1. Motivating Job Seekers
Dr Margaret Potter

2. How do you motivate your clients?

3. Provide incentives
Have a pep talk
Celebrate small steps/achievements
Find a ‘hook’ ie something they enjoy or want
Identify a goal(s)

4. Motivation Myth 1
Providing job seekers with incentives will solve motivation problems.
Incentives may work in the short term, but their impact tends to diminish over time.
What do you think? Why?

5. Key Motivational Factors
Your approach
The interactional context
The psychological climate

6. Motivation Myth 2
Fear is a useful motivator eg threatening or punishing an individual will motivate them.
The reality is with repeated exposure the impact of fear tactics will diminish
What do you think? Why?

7. Your Approach Gain trust and respect Provide structure
Help individuals to set appropriate goals
Be a role model
Seek to understand each individual
Show support & interest in all aspects of their lives
Encourage enjoyment

8. Motivation Myth 3 You can motivate the unmotivated client
Your interest & motivation is important to engage the client. However, an individual must have some desire to participate for your work together to be sustainable.
What do you think? Why?

9. Stages of Change Pre-contemplation Contemplation Progress Preparation
Relapse
Action
Maintenance
Prochaska & DiClemente (1986)

10. Pre-Contemplation Your Behaviour Client Behaviour
Social support – largely informational
Clarify roles & expectations
Empathy vs sympathy
Client Behaviour
See no reason to change
May feel unable to change e.g., FAB, lack of skills
“What is the problem?”

11. Contemplation Your Behaviour Client Behaviour Clarify roles
See reason(s) & wants to change
May not know how
Often disempowered due to perceived lack of control
May procrastinate
“Yes, but…”
Your Behaviour
Clarify roles
ID expectations
ID goals and process steps
ID and reduce barriers

12. Preparation Your Behaviour Client Behaviour
Social support-informational & emotional
Continue to ID and reduce barriers
Client Behaviour
Active to explore change
Active in goal setting
Empowered and taking control
“What do I need to do?”

13. Action Your Behaviour Client Behaviour Social support
Help to achieve goals
Continue to ID and reduce barriers
Client Behaviour
Engaged in change
Motivated to achieve goals & self-monitor
In control
“I am committed and doing what I need to do.”

14. Maintenance Your Behaviour Client Behaviour
Social support – informational & emotional
Self-mgmt strategies important
Client Behaviour
Generally adherent
May become bored or complacent
Able to set & revise goals (as nec)
“All is going well.”

15. Relapse Client Behaviour Your Behaviour Likely to lose confidence
-ve self-talk
ID goals and motivation may subside
“I got off track!”
Your Behaviour
Social support –emotional
Re-initiate appropriate goal setting

16. The Interactional Context
How do you organise & conduct client meetings?
You control>shared control>client control
Consider where and when you meet
How do you relate to your clients?
Authoritarian, friend, collaborator, mentor
How do you manage inappropriate behaviour?
Ignore, respectfully address or confront

17. The Psychological Climate
Mastery-based
Task-involving
Client equality
Emphasis on effort
Mistakes=useful learning experiences
Performance-based
Ego-involving
Client inequality
Emphasis on outcome
Mistakes=failure
Task-involving builds perceived competence, relatedness & autonomy

18. Promoting Motivation Give Advice Practice Empathy Remove Barriers
Provide Choice
Decrease Desirability
Practice Empathy
Provide Feedback
Clarify Goals
Active Helping
Advice – well timed, advocate for specific change
Barriers – may be specific and tangible e.g., cost or less tangible e.g., cognitive issues such as fear, attitude; assist with practical problem-solving
Choice – personal choice promotes motivation. Who likes being told what to do?
Desirability – if the benefits of change outweigh the costs a person is more motivated to shift; help them to become aware of, and understand the costs of staying as they are
Empathy – being able to relate to the person/situation i.e., hearing what the person is trying to tell you is important and conveyed through active listening. Do you convey that, that person at that time with their issue is the most important thing you have hear? Be here, now – fully present!
Feedback – clear, honest feedback of situation and consequences is impt. Specific feedback impt e.g., performance management BUT beware Do you tell them what they have to do or that they are not up to scratch? OR Do you allow him/her to reflect on where they are at, why they are there and how they will/are changing? Allow him/her to do the work!
Goal setting – goals must be SMARTER (A & T most important motivationally)
Help – social support (informational, emotional, tangible) BUT do not take on the issue/problem as your own! A person’s lack of desire/willingness to change is not be a reflection of your ultimate ability IF you accept they have to want to in order to make it happen. However, we often view it this way and in doing so make the situation worse!

19. Key Points Match client behaviour to stage of change
Support self-efficacy eg acknowledge even small steps
Start work with clients where they are at
Model what you want client to ‘see & be’
Show patience and tolerance
Self-efficacy=‘A person’s belief in their ability to succeed in a specific task’
Acknowledge even small steps
Show patience and tolerance – work with the client where they are at!
Identify a range of options

20. Take Home Message
Adopt an approach that facilitates, rather then directs change and recognise that…

21. …your energy & approach has an impact!
Take Home Message
…your energy & approach has an impact!

22. A Final Thought…
There is only one way to get anybody to do anything…and that is by making the other person want to do it.
Dale Carnegie

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Thank you
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