recruitment & retention of individuals with disabilities and multicultural backgrounds into the...

Recruitment & Retention of Individuals with Disabilities and Multicultural Backgrounds into

the VR Profession Part 2

Dr. Lea R. Flowers

Dr. Cozetta D. Shannon

June 15, 2011

Strategies for Recruitment

• Create a team • Observe, evaluate, and document • Create a recruitment and retention plan• Set specific hiring goals• Mandatory training for all personnel

• Track your success and document it broadly • Share information within agencies• Create a model of best practices specific to VR

• Compile and post on your agency’s website, marketing brochures and videos, newsletters

• Create a internet profile; social media has become an integral tool for recruitment. Promotional material for the agency should reflect its diverse workforce.

Utilize Resources & Networks • Begin with internal networks, word of mouth

Advantages Disadvantages

• Visibility and professional relationships are important aspect to effective recruitment Professional organizations & conferences Connect with faculty advisors, supervisors, student leaders Conduct presentations Write articles in newsletters Listservs Cast wider net in schools- high schools, junior colleges, and

universities• Job/Career Fairs

Advantages Disadvantages

College and Community Outreach • Identify your local universities and establish contacts

with student leaders, graduates, faculty advisors• Consider accepting an a intern student

Interns usually work for free to gain their hours for class

Internships can serve as a precursory ‘on the job training opportunity’ often interns are hired after they graduate

• Network with VR related organizations and foundations Community outreach and involvement

• The goal is to establish contacts within the local community, state, and region to raise awareness

Sample Recruitment Plan

Key Concepts

• Underrepresented groups are:

• Classifications protected under federal and state equal employment opportunity laws by race, color, sex, nationality, religion, age, veteran status, and disability.

• Diversity refers to: the broader value of appreciating contributions of all

employees and maximizes the potential of all workforce with demographic groups that are reflected

in the general population

Key Concepts (part 2)

• Equal employment opportunity means: equality in the hiring process, in training, promotion

and compensation. the right to be evaluated as an individual on his or her

qualifications without discrimination.

• Affirmative Action: is governed by a number of overlapping laws gives special rights of hiring and/or advancement to

ethnic/racial minorities to make up for past discrimination against that minority.

Key Concepts (part 3)

Affirmative Action (con’t)

• Controversial aspects• Outdated

• Creates reverse discrimination against Caucasians

• Targeted recruitment and goals are appropriate

• Quotas are not appropriate

• Affirmative action applies to all job categories and levels

• Organizations must actively seek to remove any barriers that artificially limit the professional and personal development of its employees.

Questions to Consider: Job Advertisements

Q: Can job advertisements encourage specific groups to apply?

A: Yes. Advertisements may include a statement that all

qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Questions to Consider: Job Advertisements (part 2)

• Advertisements may also state: “Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer” “All qualified applicants will be considered. Minorities

and individuals with disabilities, are encouraged to apply.”

• Job advertisements are considered a legal document

Questions to Consider: Job Advertisements (part 3)

• Create a company policy and standardize how all ads will be written

• SAMPLE:REHABILITATION COUNSELING, (PRF #12023) XYZ agency has a long-standing commitment to diversity and is actively seeking to nurture and enrich its underrepresented communities. Women, minorities and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. In accordance with XXXX regulations, successful applicants must be legally able to accept work in the United States. Requests for reasonable accommodation of a disability during the application and/or interview process should be made to Human Resources, 555-555-9999 (V), 800-555-9990 or 611 (MRS/TTY). This bulletin is available in alternative format upon request. XYZ is an affirmative action/equal opportunity agency.

Questions to Consider: Hiring

• Does hiring only members of specific underrepresented groups satisfy affirmative action responsibilities? NO Recruit broadly: veterans, people with disabilities,

women, LGBT and members of all ethnic minority groups.

Avoid tokenism: hiring underrepresented groups into positions which do not offer potential for advancement or are lower level but high visibility

What not to ask … Religion

• Religion is a subject that should be treaded upon lightly at the office, and even more so in interviews.

• What you can't ask: What religion do you practice?

Refrain from asking about candidate’s beliefs. Instead ask they’re able to work.

• Instead ask: What days are you available to work?

