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TETN # 30932Tools to Assist in Recruiting Visually Impaired Professionals for Students

with Visual ImpairmentsDecember 2, 2008

1:30-3:30 PM

Presented byKC Dignan, Personnel Program

CoordinatorTexas School for the Blind & Visually

Impaired [email protected]

TETN #30932 – Tools to Assist in Recruiting – KC Dignan 2008 1

mailto:[email protected]

Why Spend an Afternoon on This?

Recruitment, Communication and Advocacy: Part of the same showUnderstanding population, message, & timelines to meet your recruiting goals

Objectives Practice building and delivering recruitment messages Identify the relationship between recruitment and

advocacy

HOORAY!

Three of the Elephants Are: PopulationMessageTime

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS = HIGHER SUCCESS RATES!

The 4th Elephant: There is a skill-set and a frame-of mind associated with recruitment!

Why Do I Care About Recruitment Strategies?Knowledge affects Expectations affects Feelings affects Motivation affects Continuity affects Knowledge, etc.


In Other Words….

RewardMotivation = ________

Effort

What’s an “Elephant”?

Myths and Truths About Recruitment . . .

Myths Costs lots of money Requires professional marketing expertise Is all about brochures, websites and job fairs.

Truths Takes time Takes repetition People talk (about the profession &/or your program)


1st Elephant: A Few Basics… Successful recruiting is ALL about the candidate. Knowledge of the candidate is essential to delivering a

compelling message. Time and money are limited, you MUST appeal to the

candidate.

What Isn’t “Recruiting” Brochures Letters Ads Posters Website Job Fairs

What is “Recruiting” Effectively integrating Reputation Strategies Brands Uniqueness

Recruiting is integrated systematic and coordinated

Organization-centric Recruiting Competitors/Competition Supply Leadership

Candidate-centric RecruitingInformed knowledge

Of the pool of candidates Discipline or field

Candidates’ needs drive recruiting activities


Knowing Candidates = Research or Data Essential Systematic Formal and informal Institutionalized

BrandsWhat? How? Why? BRANDS DON’T DEFINE A SERVICE, OR PRODUCT; THEY DISTINGUISH IT!

Strong Brand Have Real continuous quality Sustained presence Coordinate marketing and brand positioning Distinctive personality HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?

Why Think About Brands? Efficient communication Increased success

Your school, campus, program and/or profession are YOUR brand! Use the power of YOUR brand!

2nd Elephant: Population Know your candidates Deliver what they care about Solve their problems

What do People Want? Community Salary Program


Graduating DesiresWhat do most people want?

A job Personal satisfaction An interesting community A sense of a future Feel “special

What They Care About Enjoy what they do Opportunity to use skills Opportunity for professional development Feeling what they do matters Benefits Recognition for good performance F riendly co-workers Location Money Working in teams

What Other Professions Do? Maximize face-to-face recruitment Invest in awareness-level recruiting Plan

1. activities 2. expenses

Use mentors Collaborate

Like an Elephant, Never Forget that: Recruiting is about the Candidate, not about the Recruiter! Think About VI Professionals Who are they? What do they care about?


Data on VI Professionals63% had previous profession

Education Disability-related Business

Average prior experience: 7 years Typically have had encounters with a “VI issue”

Why VI? Work in a non-traditional setting, &/or population Intellectually stimulating Work in helping profession; make a difference Access to training program

&/or finances Relationship with parents & administrators

Let’s think together… Who are they? What do they care about?

VI Professionals Care About…

Everyone’s Unique…Name 6-10 features that distinguish your program, profession, organization or community

Think broadly Perspective Competition

My Program or Profession…


Perspective?Whose perspective?Now flipLet’s practice…

Doing the Flip-flopYou wrote: Distance learning available Flip to: Learn without leaving home and on your won schedule. You wrote: Lots of jobs Flip to: Imagine employers actively seeking YOU!

Again, Doing the Flip-flopYou wrote: Small community Flip to: Imagine real neighborhoods for you and your children You wrote: Small district Flip to: Employers responsive to your needs

What’s Yours – Reprieved Name 6-10 features that distinguish your program, profession, or organization

Think broadly Perspective Competition

Again…My Program or Profession….

