Getting to Know You: Job
Seeker Assessment Tools
Elena Varney MS, CRC
Institute for Community Inclusion
www.communityinclusion.org
National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult
www.onestops.info
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Information on Demand
1-888-886-9898
Listserv
Promising Practices
Publications
Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor Office
of Disability Employment Policy
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Identify Yourself!
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DISABILITY
What does it mean
to you?
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Disability
 Includes
wide range of
conditions
 Impact on people’s lives varies
 Often not apparent
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Be careful of blanket assumptions
about disability and people with
disabilities
Disability is individualized
and idiosynchratic
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One-Stop Customers
 Job
Seekers
 Employers
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Job Seekers with Disabilities
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People who have an apparent disability
and/or disclose their disability to you
People who have a non-apparent disability
and choose not to disclose
People who are not aware they have a
disability
Getting to Know You: Current OneStop Assessment Practices
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Interest inventories
Achievement tests
Aptitude tests
Personality assessments
Intelligence Testing
Formal Assessment Tools & Tests
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Computer Software
Internet Resources
Psychological and Educational Tests
Achievement Tests
Intelligence Tests
Personality Tests
Interest Inventories
Vocational Aptitude Tests
Work Sample Systems
Shortcomings of Testing for
People with Disabilities
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When modified, scores are uncertain
Tests that reflect disability do not provide info about
potential
Predictive assessments used in a different
environment are limited
Norm-referenced difficulties: most pen/paper tests
were standardized on people without disabilities
HOW DO WE FIND OUT
WHAT PEOPLE WANT?
What motivates them?
What interests them?
What are their strengths
and skills?
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Customize the Process!
One size does not fit all
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Flexibility of staff roles
allows for modifications in
the ways in which
services are provided,
based on the individual’s
needs
Critical Elements of
Assessment/Exploration
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Customer Driven
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Respecting Preferences and Choices
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Focus on Desires, Strengths, Abilities
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Get to Know Him/Her: Ask, “Why?”
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Ongoing Process
Degrees of Customization:
Assessment
-Self-directed computer search
-Staff assisted computer search
-Formal assessment tools
-Staff assisted group assessments
-Individualized exploration
- Discovery
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ASK
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LISTEN
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OBSERVE
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LOOK FOR
COMMON
THEMES
GETTING STARTED…
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Communicate with job seeker
Talk with others who know job seeker different perspectives can really help
Have a meeting……..or not!
Spend time with job seeker in different
settings
Help job seeker understand basic job choices
CATALYSTS FOR PLANNING &
CREATIVITY
SOME WAYS TO GENERATE IDEAS
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Story Telling: about focus person’s past, or vision for
future
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Get Artistic: have participants use/create drawings,
possibly of future “vision”
Place Categories: likes & dislikes
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Activity Categories: likes & dislikes
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e.g., home, community, school, work
e.g., work, chores, hobbies, leisure, fun
Experiences (leisure, learning & labor) & Preferences
(people, things, information)
Individualized Exploration/Planning
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Rally the troops
– Tap into those resources!
– Who knows them well? Who can help identify skills/abilities?
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Develop a Vocational Profile
– Likes and dislikes
– Past experiences
– Skills and abilities
– Task list
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Identify Employment Outcomes
– Job choice
– Environment of choice
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Develop Placement Plan
-Matching interests & supports
TASKS, SKILLS, ENVIRONMENTS
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What environments does the individual enjoy?
What environments have they succeeded in?
What social skills do they bring to the work
environment?
In what environments would their personality &
social skills be an asset?
What types of work environment are least favored?
Expanding the Tools in the Toolbox
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O*Net Online
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http://online.onetcenter.org/skills/
Welcome to O*NET TM OnLine!
Making occupational information interactive and
accessible for all... If your search identifies
occupations that require skills or abilities that may be
difficult to use because of a health problem or
disability, please consider job accommodations .
Skills Search Use a list of your skills to find matching
O*NET-SOC occupations.
Harrington O’Shea
Authors: Thomas F. Harrington Ph.D. and
Arthur J. O’Shea Ph.D.
 Self-assesses abilities, interests, and work
values
 Can be used to simply structure conversation
around employment
 Individual or group career exploration tool
 Profiles the current United States job market
 CDM software option.
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Job Seeker Planning Tool
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A good job is a result of a good fit.
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What’s your profile?
SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENTS
ASSESSMENT USING INTEGRATED
COMMUNITY SETTINGS FOR:
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CAREER EXPLORATION TO
DETERMINE VOCATIONAL INTERESTS
AS A JOB “TRY OUT” PRIOR TO HIRING
PROCESS
- Marketing tool
- Reduction in risk to
consumer and employer
THE GOAL:
Helping people get exposure to
various jobs, while identifying
their strengths along the way.
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SITUATIONALASSESSMENT
WHO’S IT FOR?
PEOPLE:
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WITH LIMITED WORK AND LIFE
EXPERIENCES
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WITH INTERESTS NEEDING FURTHER
EXPLORATION
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WHO WANT TO CHANGE
JOBS/CAREERS AND NEED DIRECTION
WHAT WE LEARN FROM
SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENT
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JOB PREFERENCES
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WORK ENVIRONMENT PREFERENCES
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TASK SKILLS OF INDIVIDUAL
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SOCIAL
SKILLS OF
INDIVIDUAL
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TASK AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS OF JOB
The Discovery Process
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The individual expresses their dreams, goals,
personal preferences, life experiences and needs
regarding employment
The individual decides who will participate in creating
their profile (family, service providers, school
staff..etc)
The individual is the primary source of information,
with other participants providing ideas and
suggestions
Information can be gathered one-on-one or in group
meetings, as formally, or informally as the individual
requests
The Discovery Process
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Additional information about life skills and competencies is gathered
through observation
– Visit the individual in their home, work and social environments
Needs related to the identified goals should be discussed
– Career exploration
– Additional training/skills building
– Job support needs such as job coaching, travel training,
counseling
– Accommodations such as assistive technology, ASL interpreters,
modification of hours, duties..etc
Concerns and questions regarding the impact of working on Social
Security benefits should be discussed
– Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach Programs
The Vocational Profile
Regardless of which assessment
approach is used, information from
the exploration process will be
documented in a Vocational Profile
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The Vocational Profile
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The profile should include
– Specific tasks in which the individual is competent
– Contributions of the individual
– Environments of choice
– Personal and professional network contacts
– Outlines roles and responsibilities of all
– Sets timeframes and points for evaluation of
progress
– Specific employers to contact based on task list
OTHER METHODS OF EXPLORING
INTERESTS & SKILLS
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Informational Interviews
Tours
Job Shadowing
Volunteer Work
Community Exploration
Community & Business Research
Taking A Class
Career Centers
Long Term Employment Success
Requires that potential
support needs and barriers be
identified and addressed throughout
the assessment process.
 Accommodations are presumed
available as needed.
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Here I Am!
Representation to Employers
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The Resume
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A great tool for many people
Resume representation not always the best
option
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Gaps in work history
Numerous jobs
Lack of work history
Non-readers
ESL issues
Alternate Options
 Portfolio
 Web
site
 CD Portfolio
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