What not to ask … Affiliation

• What you can't ask: Do you belong to a fraternity, sorority or social organization?

• Candidates are not required to share such information with potential employers.

Little to no relation to a candidate's ability to do a job.

• What to ask instead: Are you a member of a professional or trade group that is relevant to our industry?

What not to ask … Nationality

• Verifying legal status and citizenship is important…BUT

• What you can't ask: Are you a U.S. citizen?

Make sure your question regarding citizenship is related specifically to work.

• Instead ask: Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?

What not to ask … Language

• What you can't ask: What is your native tongue?

Question may be perceived as offensive

As an employer, it's not your concern how the applicant attained fluency in a language — just that they are fluent.

• What to ask instead: What languages do you read, speak or write fluently?

What not to ask … Residence

• What you can't ask: How long have you lived here?

Familiarity with local culture may be important to the position, do not ask about residency status.

Instead ask about their current situation

• You can ask: What is your current address and phone number? Do you have any alternative locations where you can be reached?

What not to ask … Age

• Be careful about discrimination towards applicants nearing retirement.

• What you can't ask: How old are you?

Knowledge of an applicant's age can set you up for future discrimination problems.

Ensure the candidate is legally old enough to work for your organization.

• What to ask instead: Are you over the age of 18?

What not to ask … Retirement

• What you can't ask: How much longer do you plan to work before you retire? “Landmine” for discrimination troubles. It may not be ideal to hire an older worker who might

retire in a few years, you can't dismiss an applicant for this reason.

• What to ask instead: What are your long-term career goals?

What not to ask: Marital & Family Status (part 1)

• Mostly directed at women with children but applicable to everyone.

• What you can't ask: Is this your maiden name? Off-limits, marital status is not mandatory to disclose.

• What to ask instead: Have you worked or earned a degree under another name?

What not to ask: Marital & Family Status (part 2)

• What you can't ask: Do you have or plan to have children?

• What to ask instead: Are you available to work overtime on occasion? Can you travel?

What not to ask: Marital & Family Status

• What you can't ask: Can you get a babysitter on short notice for overtime or travel?

• What to ask instead: You'll be required to travel or work overtime on short notice. Is this a problem for you?

What not to ask … Family

• What you can't ask: What do your parents do for a living?

Not directly related to their future performance in a position.

• What to ask instead: Tell me how you became interested in the "x" industry.

What not to ask … Pregnancy

• What you can't ask: If you get pregnant, will you continue to work, and will you come back after maternity leave? Similar to retirement questions. Ideally you want to

hire someone who will be retained but this specific question is not appropriate.

• What to ask instead: What are your long-term career goals?

What not to ask … Gender

• What you can't ask: We've always had a man/woman do this job. How do you think you will stack up?

Leave gender out of this question.

Do not assume ability and skills are gender related.

• What to ask instead: What do you have to offer our company?

What not to ask … Gender (part 2)

• What you can't ask: How do you feel about supervising men/women?

May seem like a valid question, but it’s not acceptable.

• What to ask instead: Tell me about you previous experience managing teams.

What not to ask: Gender (part 3)

• What you can't ask: What do you think of interoffice dating?

This question makes assumptions about the candidate's marital status and may even be interpreted as a come-on.

• What to ask instead: Have you ever been disciplined for your behavior at work?

What not to ask … Military

• What you can't ask: Were you honorably discharged from the military?

• What to ask instead: Tell me how your experience in the military can benefit the company.

What not to ask … Military (cont.)

• What you can't ask: Are you a member of the National Guard or Reserves? Don't discriminate based on assumptions of a

candidate's upcoming military commitments. Find out what their plans are for the short term instead.

• What to ask instead: Do you have any upcoming events that would require extensive time away from work?

Doing Our Part: Retention of State VR Employees

Dr. Cozetta Shannon

VR Need

• In many states, there has been an increasing number of persons with disabilities accessing services provided by state VR agencies. The need for VR counselors is becoming increasingly

necessary. The ability to adequately serve consumers of VR

services may become more difficult.• Vacant positions, need for qualified VR counselors,

turnover, counselor motivation, etc.

Issues

• Common issues related to retention and turnover exist within our state VR agencies Burnout, Pay, Career Change, Benefits, Retirement,

Satisfaction/Motivation, etc.

