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Job Development

Job development is the creation of employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Rather than applying for an existing, advertised job, job development is the process of intervening directly with employers to create an employment opportunity. The people in the best position to help create employment opportunities for persons with disabilities are the people who know them the best. Developing employment opportunities for an individual requires familiarity with an individuals history, desires, abilities, limitations, and support needs. Anyone can help create employment opportunities.

Getting Started: Create a Job Search Binder.

Informal Networking

Perhaps the best way one can help to create employment opportunities is through "Informal Networking". Informal Networking is a process of tapping into your existing "network" of friends, family, neighbors, co-workers to help develop employment opportunities. Your network includes all the people you have contact with in the normal course of your life. Your network is full of opportunity. Most jobs are never advertised, but filled through personal contacts.

Try to increase your awareness of your own informal network: think about who you know, what they do, how they can be of assistance in creating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Talk to people about what they do. Make sure people in your network know what you do. Make a conscious effort to expand your network.

Job Development through "informal networking" is more of an attitude and an awareness than a task to perform at work. Get in the habit of thinking about the kinds of work your members want to do, and how your "informal network" can help.

Talking to Employers

At some point, you may want to talk to a specific employer about creating an employment opportunity. Here are a few tips on interacting with employers:

  1. As in any interaction, always try communicate genuineness and respect. Ask the employers if it is a good time to talk. Demonstrate sensitivity to their schedule and work demands. Offer to return or call on the phone if the time is not convenient.
  2. Always remember that employers are business people first. Their main concerns include running an operation more efficiently, providing better goods or services, increasing profit, etc. They are not human service workers. At the core of the discussion should be how a person with a disability can help the employer, NOT how an employer can help a person with a disability.
  3. Let the employer do most of the talking. Give ample opportunity for the employer to talk about the business. Ask questions to better understand their needs and the nature of the business.
  4. Use valuing language when describing the potential employee – emphasize the individual's assets, strengths, and abilities, NOT their limitations.
  5. Describe your members abilities and special needs in functional terms, rather than in disability-related medical terms or diagnostic labels (e.g. "Member A is anxious around people" rather than "Member A has an Anxiety Disorder.")
  6. Be sure to highlight what support services can be provided to the employer (job coaching, check-ins, meeting facilitation, etc.).
  7. Help the employer to "think outside of the box about job possibilities." One way is to suggest jobs or positions not currently used by the employer. Suggest "carving out" a task from an existing position for example, you want to create an opportunity for someone interested in data entry. Perhaps data entry is one of many tasks done by an office manger. Perhaps "carving out" data entry would free up time for the office manager to do other things. Or perhaps suggest a position that does not currently exist. For example, you see a need for all the computers in a business to be routinely checked for viruses or software updates. You can suggest a part-time position. Another way to help employers think outside of the box is to suggest accommodations or supports that the employer may not be aware of. An employer may not be able to see how a person with a disability can possibly perform a task. An employer may not think about accommodations such as specialized software or telecommuting.
  8. Many employers are concerned about the cost of hiring someone with a disability to work in their company. There are many misconceptions on this issue. Download a fact sheet containing information about hiring someone with a disability: Realities of Hiring People with Disabilities (pdf).

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal income tax credit for employers who hire certain target groups, including DVR consumers, SSI recipients, and FoodShare participants.

Worksource Wisconsin

Worksource Wisconsin is a resource for employers, providing easy access to the information necessary to actively recruit, hire, and retain employees with disabilities.

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