Bringing it together: Goals, Population, Brand combine in your Message

3rd Elephant: The Message Is the Message…


Message and Audience: Once won’t turn without the other

Guess What? Recruitment = Advocacy

High Stakes Communications Critical communication Action oriented Focused on listener or reader

Message Guidelines: Stories not Statistics Shared values Rule of 3 (3 sentences, 3 messages, 3 times)

Stories? For adults? Reveal the past. Chart the future! Make a difference. Make it personal!

Telling Stories Also Turns frustration into constructive energy Influences public opinion by illustrating how policies affect

families Shares information that cannot be easily presented by

charts or graphs with others who do not directly experience the problem

Raises awareness

Your Story? What’s your story? How are you going to tell it? Can you do it in 5 seconds? 30 words? Is it consistent? Does it resonate?


Organizing a Story:Beginning• Hook• Sets the stage• Identifies key characters• Identifies location• Gets the listener interested

Middle Details Adds examples and interesting information

End Punch line Ties things together Often gives an idea of what can be learned from the

experience Theme or lesson Can be stated directly, or Let listeners draw their own conclusions

Questions to ConsiderWho is your audience?What is their purpose?How many years of experienceWhat are the gender & ethnicity issues?What is their “education” level?How many people are in the audience?

Target AudienceWho?Passions?How?

Meeting Your NeedsQuestion: How do you meet your needs?Answer: Solve their problem!


What to do? Spy on yourself . . . How do others see you?

Crafting a MessageAudienceLanguage

Match Acronyms Sentences

Advocacy Communication

Problem Impact

ISSUE

SolutionSHARED VALUES

Shared Values…are common beliefs among the readers or listeners.

Shared Values may be…Global or Targeted


Sample Shared ValuesBROAD SHARED VALUES TARGETED SHARED VALUES

Personal freedom Education

Children’s health Equal access to information

Right to vote Qualified teachers

Access to education Successful learners

Exercise

EDUCATION SPECIAL EDUCATION

Thinking Together Reminder: • Your message must be built on shared values; embedded in

the message• Must solve the reader’s problem• Language must be exact and immediately understandable.• Acronyms make people mad• People respond to stories easier than numbers• Recall that the issue isn’t the problem• Describe the problem succinctly • What is the undesirable impact of the problem


• Must have a clear course of action

Example #1 Being a VI teacher.As a science teacher, the school curriculum directed my actions. Now as a VI teacher, each student’s needs guide my day. Meet the needs of your students; become a VI teacher.

Example #2Braille textbook delivery 7% of blind children don’t get books when other kids do. Blind children need testbooks to pass the TAKS test. Call your legislator and urge support of the Braille Textbook Bill (HR1234)

Your Turn #1

Your Turn #2

What About Talking? “As an O&M Specialist, I get to be a life-coach for my students.” “As a VI teacher I get to teacher individual students, not classrooms.”

Thinking about the CandidateRecall what most candidates want…

1. An interesting community2. A job3. Personal satisfaction


4. A sense of a future5. Feel “special”


First and Foremost:Put the candidate in the picture!Compel them, feel the ride, hear the water, smell the elephant!

Themes and Messages Non-traditional: I love the fact that I teach about life, not just science. Challenge: Everyday is different. The range of my activities keeps me thinking and learning. Makes a difference: I work with my students and their families for years. I know what I do matters to them. Parents, Administrators: Parents and administrators appreciate that I have a special type of knowledge, one that isn’t commonly abailable.

Practice: Scenario 1 Classroom science teacher in the Houston area 5 years as a classroom teacher Based on her classroom, and conversation she seems

connected to her Asian cultural heritage She asks questions about education for students with

visual impairments and your job

What are you going to say in 30 seconds?

Practice: Scenario 2College lecture with 35 education majorsYou are part of a panel of 3 teachers from various disciplinesYou are representing visual impairments How are you going to “capture” undergrads in 30 seconds?

Practice: Scenario 3You are from a small district in rural Texas.Your salary is slightly less than your neighbors, but benefits are much better.You are attending a job fair at a large university in a metroplex area. How will you entice students to come to YOR district, not the neighboring district?


