Module 3: Job Development

What do I do during job development?

Operating Premise: Develop employer relationships and learn the business community needs.
Guiding Question: What is the best job match for this individual?

• Practice and find your personal style comfortable for you
• Pair up with a coworker or seasoned job coach
• Be sure to prepare to make a business case and describe the benefits
• Listen, observe, and find out employers needs and “wish list”
• This is not about disability but rather hiring a qualified worker

Develop Your Pitch 

As you determine your style, you will also want to develop your marketing approach.  Remember, job development is like sales and as such, you will need to build your technique accordingly. It is often suggested to design an elevator speech – a three minute statement that describes what you do that is inviting and engaging to the business community. That means you will want to avoid technical jargon, charity arguments, and human service lingo. Employers are interested in people who can do the job, their return on investment, and the bottom line costs and benefits to their company. 

Often, an organization will choose to change the name of their employment services division to a catchy work-oriented title, avoiding mixed messages sent by dual purposes within the agency.  You will need business cards reflecting this department within your organization and your job coach title. Developing marketing materials that highlight the benefits of hiring an individual with a disability can be a useful tool to share with potential employers. Some agencies have created flyers, brochures, fact sheets, and other logo items. 

Do Your Research 

Critical to the job development process is the investment of up front and ongoing time to spend visiting community businesses. One suggestion as you get started is to take multiple days over several weeks “knocking on doors” of businesses reflective of the primary industries in your area.  You may want to compile a list of businesses you have always wondered about or that you think hold promise or from leads people have shared or from your contacts and computer searches. This community or labor market analysis will allow you to become familiar with business trends and hiring practices within your area.  Be sure to explain that you help people find jobs and the information they share will allow you to better meet the employer’s needs. Take tours. Gather information. Pursue any possibilities for traditional positions or carved/created jobs. Make plans for follow up and future contact. 

After you conduct general job development to get to know the local labor market, you will want to begin more specific contacts for a small number of individuals on your caseload. During assessment activities it is likely you have brainstormed some job areas to explore and identified some contacts through the individual’s personal networks. Add to that list, the employers you may already have a relationship with and other possible contacts through your connections and you are likely to have a good place to start.  Use the job development approach that is best for you combined with the marketing materials from your organization and begin the job search.

Often job development will be around particular job types such as animals, office work, or sports.  Other contacts may be specific that the team brainstormed such as an office clerk in a law office, a parts deliverer in a car dealership, or a teaching assistant in a daycare. One suggestion when out looking for jobs is to not limit your contact to one single person. Typically, focusing on multiple individuals will open your eyes to opportunities you may not have considered.  Remember while we may look at an interest and assume it can only be found in one type of business, it is not uncommon to find similar work across a variety of different types of companies. Also, some of the characteristics of a business may be the perfect match for someone that we hadn’t thought about but jumps at us while we are there such as a supervisor’s style, coworker interests, company supports, or the environmental conditions.  

A few tips may help you get started with finding that good job for someone. Many job coaches find practicing to be a good way to develop the most effective approach with employers. You may want to try this a few times with businesses you aren’t as interested in or that you already have a relationship with so you are best prepared when contacting those companies you feel will be a potential good fit for an individual on your caseload.

Another suggested strategy is to go with another job coach so that you can both support and learn from each other. Talk to seasoned job coaches who have experience with job development to find out the “tricks of the trade” in your area.

Ask Questions

Your initial contact with a company, no matter how brief, becomes the beginning of your workplace assessment. Be observant of what goes on in the environment and listen to what the employer shares with you. You never know what feature will stand out as being the key factor in your placement decision. It is helpful to meet with a company representative other than Human Resources if possible. The front line supervisor, manager, or other administrator in the business can inform you of the ins and outs of the company and his or her expectations for an employee.  

Try and take a tour and ask questions as you walk around. See what you can offer to the employer based upon what needs are identified and observed. Build on your previous contacts and knowledge from other companies you have visited as you talk about possibilities. Ask who does what and explore the openness and flexibility of creative placement options. Actively listen for any hints such as “wish lists”, expansion ideas, future developments, and major changes that can impact opportunities and you will want to be prepared for. Plan a follow up meeting or future contact depending upon the course of the meeting.  Each visit will generate additional information about the company that you will want to keep track of in your notes for future reference.

Remember the focus of job development is on finding the best job match for an individual. It is likely that you will find a few key factors that are a perfect fit for one or more of the important characteristics presented by the individual, such as location due to limited transportation, coworkers who have a similar passion, a supervisor with a compatible management style, a physical environment conducive to behavioral issues, or a work culture reflective of personal preference. 

Once you have identified a potential business, you will want to pursue customizing the placement. The time you have invested up front with job development and assessment will pay off in terms of preparing you for negotiation based on the employer and individual’s needs. Customizing a placement will take practice as you gain confidence and experience with the business community. Two highly effective strategies that offer useful tools for you include:

• Created jobs - Establishing a new job or job duties that did not previously exist as a position within a business.  
• Carved jobs - Redistributing job duties from one position to another, tailoring them to the job seeker’s unique skills and abilities.

It is important to note that these are our terms so you will need to offer ideas for nontraditional positions rather than relying on the employer to recommend a job carve or creation to you.  Suggestions in terms of cost benefit and efficiency for the employer are likely to be received in a much more positive way.  

Areas common for negotiation are changing job duties, modifying the work routine, combining work tasks, adding/removing job responsibilities, increasing/reducing work hours, splitting the position, and making a new position. 

Now that you have negotiated a job match, you will need to begin hiring arrangements. This can include identifying the work schedule, verifying pay and hours, completing Work Opportunities Tax Credit forms, revisiting the Benefits Specialist, notifying Social Security, summarizing company policies, purchasing uniforms/clothing, making transportation arrangements, mobilizing supports, and developing training materials. Communicating with the team is essential to ensure everyone shares in the process and supports the new job.