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Strategies Used by EmploymentService Providers in the Job

Development Process: Are theyconsistent with what employers want?

LaVerne Buchanan, Ed.D.Monica Simonsen, Ph.D.Richard Luecking, Ed.D.

TransCen, Inc.Ellen Fabian, Ph.D.

University of Maryland

Relating jobdevelopmentstrategies towhat employersvalue!

What do we know about the employmentprocess for people with disabilities?

We have considerable research onemployer attitudes and barriers to hiringpeople with disabilities, but lessinformation on their employmentpractices regarding people withdisabilities.

What do we know about the employmentprocess for people with disabilities?

We have considerable descriptions of jobdevelopment approaches, but fewstudies on what types of strategies jobdevelopers actually use.

We Conducted a Two-Part Study

Part 1:

Attitudes & Beliefs of Job developmentprofessionals towards employers

Part 2:

Strategies used by Employment Used by ESPs:Are they consistent with what employers want?

Part I: Attitudes and Beliefs of Job DevelopmentProfessionals Toward Employers

Findings Identified three types of job developers– Relationship Builders– Supply Siders– Job Brokers


Findings Identified qualities job developers look for in

Employers–Open-minded–Advertise openings–Have a history of hiring people with disabilities–Have a diverse workforce


Implications Job developers have different styles and strengths EPAB Survey can be used as a training tool by

supervisors in CRPs More information is needed on how perceptions

and preferred practices are in line with whatemployers want or need

That is the purpose of the next study!

Part II: Strategies Used by Employment ServiceProviders in the job development process: Are they

consistent with what employers want

Why is this important? Little is known about the actual strategies and practices

used by job developers across diverse consumer groups

There have been very few efforts to compile whatemployers recommend as preferred job developmentpractices in comparison to job developer practices

Purpose of Part 2 of the Study

Identify strategies job developers report as mosteffective in the job development process.

Identify strategies employers prefer and recommendin the job development process.

Identify the disparities between what job developersdo and what employers want.

Make recommendations for closing the gap!

Questions that Guided Study

Can we identify “preferred strategies” used by jobdevelopers in the employment process?

What are the strategies that employers report asmost effective in the job development process?

What are the differences between job developers’key strategies and what businesses want andvalue in employment/placement process?

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Methods Six focus groups with

experienced EmploymentServices Providers (n=48)

New Jersey ESPs (n=22)

Maryland ESPs (n=26)

Review of employer literature

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Analysis Transcribed focus group recordings

Uploaded transcripts to Nvivo (qualitative analysis software)

Identified and coded themes through iterative qualitativeanalysis process

Categorized the strategies into sequential phases of theemployment process

Synthesized the findings from the employer literature

Categorized the preferred strategies into sequential phases inorder to compare them to the findings from our focus groups

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Perceptions of theEmployment Process

Job Developers Employers

Developing and Maintaining Relationships

Pre-Employment Recruiting

Job Placement/Hiring Hiring

Post-Placement Advancing

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Focus Group Findings:Job development strategies

Phase 1: Developing & Maintaining Relationships

Develop & utilize business networks

Host employer recognition ceremonies

Track employer contacts

Send thank-you and holiday cards

Maintain contact after job ends

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Developing & MaintainingRelationships

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“You need to believe yourself that everyoneyou serve can work. If you have this belief,and you approach employers, you will sharethis belief with them and have moresuccess. It’s interpersonal communication,body language, and how confident you are.”


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“I develop a relationship with employerswho make the decision about hiring, andthen sit down and talk to them aboutwhat I do and how I do it.”


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“Most of the time companies who hire us,they’re gonna take the chance becausethey like us. So you build the relationshipby focusing on something in common –like they’re golfers, if you play golf well,then you talk about that. Because that’sbusiness.”


Phase 2: Pre-Employment Patronize businesses

Network with employees and colleagues

Research businesses/informational interviews

Identify shared interests/personal connections

Learn and use business language

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Pre-Employment

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Pre-Employment

“The basic thing is you get your foot in the door,you just never know what is going to happen,maybe there are opportunities that will ‘pop up’.And it’s also networking with other people toidentify job leads – we share information aboutcompanies with other agencies in our area.”

