Getting to Know You: Talking with People Who Know Your Job Seeker

“Getting to know you. Getting to know all about you.” 

Let’s all channel our inner Julie Andrews as we introduce you to interviewing people who know your job seeker well. (Okay, so technically she never played Anna in The King and I , but you get the picture!*)

Gertrude Lawrence as Anna in 1951

If you are a regular Shared Solutions reader (and we certainly hope you are), you’ve seen our two previous posts about two other types of Discovery interviewing: 1) meet and greet interviews and 2) informational interviews with potential employers. This post refers to a third type of interview, this time with people who can help you get a better picture of your job seeker’s interests and strengths.

This critical step in the Discovery process helps you learn more about the job seeker. Oftentimes, you can find out a lot more about a person’s strengths and skills from people who care about them or who have known them for a long time. As you get to know your job seeker, he or she may mention people they are close to or relationships that are important. Sometimes, you will have to ask your job seeker questions to identify these important people. Frequently, the people mentioned as being close to your job seeker are staff (paid); sometimes they are friends and relatives (unpaid). The next step in the process is to contact these individuals (with the job seeker’s permission). 

Choose both paid and unpaid individuals in the job seeker’s life. You will learn different attributes and hear about different experiences from these types of relationships. Also, make sure that these are positive people in the job seeker’s life, who have a vested interest in the job seeker. 

The following chart shows you guiding questions and quality indicators of interviews with people who know the job seeker well. You can find the entire Discovery Quality Indicators document at https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defiles/CCLC/Discovery%20translation%20chart_updated%20August%202016.pdf 

Guiding Questions

Quality Indicators

·        Those who are interviewed have a vested interest (positive) in the job seeker ·        ES identifies “lifelines,” both paid and non-paid people who are important in the job seeker’s life, and includes these people in interviews.

·        ES interviews people who know the job seeker well. These interviews should include those who are identified by the job seeker, as well as those who are not paid to support the job seeker. ·        ES engages in “Smooth Listening,” and asks questions at the appropriate time. ·        ES uses interviews to gain positive information including job seeker strengths and successes. ES does not capture negative or unhelpful information. ·        ES frames challenging needs in a positive supportive manner. ·        Unhelpful information is not kept or included in documentation (Discovery Profile). ·        ES finds or identifies skills and interests to use as a jumping off point for planning future activities.

How can you get the most out of an interview? 

Here are some tips:

• Do your homework. Think about the questions you want to ask ahead of time. This may be related to why you are interviewing the person to begin with. Are you trying to learn about a particular interest or skill? Or just trying to learn more?
• Ask open-ended questions.
• Let the person you’re interviewing take the lead in the conversation.
• Ask clarifying questions to learn more about specific skills and strengths.
• Meet the person at a time and location that’s convenient for them. Sometimes this might mean meeting someone after they finish work for the day, or for coffee on their way into work! 

And, of course, we have a video example for you!
     

(Special thanks to Sherri Negri from Easterseals Crossroads and Wayne Soehnlin from Special Olympics for taking time to work on the video.)

What happens after you interview someone?

Document it! After each interview, take what you learn and complete the different sections that make sense in the Discovery Profile. For example, in the video Sherri verified that basketball and coaching are interests. She also identified skills and support strategies she will need to learn more about. You may also learn about barriers or non-negotiables that the person you are interviewing has identified. 

Interviewing others who know the job seeker well is billable through the Employment Services Model, so make sure you’ve captured that information in the Discovery Profile.

Use the information to plan next steps! 

Each Discovery activity should be building on what you learned from the last activity. Use what you learn in your interviews to inform future activities. For example, Sherri and Corbin may want to go and speak with coaches and people involved with basketball to learn more about what it takes to be a coach, and how to get paid to do it. (Note: These are great opportunities for informational interviews!) It would also be great if Corbin could demonstrate some of his skills in these areas, perhaps in a situational assessment. (Spoiler Alert: This will be the topic of our next Shared Solutions.)



*Okay, you musical geeks, yes Julie Andrews sang the part of Anna in The King and I for a 1992 Hollywood Bowl concert that co-starred Ben Kingsley.  And now you know. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j2DZ7_xTJQ