• State VR agencies must consider numerous areas when developing and implementing retention plans. Meet the needs of the diverse population of

rehabilitation professionals employed within the state VR system…• Racial/Ethnic, Age, Years of Experience,

Background/Specialty Area, Geographic Location

Valuing the Profession

• Empirical research and changes within society has shaped the perception of the discipline by “solidifying the argument that rehabilitation counseling has evolved from a skilled occupation into a true profession” (Leierer, Strohmer, Blackwell, Thompson, & Donnay, 2008, p.68)

Awareness and Understanding of the Profession

Prestige and Social Value of the Profession

Credentialing

“Loving what we do…”

Retention Strategies

• Organizational Fit

• Supervision and Mentoring

• Succession Plans

• Recognition and Rewards

• Research/Evaluation

Organizational Fit

• Welcoming Environment Orientation Introduction to the “specific” agency Transition from school to the world of work

• On-going education and training Specific organizational issues Culturally competent staff/colleagues *

• Empowerment of VR professionals Needs and Wants Having a Voice

Cultural Competence• Awareness

Self-awareness is the key to competence can be difficult (racism, sexism, and classism)

• Knowledge Understanding several different groups

Critical for helping professionals to understand and share the worldview of their colleagues Similar to the process of cultural role taking

• Skills Behaviors and interactions should be congruent with the

worldview and values of others

Supervision and Mentoring

• Participation in mentoring is an unique experience• “nurturing process in which a more skilled or more

experienced person, serving as a role model, teaches, sponsors, encourages, counsels, and befriends a less skilled or less experienced person for the purpose of promoting the latter’s professional and/or personal development” (Anderson and Shannon, 1988, p.40) Peer Mentoring Formal vs Informal

• Addresses Positive Employee Outcomes related to retention Objective and Subjective Outcomes

Supervision and Mentoring (cont.)

• Clinical supervision assists in developing more competent VR counselors… Enhances critical thinking skills, psychosocial

involvement, case conceptualization (Herbert, 2004) May impact work dissatisfaction and counselor stress

and burnout• Mentoring and supervisory relationships are far from

being exclusive of one another and, in many aspects, can be complementary (Johnson, 2007). Differences can be unclear and confusing to state VR

counselors and organizations/agencies. Education and training in this area can be beneficial.

• Innovation

• success

• evaluation

• development

• growth

• solution

• progress

• marketing

Promoting Teamwork

Succession Plans

• Succession Plans Anticipated shortage of rehabilitation professionals

over next five years Plans assist in ensuring that qualified and competent

rehabilitation professionals are able to fill vacant positions… Years of experiences, skills, competency areas

Rewards and Recognition

• Important aspect of the retention process• What are some ways to reward and recognize

rehabilitation professionals within your agencies? Formal recognition of major accomplishments

• Years of service (i.e. milestones)• Closures• Positive Consumer Feedback• Staff Member of the Month/Year

Recognition in Local, State and National Publications Assistance with attending conferences and/or

trainings Monetary Awards

Research/Evaluation

• Critical (yet often neglected) retention strategy

• Quantitative and Qualitative

Focus groups, Satisfaction Surveys, etc.

Respect feedback, wants, needs, etc.

• Bringing in outside facilitators and evaluators can be beneficial.

Retention Take Away Points…

References

• Anderson, E. M. & Shannon, A. L. (1988). Toward a conceptualization of mentoring. Journal of Teacher Education, 39(1), 38-42.

• Armstrong, A. J., Hawley, C. E., Blankenship, C., Lewis, A. N., & Hurly, J. H. (2008). Certified rehabilitation counseling personnel: Job satisfaction and intent to quit. Journal of Rehabilitation Administration, 32(1), 15-32.

• Dew, D. W., Alan, G. M., & Tomlinson, P. (Eds). (2008). Recruitment and retention of vocational rehabilitation counselors (Institute on Rehabilitation Issues Monograph no.33) Washington, DC. The George Washington University, Center for Rehabilitation Counseling Research and Evaluation.

More References• Herbert, J. T. (2004). Clinical supervision. In T. F. Riggar &D. R.

Maki (Eds.), Handbook of rehabilitation counseling (pp.289-304). New York: Springer.

