Research Study 3, Research Brief 2, 2018 Customized Employment as an Evidence-based Practice: What are Informational Interviews? by Dr. Katherine Inge, Nancy Brooks-Lane, and Dr. Carolyn Graham INTRODUCTION The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of People with Physical Disabilities conducted a series of focus groups with recognized national experts and implementers of customized employment. The objective of this qualitative research was to develop of a description of customized employment that agencies can use when supporting individuals with disabilities. professionals representing national experts and implementers of customized employment participated. The calls were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify themes associated with customized employment implementation. The research provides insight into the practices that are associated with customized employment that facilitate integrated employment outcomes. This research brief focuses on informational interviewing as reported by these participants. QUESTION: What is an informational interview? ANSWER: An informational interview is a business term that is being used to describe an essential element of customized employment. The purpose of an informational interview is to learn about a potential career when information is not readily available. They are informal conversations with people who work in the area or career of interest. An individual who wants to learn more about a chosen field identifies people who are willing to talk about their careers or jobs. When used as a customized employment practice, the focus is on getting to know a business in a similar way that discovery focuses on getting to know a job seeker. Informational interviews may help the job seeker and the employment specialist learn more about how the person’s interests and skills may meet the needs of business. One focus group of implementers discussed how informational interviewing can guide people who support the job seeker to focus on a specific individual’s interests. When asked how customized employment differs from other approaches to finding people with disabilities a job, one participant in the group stated the following: I think that the way we approach employers is completely different.... this whole approach of informational interviewing and not assuming you know what an employer does.... but actually getting in there and learning about businesses. QUESTION: How do you identify businesses where you can conduct informational interviews? ANSWER: Businesses are selected, because they represent a specific job seeker’s interests or “vocational themes.” In other words, a business is selected for an informational interview based on what was learned about a specific job seeker during discovery. Discovery considers who the individual is first, and then businesses are identified where informational interviews can be conducted. Typically, job
Do you have a target date for when for providing ___________(state the product or service)? What is innovative about your business? Probe questions: Who is leading the innovations? What resources do you need to continue __________ (state the innovation that the employer has described.) How are you making improvements at your business? Probe questions: Who is leading the improvements? What resources do you need to continue __________ (state the improvements that the employer has described.) What do you have to grow your business? Probe question: What is your biggest barrier to growing your business? How can the barrier be removed or reduced? What are the stressors that you or your employees are experiencing? Probe question: Can you think of ways that the stress could be reduced? VCU would like to credit Cary Griffin for the informational interview questions in this table QUESTION: Do you have any other ideas on how to prepare for an informational interview? ANSWER: Employment specialists can learn about a business in many different ways before conducting an informational interview. Obviously, if someone has recommended a company, then asking that person questions about the business operations is a good idea. Researching information online is also another way to learn more about the business’s products or services. Appearing interested and knowing something about the company before going there can make everyone more at ease in an unfamiliar situation. In addition, an employer may be impressed if the job seeker and employment specialist can discuss the business in a knowledgeable way. One participant talked about how he/she liked to learn more about a business before conducting an informational interview. Before I do my informational interview, a lot of times I like to go in kind of as a secret shopper, to actually go in as a customer if possible. I think the businesses always appreciate you buying their goods or using their services. Also, it really kind of gives me an idea of what’s going on in the business and if there are maybe places where they could improve..... I would know it first hand and be able to talk about that in the informational interview or to ask questions about those specific tasks that maybe I didn’t see getting done or that needed more attention. QUESTION: How do you move from an informational interview to job development?