Common Mistakes Good experience Information and candidate matching Communicating strengths Build relationships Attract passive seekers Presenting “++” to potential candidates

4th Elephant: TimeMicro-timelinesMacro-timelines

Macro-timelines 3-6 repetitions 2-5 years for career change 3-6 repetitions Time for a change? 5 years in previous field 3-6 repetitions

Anatomy & Timeline for Recruitment and Training

Awareness: Time 2-5 years, Activities: basic informational, exposureConsideration: Time 2-5 years, Activities: additional information sought/received. Exposure to visual impairments.Action: Time up to 18 months, Activities actively explores options; applies to program.Training: Time 12-24 months (possibly more for O&M internship), Activities: attends program, may work as VI professional.Mature VI Professional: Time typically 3 years


Micro-timelinesCandidate-centricPurpose Intrigue Inform Inspire to action

How “Micro”?3-7 second = enticement, relevance90 second = short burst, confirmation3-4 minutes = action, commitment

Building a FoundationThree layers

6. Establish relevance7. Confirmation8. Commitment

Stage 1: RelevanceTime: 3 - 7 seconds

Headlines & titles Photographs Captions

Titles, photos & captions forge links to readers

Stage 2: ConfirmationTime: 90 seconds

Short body text Numbers & outlines Non-photographic art Graphic devices

If it LOOKS less wordy, people will read it.


Step 3: Commitment Time: 3-4 minutes

Data and detail Proof

We have UP TO 4 minutes to change people’s lives.

For ExampleFrom the U. S. Association of Blind Athletes

Much Less Fancy

First…..The readerThe message

Then… Purposeful Design Objective? Visualize readers? Most important element? First impression? Second? Action?

Purposeful DesignMeet your needs, ANDSolve the reader’s problemMaximize “readability”

Use “readability tool” in Word Goal: 8th – 9th grade


Design Factors: Objectives? Target readers? Competition? Quantity, not quality? Evaluate

Design: Layout, Balance and Weight, Visual Syntax, Proportion, Unity

Layout and SyntaxAll parts not equal

Top left & lower right = strengthLower right = action Z pattern?

Symmetrical? Asymmetrical?Scholar’s column?

BalanceSpace values, or weightsSizeDarknessColorWhite spaceShapesAction corner

Other Tools for SyntaxEyesNumeric sequenceColorMotionLines or borders


Photos

UnityTypographyPaperStyle of art Color Size Graphic elements Grid

Why is unity important?

ProportionSkeletonVarious grid patters

1 column2 column3 column

Tri-folds Easy to make Common Inexpensive

But…but… I’m not a designer!Not a designer?Tips, tricks, and techniques

Most Important IdeasCandidate-centric thinkingKnow your targetsDevelop your messageKeep on message


Common MistakesSpace is for the usingImage testBuild relationshipsAttract passive seekersGood experience

Ready? Set? Go!Develop flyer, or posterWork in teamsReview notes, and materials provided REMEMBER: THIS IS ABOUT PROCESS, NOT PRODUCT!


Advocacy: Changing “What is” to “What should be”

Why Gives you a voice in making decisions Gives you the power to change relationships Helps improve people’s lives

Top 10 Characteristics of Effective Advocates1. Assertiveness2. Confidence3. Motivation4. Hope5. Energy6. Persistence7. Ability to work with others8. Ability to find information9. Ability to use information10. Believe in your capabilities

Advocacy Strategy Know…

Where you are Where you want to go, and How you can get there

Then State the problem, or State the goal Define the challenges and barriers

Ask for what you want Make your request specific Define and describe your vision of success

Be Assertive, Not Aggressive Recognize that each individual has rights Believe in your own rights and maintain your commitment to

preserving them Clearly express your own rights or needs


Focus on solutions instead of problems Promote communications and problem-solving

Building good relationships is an important as you advocate for your concerns. When you establish open relationships you lay a

foundation for negotiating and eventually building strong working partnerships and mutual trust.

Six Principles of Self-Advocacy You are valued What you say is important You can choose what you want You can change things in your life Know your rights and responsibilities Being part of a supportive communityWhen you advocate effectively for your students needs, you may end up changing a whole system to better meet other students including those with special or unique needs. When you advocate effectively for all children, you may end up making systems work better for your students.

To Be a Better Advocate Gather information. Ask questions. Know your rights. Keep organized records. Trust that your target person has many influences, many of

which may not be obvious to you. Think about those influences.

Be open to learning new things from those to whom you are advocating.

Enlist allies One powerful way to advocate is to seek support from other

people: Think about “people of influence” to the target person. Leverage your power with information and data from other

sources.


Nine Questions for Advocates

Use these questions to help with planning your overall strategy and guide your specific efforts.

1. What do you want? These are your goals…desired outcomes. What is it you want to be done once your message has been

heard? Which are long-term goals and which are short-term?

