Type of Realistic Job Preview: Meetings with Current Workers
Adapted with permission from materials developed by Susan O’Nell, Sherri Larson, Amy Hewitt, and John Sauer from the University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration.
Meetings between potential employees and current workers provide an opportunity for those involved in a program to explain in their own words what the job is like; what the benefits and drawbacks are; and what their hopes, needs, and expectations are for new hires.
Development Considerations
Current workers willing to make a long-term commitment to participate in these meetings need to be identified and trained. It is important to clarify whether the participating workers will have input in hiring decisions. Guidelines should be prepared concerning the information to be shared during the meetings, and this planning time should be scheduled.
Implementation Considerations
Prospective employees should be given a set of suggested questions they might wish to ask during the meeting. The meetings should occur in the actual work setting, but in a private location whenever possible. They can be scheduled to precede a job interview or be held on the same day or another day, but after the meeting, the applicant should have the opportunity to gracefully opt out of the interview. If there are additional participants in the RJP, such as consumers (for positions involving an emphasis on direct contact with consumers) a stipend can be offered for their participation.
Cost Effectiveness
Implementation requires staff time and training of those involved, making this method relatively expensive to maintain over the long term.
Pros
Meetings with current workers:
- Can be portable (if people are willing);
- Can provide opportunities for parents and/or consumers to be directly involved in the hiring process if the position has an emphasis on direct consumer contact;
- Provide direct information to the potential hire from the people who understand the job best; and
- Offer easy access to people who can answer questions that may not be covered in another type of RJP; and
- Are adaptable to the unique characteristics, benefits, and difficulties of each site.
Cons
Meetings with current workers:
Require staff time away from regular job duties;
Can be difficult to schedule;
May be very different from one meeting to another;
Might not be productive if prospective employees are uncomfortable and not inclined to ask important questions;
Might be a burden on current staff and others (parents and consumers), or they may be unwilling to participate; and
Could require payment for staff and others (parents and consumers), even if the prospective employee doesn’t show up.
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