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Job Matching Practices of Professionals Supporting Individuals with Disabilities in Transition to Employment

Kelly Tanner, PhD, OTR/L1, Dennis S. Cleary, OTD, MS, OTR/L1, Helen Malone, PhD, BCBA-D2, Susie Rutkowski, MEd3,Amy Darragh, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA1, & Andrew C. Persch, PhD, OTR/L1

1The Ohio State University, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Division of Occupational Therapy2The Ohio State University, College of Education and Human Ecology, Special Education

3 Project SEARCH, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES• Determine current practices in job matching, outcomes of the job

matching process, and tools used by professionals to inform job matching decisions.

BACKGROUND• Individuals with disabilities are employed at rates significantly

lower than those without disabilities.1

• The un- or underemployment of individuals with disabilities is of national concern as employment is strongly linked to socioeconomic security,2 quality of life,3 and health.4

• The choices made by the job seeker and other key stakeholders influence immediate employment decisions, long-term career progression, and associated outcomes.5

• Job matching has been an integral part of supported employment practices for individuals with disabilities for over 30 years.

• No research examines the specific practices of key stakeholders who make job matching decisions with, or on behalf of, individuals with disabilities

RESULTS1. Job matching is a collaborative process 2. Stakeholders consider many different types of data when job

matching 3. Current practices in job matching are variable and lack

consistency4. Outcomes of the job matching process are poorly defined

METHOD• Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods Design• Quantitative Phase - Survey of Professional Key Stakeholders• Qualitative Phase - Focus groups

• Professional Key Stakeholders• Secondary Students in Transition• Postsecondary Students in Transition

• Descriptive Statistics• Phenomenology & Constant Comparative Method• Triangulation of observers, qualitative data sources, and analysts

JOB MATCHING IS A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

• “In my opinion the process that works best is what works best for the individual and that is usually a team approach that includes the job seeker, family members, friends, community folks, including employers and the providers that know the job seeker well and can provide input.”

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Who is involved in making job matching decis ions?

• Identifying, acquiring, supporting, and maintaining the employment of individuals with disabilities requires the efforts of many key stakeholders.

STAKEHOLDERS CONSIDER MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF DATA WHEN JOB

MATCHING

• “Job training evaluations, feedback from managers, coworkers, and parents … to have a comprehensive understanding of the individual's skills in order to match the person with a disability to a particular job, work evaluations, assessment of transferrable skills … level of independence, mode of transportation, willingness to work part-time or full-time, and level of motivation.”

• Members of a student’s transition team collect, analyze, and interpret a wide range of information when making job matching decisions0

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Psychol ogi cal Repor t s

I EP Behavi or al Assessm ent

Task Anal yses I nt er es t I nvent or i es

Job Descr i pt i ons

f r om Em pl oyer s

For m al j ob m at chi ng/ pl acem ent

t ool s

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What types of data are used to inform job matching decis ions?

CURRENT PRACTICES IN JOB MATCHING ARE VARIABLE AND LACK CONSISTENCY

• “During the … internship experience students are surveyed and assessed though observation of job performance to determine vocational interest and appropriate skill level for future employment opportunities.”

• Key stakeholders integrated the diverse data and perspectives relevant to job matching decisions in different ways.

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St udent s ' i nt er es t s /

pr ef er ences ar e mat ched wi t h/ to

avai l abl e pl acem ent s

Random l y Job i s devel oped and t hen

m at ched t o qual i f i ed s t udent .

St udent s ar e m at ched t o appr opr i at e wor k us i ng a dat a- dr i ven

pr ocess

Tr i al and er r orSt udent s ' ski l l s / abi l i t i es are

mat ched wi t h/ to avai l abl e

pl acem ent s

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How are job matching decis ions made?

OUTCOMES OF THE JOB MATCHING PROCESS ARE POORLY DEFINED

• “We have great outcomes. At least 60% each year with some sites getting 100%. Of those employed there is a high percentage of long term stability,” “on the average, we have been over 80% successful,” “85% hire rate … long term, about 80% retentions [sic]rate.”

• “This process has equipped students with the job readiness skills need [sic] to successfully and actively pursue employment opportunity [sic] after post-secondary completion.”

• “this process has equipped students with the job readiness skills need to successfully and actively pursue employment opportunity after post-secondary completion.”

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