Thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Fund we were able yesterday to interview and appoint 3 apprentices ( - to join 3 'senior' apprentices already in post). This staff team of 6 will manage WorkABILITY, an 'employment preparation' project driven by, and for other disabled young people.
We believe we have made 3 excellent appointments and I feel this was mostly due to the process being largely user-driven.
For example in the letters we sent to those shortlisted for interview we wrote
"Because WorkABILITY tries very hard to be user-driven we want you to think
of 2 questions you expect to be asked in your interview. Please write these
questions on a piece of paper with your name on them and hand (them to us on the
day). We will ask one of your questions of you, and all the other
candidates."
This had all sorts of benefits. Firstly it communicated how strongly committed we are to being user-driven. Secondly it gave the shortlisted candidates opportunity to think about the type of questions they might be asked and at the very least, opportunity to plan answers to their own question, and thirdly it threw up some excellent questions we had not thought of ourselves.
As you can see ALL the questions handed to us were excellent:
- Describe what ideas you have to bring to WorkABILITY?
- Why should we employ you?
- Have you ever had an opportunity to work regularly with young people?
- Do you find it difficult to talk to people who you do not know?
- What difficulties have you had to overcome because of your special needs?
- What kind of person are you?
- What I feel is most important in working as part of a team?
- How would I handle someone coming in asking for help?
A further example of the selection process being more 'user-led' than normal was in preparing the person specification ie the list of characteristics (such as knowledge, skills, attitudes, and experiences) we wanted in applicants. Had we been advertising apprenticeships in plumbing or car mechanics, the person specification would largely have writen itself, however because an apprenticeship in employment preparation is considered unique, we had to start from scratch. In addition we did not want to go down the road of stipulating 'the usual criteria' such as qualifications or experience, given disabled young people, often through no fault of their own, have not had the same opportunities to acquire these as other young people.
We therefore started by focussing on the aim of WorkABILITY - as determined originally by its users: 'young people with a learning or physical challenge overcoming barriers to work'. Clearly therefore we wanted applicants for the apprenticeship vacancies to have had experience of attempting to overcome such barriers.
Under attitudes we wanted "applicants who are very strongly committed to use this apprenticeship to progress into full time or more permanent employment ( - with WorkABILITY or with another employer)". We considered this important because we found some talented disabled young people who attended our most recent Summer Job Forum lacking in drive and aspiration to progress into employment. What we wanted therefore were people aspiring to develop rather than to survive ( - a point made by David Armstrong on page 153 of Group Relations, Management and Organization).
We also wanted applicants "to drive WorkABILITY forward as a user-driven project working together as a team......(and who) want to work with other disabled young people to enable (or mentor) them to access work experience opportunities and possible employment".
What we did expect in terms of skills was that applicants could read and write (and that if they did need some help, what this amounted to) and that they could use a computer and possibly some other office based equipment (such as a telephone or photocopier). We also wanted to be reassured they could work 22.5 hours each week (2 days work, and 1 day training).
We asked applicants to demonstrate in their application form they had the above listed experience, attitudes and skills, however we did appreciate an applicant might need some help in doing this. However because of our commitment to being user-driven we asked the following question at the end of the application form:
"The help you might have received: We appreciate you may have needed some
help in understanding the information we have sent you about WorkABILITY and
the apprenticeships, however because we try hard to be user-driven please let us
know what you did yourself in submitting this application, and what help you
received?"
The answers to this question helped us to understand who was the 'driving force' ( - such as the applicant themselves, their mum, or a support worker etc) in the application process which we were later able to check out at interview.
Obviously time will tell whether we made the right appointments, but in using a selection process which we believe was user-led, we are optimistic. Not only was the process extremely satisfying, but throughly professional too.
