Eventually, it’s time for less talk and more action. Situational assessments, a billable service that falls under Discovery in the Employment Services Model, are an opportunity for your job seeker to DO things they’re interested in, test their skills, build relationships, and have fun! Situational assessments take you one step closer to figuring out what that great job fit is going to be. Even more, you’re supporting the job seeker in developing relationships with people who have similar interests. This is great not only because it might help with getting a job, but also because you’re building the job seeker’s community connections!
Before: Setting up a situational assessment
Set up an experience where the job seeker is actively engaged and doing things. If you can’t take a picture or a video of it, it’s not a situational assessment! When setting up a situational assessment, there are several points to consider to ensure that the activity is meaningful and will help move Discovery forward. Situational assessments should:
- …be an individualized activity: That same-old standard assessment, say bagging groceries at the grocery store next to your agency, won’t achieve the purpose of the Discovery process, which requires you to link one activity to the next based on the strengths and interests of the job seeker. If you develop individualized situational assessments based on what you’ve learned so far (think strengths, skills, and interests), you have the potential to learn so much more and get one step closer to an individualized job.
- …happen where and when it makes sense: It’s best when situations are as natural as possible.
- Ask yourself if a person not receiving services would engage in the activity you’re developing.
- If it’s a volunteer situation, would a person normally volunteer at the location?
- Discovery activities should occur where a job seeker lives, shops, and socializes and NOT in a sheltered setting. If you learn that your job seeker loves making cookies with her sister, the first situational assessment might be wherever she and her sister make cookies. Once you’ve verified skills, you may see if these skills generalize to other settings, like the bakery down the street.
- …have a goal and a purpose: You should be able to identify the purpose of the situational assessment, and what you hope to get out of the activity. If you can’t put it into words, reconsider the activity.
- …assess multiple skills: We know it takes a lot of work to set up Discovery activities. Even though you can bill for the time it takes to set up activities, it’s wise to develop opportunities that assess different skills. You and the job seeker will be more efficient with your time!
- …build on strengths: Like any other Discovery activity, we are working toward matching job seeker strengths and skills with employer needs. When developing situational assessments, consider what conditions will help the job seeker be successful and appear competent. Do your homework to identify these strengths and be sure you know how you can effectively provide support when and if it’s needed.
During: You watch; they do
Get out of the way! Support the job seeker completing tasks and building relationships as much as needed, but don’t insert yourself in situations where you’re not needed. There’s always a balance: do what it takes to ensure that the job seeker appears competent, but don’t step in when unnecessary. If you’re hovering, co-workers, supervisors, or others may mistakenly perceive your presence to mean that the job seeker needs more help or support than they really do. Be a wallflower and fade into the background!
Observe skills, strengths, preferences, and best ways to support a job seeker. In some cases, it may be helpful to take pictures or video of the job seeker completing tasks. You could use these later to develop a visual portfolio (an alternative to the traditional resume) that allows a person to shine with the skills they have.
Let’s watch Sherri and Corbin, below, for an example of a situational assessment.
- How and why did Sherri set up this specific situational assessment?
- Where was Sherri during the situational assessment?
- What did Sherri do?
- What are some skills Corbin demonstrates?
After the clinic, Corbin and Keith debriefed. This was an opportunity to hear what Keith, an expert in the field, thought of Corbin’s skills. It also gave Sherri a chance to observe additional skills and learn more about Corbin’s knowledge of the game and coaching that she may not have had a chance to see on the court.
- What skills, strengths, and knowledge does Corbin demonstrate?
- What do we learn from Keith?
- What would you want to learn more about?
(Special thanks to Sherri Negri from Easterseals Crossroads, to Corbin, and to sports director Keith from the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA.)
After: Now what?
Move the Discovery process forward: You should be able to identify activities or information that led you to the situational assessment and you should be able to take next steps in the process based on information that you learned during the assessment.
Record what you’ve learned in the Discovery Profile. See the sample, below.
Record strengths and skills. In this case, Corbin demonstrates several skills and competencies.
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| Sample Discovery Profile skills/observation entry. Click here to see a larger version. |