• Johnson, W. B. (2007). Transformational supervision: When supervisors mentor. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38, 259-267.

• Leierer, S. J., Strohmer, D. C., Blackwell, T. L., Thompson, R. C., & Donnay, D. A. C. (2008). The rehabilitation counselor scale: A new scale for the strong interest inventory. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 51, 68-75.

• Shannon, C. D. (2009). Exploring the use of mentoring within state vocational rehabilitation agencies and the issues of retention, job satisfaction and career motivation (Doctoral dissertation). Available through Proquest Dissertations and Theses databases (AAT 3381353).

References & Resources 1

• National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns (NAMRC) - www.namrc.org

• American Counseling Association – ACA.org

• National Rehabilitation Counseling Association http://www.nationalrehab.org/cwt/external/wcpages/index.aspx

• American Rehabilitation Association http://www.arcaweb.org/

• ARCA Listserv http://www.arcaweb.org/?page_id=46

• Careers in Vocational Rehabilitation https://ncrtm.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=7

• Consortia of Administrators for Native American Rehabilitation, Inc - http://canar.org/index.php?page=jobs

• Rehabjobs National Clearinghouse of Rehab Training

• Indeed.com http://www.indeed.com/q-Rehab-Options-USA-jobs.html

• AskEARN.org- Resources to help employers hire and retain people with disabilities. http://www.askearn.org/

• Simply Hired - http://www.simplyhired.com/a/jobs/list/q-vocational+rehabilitation

• Monster.com - http://jobs.monster.com/v-healthcare-q-vocational-rehabilitation-counselor-jobs

• Career Jet - http://www.careerjet.com/counselor-jobs.html

• Career Builder.com - http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/rehabilitation+counselor/

• HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Connect.com Career Center -http://hbcuconnect.com

• HotJobs.com - http://selfcare.hotjobs.yahoo.com/ss/php/login.php?showhiring=true

• Jobvertise.com -http://www.jobvertise.com/employerinfo

• Native American Times - http://nativetimes.biz

• Saludos Hispanos - http://www.saludos.com/employers/employers1.html

• The Tribal Employment Newsletter - http://www.nativejobs.com/

• Model Strategies for Recruitment and Hiring of People with Disabilities as Required Under Executive Order- http://www.chcoc.gov/transmittals/TransmittalDetails.aspx?TransmittalID=3228

• Procedures For Providing Reasonable Accommodation For Individuals With Disabilities - http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/internal/reasonable_accommodation.cfm

• ADA Handbook - http://askjan.org/media/adahandbook/handbook.html

• Title I of the ADA - http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/ada.html

• ADA Covered entities - http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/threshold.html#2-III-B

• How to Determine Whether a Person has a Disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - http://askjan.org/corner/vol02iss04.htm

Comments & Questions

Contact Information

• Dr. Lea R. Flowers Chrysalis Counseling ConsultancyEmail: drleaflowers@gmail.com

• Dr. Cozetta D. Shannon Troy University Montgomery Email: cosettashannon@gmail.com

THANK YOU!

TACE Center: Region IV Toll-free: (866) 518-7750 [voice/tty]

Fax: (404) 541-9002

Web: TACEsoutheast.org

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportal

Email: tacesoutheast@law.syr.edu

Education CreditsCRCC Credit - (2.0)Approved by Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) By Friday, June 24, participants must score 80% or better on a online Post Test and submit an online CRCC Request Form via the MyTACE Portal.

CEU Credit - (0.2)Approved by the University College at Syracuse University

By Friday, June 24, participants must submit an online CEU Request Form via the MyTACE Portal.My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportal

**For CRCC credit, you must reside in the 8 U.S. Southeast states served by the TACE Region IV [AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN]. If beyond TACE Region IV, you may apply for CEU credit.

Disclaimer

This presentation was developed by the TACE Center: Region IV ©2011 with funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) under the priority of Technical Assistance and Continuing Education Projects (TACE) – Grant #H264A080021. However, the contents of this presentation do not necessarily represent the policy of the RSA and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government [34 CFR 75.620 (b)].

Copyright Information

This work is the property of the Southeast TACE Region IV

Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the authors. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors.

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