CESP Employer Engagement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When an employment specialist cold-calls an employer for the first time, what is the most effective opening strategy?
- Lead with the job seeker's disability to set expectations
- Focus on the business value and workforce solutions you offer (Correct answer)
- Ask immediately about any open positions
- Reference competitors who already use your services
Correct answer: Focus on the business value and workforce solutions you offer
Framing the conversation around business value and workforce solutions positions the specialist as a partner rather than a charity, making employers more receptive.
Question 2: An employer mentions they've had a bad experience hiring someone with a disability in the past. The best response is to:
- Apologize on behalf of the disability community
- Acknowledge their experience and ask what support was missing (Correct answer)
- Move on and pretend they didn't say it
- Assure them that your candidate is different
Correct answer: Acknowledge their experience and ask what support was missing
Acknowledging the employer's past experience and exploring what supports were lacking shows respect and opens a problem-solving dialogue.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes a 'job carving' strategy in employer engagement?
- Splitting a full-time job into part-time shifts for multiple workers
- Restructuring or customizing a position by extracting tasks that match a job seeker's skills (Correct answer)
- Negotiating a lower wage for a job seeker who needs more support
- Creating an entirely new department within a company
Correct answer: Restructuring or customizing a position by extracting tasks that match a job seeker's skills
Job carving involves identifying and reorganizing existing tasks within a workplace to create a position tailored to a specific job seeker's abilities.
Question 4: A large retail employer asks if hiring through your program will require extra paperwork or legal liability. The MOST accurate response is:
- Assure them there is no paperwork at all
- Explain that standard employment law applies and you handle most coordination (Correct answer)
- Tell them the ADA exempts them from liability with supported employees
- Suggest they consult a lawyer before proceeding
Correct answer: Explain that standard employment law applies and you handle most coordination
Being honest that standard employment law applies while emphasizing your support role reassures employers without making false promises.
Question 5: The term 'informational interview' in the context of employer engagement refers to:
- A formal job interview conducted by the employment specialist
- A meeting to learn about a business's needs and culture without pushing a specific candidate (Correct answer)
- An interview where the job seeker asks the employer questions only
- A background check meeting with HR
Correct answer: A meeting to learn about a business's needs and culture without pushing a specific candidate
An informational interview is a relationship-building tool to understand employer needs and culture, not to fill a specific vacancy.
Question 6: Which metric is MOST useful for demonstrating the ROI of supported employment to a skeptical employer?
- The number of job seekers on your caseload
- Turnover cost savings compared to the employer's average attrition (Correct answer)
- The job seeker's IQ or functional assessment score
- The funding source for the supported employment program
Correct answer: Turnover cost savings compared to the employer's average attrition
Comparing turnover costs to the typically low attrition rate of supported employees translates social mission into business language employers understand.
Question 7: An employment specialist should follow up with an employer after a successful placement primarily to:
- Check whether the employer is satisfied so problems can be caught early (Correct answer)
- Ensure the employer is paying the correct minimum wage
- Remind the employer of the agency's fee structure
- Collect data for government reporting requirements only
Correct answer: Check whether the employer is satisfied so problems can be caught early
Proactive follow-up allows the specialist to catch emerging issues before they escalate and reinforces the employer relationship for future placements.
CESP Employer Engagement 2
When an employment specialist cold-calls an employer for the first time, what is the most effective opening strategy?