Pre-Employment

“I focus on people I know – I know you and youhave a job opening, so I can get through the door.Most of the time, the position your client’s areapplying for is all because of someone you know.It’s all about who you know.”


Phase 3: Job Placement/Hiring Observe office environment & culture Conduct cold calls Persist in making contacts/wait for staff turnover Approach/compliment personnel Emphasize employee’s support network Address disability concerns/assistance with accommodations


Job Placement/Hiring, continued Sell benefits of hiring person with disability Provide testimonies Highlight benefits of using an employment service agency

(e.g. pre-screened applicants, job coach) Find new businesses in the community, especially small

businesses

Job Placement/Hiring

Job Placement/Hiring

“When employers say, ‘we can’t hire this personbecause we don’t have time to handle [them]’, Isay, ‘it’s not your job to handle this person, yourjob is to be their boss, it’s on the job coach...I’ll bethere . I don’t care if the client wants the job coach,I am here in the beginning and until the end.”

Job Placement/Hiring“I think what makes me a good job developer isthe carving out of the job; they may not necessarilyhave an open position, but if I walk into theestablishment and see something that’s not beingdone, then I can go to the manager and point outwhat is needed. This way I match the person’sskills to the customized job.”


Phase 4: Post-Placement Follow-up/assist with job coaching

Remain accessible and available

Facilitate natural supports

Problem solve performance/termination issues

Post-Placement

Post Placement“I let the employer know who I am, let’s try toensure that I won’t give you anyone that willcause a problem. I give them my phone number, Ilet them know that I treat them as a friend – theemployer can call me anytime if there’s aproblem. I interact with them so they begin to likeme. They key is making myself available toemployers.”

Post Placement

“We give awards to recognize employers whomaintain our employees for more than one year.”

“I usually send a thank you postcard to successfulemployments.”

How did we identify employerpreferences?

Primarily based on three recent studies that involveddirect surveys of employers :

Domzal, Houtenville & Sharma (2008)

Hernandez & McDonald (2007)

Waterhouse, Kimberley, Jonas & Glover (2010)

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Perceptions of theEmployment Process

Job Developers Employers

Developing and Maintaining Relationships

Pre-Employment Recruiting

Job Placement/Hiring Hiring

Post-Placement Advancing

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Business Survey Findings

Relationship Building

Credible resources related to disability employment

Information/clarity of agencies services, support

Collaboration which will help the business:– Improve their bottom line

– Meet needs of growing global markets

– Gain recognition as a socially responsible organization

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Business Survey Findings

Recruiting

Attain visible top management commitment

Demonstrate how applicant adds value to the businessand bottom line

Provide evidence to document performance andproductivity

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Business Survey FindingsHiring

Evidence of applicant performance

Testimonials from senior personnel

Accurate disclosure information linked toaccommodations and performance

Credible and reliable third party support

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Business Study FindingsAdvancement

Consultation in applicant retention andadvancement strategies

Information/resources on how workplaceaccommodations improve employer productivity

Consistent communication with job developers(reliable follow-up)

Information/resources on and accommodations

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Conclusions Significant disparities exist between what

employment services providers do and whatemployers have said they want or prefer.

Businesses view the employment process from acost/benefit or value-added approach while jobdevelopers continue to rely on traditional supply-sidestrategies.

Employers Want Job Developers Focus onRela%onshipBuilding

To developrela+onships based ontrust and credibility

Finding and contac+ngbusinesses

Recrui%ng/Pre-‐Employment

Evidence of Applicant’svalue to company

Applicant’s need for ajob

Hiring Demand-‐side solu+on Supply-‐sideinterven+ons

Post-‐Placement/Advancement

Demonstra+on ofreturn on investment

Maintaining job

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Recommendations Relationship Building phase– Focus on trust and credibility

Recruitment/Pre-Employment Phase– Focus on adding value

Hiring Phase– Focus on demand-side interventions

Advancement/Post-Employment Phase– Focus on maximizing employee benefits to the business

Additional information andtools of the trade:

www.transcen.org

Click publications

Contact Information

LaVerne A. Buchanan, Ed.D.

[email protected]

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