2. Who can give it to you? Who is in the best position to hear and act effectively on your

message? Who has the authority to “deliver the goods?” Who has the capacity to influence those with formal

authority?

3. What do they need to hear? Your message is a brief, straightforward statement based on

an analysis of what will persuade a particular audience. A good message is

Simple To the point Easy to remember Repeated frequently

Avoid vague words or terms like: Appreciate Attitude Familiar with Feelings for Capable of Conscious of

Confidence in Experience Realize Recognize Hear Interest in

Knowledge of Listen to Adjust to Responsive to Think Understand

These words are open to interpretation. If you use them be sure to clarify; explain exactly what you mean.

Say what you mean, mean what you say.


4. Who do they need to hear it from? The same message has a very different impact depending on

who communicates it. Who are the most credible messengers for different

audiences? In some cases, these messengers are “experts” whose

credibility is largely technical. In other cases, we need to engage the “authentic voices,”

those who can speak from personal experience.

5. How can you get them to hear it? There are many ways to deliver an advocacy message.

These range from the genteel (e.g. lobbying) to the in-your-face (e.g. direct action).

The most effective means vary from situation to situation. The key is to evaluate the situation and apply advocacy methods appropriately, weaving them together in a winning mix.

6. What do you have? Take stock of the resources that are already there to be built

on. You don’t start from scratch; you start by building on what

you’ve got.

7. What do you need to develop? Advocacy resources you need that aren’t there yet Alliances that need to be built Capacities such as outreach, media and research, which are

crucial to any effort

8. How do you begin? First steps – start at the beginning! What are some things that can be done right away to get the

effort moving forward? What needs to be done after that?


9. How do you tell if it’s working? Strategy needs to be evaluated by revisiting each of the

previous questions Are you aiming at the right audiences? Are you reaching them? Make mid-course corrections Discard elements of a strategy that don’t work once they are

actually put into practice

Good Rules of Thumb…1. Listen! Ask questions.2. Make it personal by telling your story when appropriate.

Keep it brief.3. Create a relaxed environment.4. Invest in meaningful partnerships with those how have an

impact on your issue.5. Make sure you understand the interests and positions the

people/group you are working with (parents, administrators, policy-maker, etc.)

6. Follow the Golden Rule: treat others the way you would like to be or expect to be treated.


Shortcuts to Creative DesignThe next few pages provide some tips and tricks for making the most of your design, and TIME!

You have many

options as a professional

in Visual Impairments

1. Tilt: Putting information on an angle can create a feeling of motion.

Modern StorageTechniques

2. Vertical layout: Strong vertical lines can move the eye to the action section of the page.

If you can’t find it, you might as well not have it.Jasper Office Equipment


3. Mortice: Putting a picture in a picture can create synergy. One can be busy, the other plain…

4. Boxes and Borders: Can emphasize your point, and attract the eye, just make sure it doesn’t overwhelm the target text / image.

5. Type: Can draw the eye, and enhance the desired effect.


6. Modrian: Breaking the information and / or images into unique sections can help people think there is less text.

7. Rebus: Use small images in the place of words. Make sure image and meaning are clear.

Sandy,If you are not as busy as a

,

Let’s go for a

Bobby


My Information

VI professionals care about…

My district, program, community…I

My district, program, community…II

Practice your candidate-centric message:


Message PracticeReminder:

• Match your message to your audience and their interests.

• Don’t use jargon.• Build on shared values.

Shared Values:Education Special Education

Practice message #1. Getting a VI CertificationShared values:Issue:Impact:Action:

Practice message #2. Working in my districtShared values:Issue: Impact:Action:


Flyer Template #1

Critical InformationThis is the “expensive” part of the flyer. Use this space carefully. Use an image, an organizational logo, or a dynamic statement. If people read nothing else, they will read this.

Put the “Dream” here. It could be the desired outcome, how you want people to see themselves, what they will be doing and/or learning. It could be a continuation or illustration of the message to the left.

Details herePurpose This area provides details. Remember, people won’t read it all at

once. Use headings, images, captions, and other devices to provide

them with the information they need, in a way that they want it.Design factors Balance clutter with images (including text). Use your white space. Consider some technique to bring the eyes down to the lower left

corner. This could be a photo, or a graphic design.

As a VI teacher, my “classroom” is the world!

The message matters Always remember the reader! Keep the message compelling

and easy to do.This is your “Action Zone”. Put your organization, what people need to do, and how to do it. Make it easy for them to follow through.


Notes:


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