Negotiation is the essential key to Customized Employment - - employment is a negotiated fit between the business needs and the skills, abilities and conditions of employment of an individual job seeker.

• If it’s not negotiated… it’s not customized



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Activity

• Pair up

• One person make a fist and hold it tightly

• Other person must try to get their partner’s hand open

• Do not cause pain or harm, but do try hard

Griffin, C.C. & Keeton, B. (2009). Customized Employment: A Curriculum for Creating

Community Careers. Langley, British Columbia: Langley Association for Community Living

& Griffin-Hammis Associates.

Interest-Based Negotiation

• Win/Win

• Mutually Inclusive

• Based on common interests:

• Business needs workers

• Businesses always looking to increase revenue

• Job seekers want work

• Workers or positions that increase revenue benefit all



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• Not a sales strategy

• Must “see” the “win” first

• Stems from solid knowledge of the:

• Individual’s skills, contributions (DPG)

• Business tasks, opportunities, and challenges



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• Requires advanced preparation

• Highlights what matters to business owner

• Creating jobs, supporting community, etc.

• Smooth listening… NOT smooth talking

• Relationship selling



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Negotiation Foundation

• Knowledge of individual from DPG

• Knowledge of business from info interviews

• Start with basic interview

• Observe others on the job

• Schedule follow-up visits (when warranted)

• Complete a Job Analysis Record (JAR)

• Identify tasks/duties, RO, or B-i-B opportunities

• Determine how these could improve efficiency, increase revenue, etc.

• Prepare plan and start negotiationCreatingCommunitiesof EconomicCooperation


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Potential Value-Adds

• Creating an opportunity for the job-seeker:

Saves the company money

Helps to make money

Increases efficiency

Adds an additional revenue or profit stream



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Points for Negotiation

• Tasks needing to be done

• Tasks job-seeker could perform

• Equipment or tools that could be contributed

• Hours of employment

• Pay

• Production

• AccommodationsCreatingCommunitiesof EconomicCooperation


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Negotiation in RealTime

• Rachel

• Themes: Animals, Social Services

• Attributes: Rule-follower, conscientious, attentive, team-player/member

• Skills (animals/other): bathing, feeding, calming, basic reading/writing

• Ideal Conditions: within a few miles of home, daytime hours, no weekends, work in teams, show vs. tell, “go-to” person for questions, limited decision-making

Identifying the “Win”

• Think about the informational interviews you just completed

• What potential opportunities did you identify in this first visit?

• How might you present these to the employer as a “win”?

• What additional information would you need?



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Job Carving Proposal

1. Identify possible tasks

2. Describe why these tasks “match” job-seeker

3. Highlight how this will benefit the business

4. ASK!

5. Describe benefits to business again

6. Explain your role to support business & job-seeker



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Hooray!

Questions??? Comments???

THANK-YOU!!!

ACRE Certificate Series: Customized Job Development - Syntiro

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