Case Study: HR Manager Interview

Appendix G

Case Study: HR Manager Interview Protocol

OMB Control No: 1230-0NEW

Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

Case Study Interview for Human Resource (HR) Managers

Thank you for participating in this interview. My name is [NAME] and this is my colleague [NAME]. We work for Westat, a research organization based in Rockville, MD. The Department of Labor (DOL) contracted with Westat to research how employers put into practice their policies on disability employment. We are also interested in the challenges of employing people with disabilities.

Before we get started, there are a few things I should mention. This is a research project. Your participation in this interview is voluntary. There is no penalty if you decide not to participate. You may end the interview at any time. If you choose to participate, you can skip questions that make you uncomfortable. We have planned for this interview to last about 30 minutes.

Your responses in this interview are private to the extent allowed by law. They will not be shared with others at your place of employment. We are speaking with HR Managers all across the country. We will submit a final report to DOL at the conclusion of the study that describes processes involved in disability employment. We may use quotes from you or other interviewees in our reports; however, interviewees’ names, their places of employment, and other information that could be used to identify interviewees or their employers, will not be linked to responses.

Do you have any questions? [Answer all questions.]

Finally, with your permission, we would like to record this interview. The recording will be used to help us recall exactly what was said when we go to summarize our findings. The recordings and any notes we have will be stored securely on Westat’s computer and will be protected.. They will only be available to the Westat project team. We will destroy the recordings after the study is complete in 2019. Are you okay with us recording?

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attention: Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-1301, Washington, DC 20210 or email [email protected] and reference the OMB Control Number 1230-0NEW. Note: Please do not return the completed survey to this address.

[IF PERMISSION IS GIVEN TO RECORD, ASK AGAIN IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS. ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS. IF PERMISSION IS NOT GRANTED, RESCHEDULE FOR A TIME WHEN A SCRIBE IS AVAILABLE TO TAKE NOTES.]

If there are no further questions or concerns, I’d like to start the audio recording now.

[TURN ON THE RECORDER.] I need to ask you again: Are you willing to participate in the interview?

Are you willing to have the interview audio-recorded?

1. INTRODUCTION

I’d like to start by asking you to describe your background and job title role at [NAME OF EMPLOYER]. Please tell me how long you have worked here and what your responsibilities are.

[PROBE: Please describe your responsibilities as they relate to disability employment; Please describe trainings have you received relevant to disability employment; Please describe anything in your background relevant to disability employment.]

2. RECRUITMENT

   1. Please describe the processes your firm follows to recruit people with disabilities.

1. What recruitment strategies work?

2. How does your company identify qualified applicants with disabilities?

3. How do you determine if a candidate with a disability is capable of performing the job?

2. Does your company do outreach or networking with recruiters or organizations that focus on people with disabilities?

[IF YES:] Please describe.

3. Why has your company chosen to recruit people with disabilities?

1. SUPERVISION

   1. Challenges

What are the challenges of supervising employees with disabilities? What kind of challenges or concerns have you heard from supervisors at your company about employees with disabilities?

2. Support

1. How does your firm support supervisors who manage employees with disabilities?

2. Does your company provide training to supervisors about employees with disabilities? [IF YES:] What kind of training? What is the content?

3. Performance Issues

1. What difficulties, if any, have supervisors at your company had handling performance issues with employees with disabilities? [PROBE]: How did the supervisors address those situations?

2. How does your company decide if a problem with an employee with a disability is related to a disability or to another factor?

4. Retention

   1. To what extent do employees feel secure disclosing they have a disability?

a. [PROBE]: very secure, secure, uncertain, insecure, very insecure

b. [PROBE:] Why do you think they feel that way?

2. To what extent do employees feel secure requesting an accommodation?

a. [PROBE]: very secure, secure, uncertain, insecure, very insecure

b. [PROBE:] Why do you think they feel that way?

3. What is the process for addressing an employee who discloses a disability during employment?

4. What is the process for addressing an employee who develops a disability during employment?

5. Does your company have a “return to work” program to assist employees who obtain a disability on the job? [IF YES:] Please describe.

6. What processes at your company help ensure the retention of employees with disabilities?

1. Promotion

1. As compared to any other employee, how likely do you think an employee with a disability is to be considered for a promotion or receive advancement? [PROBE:] If not, what are the reasons why?

2. Are there challenges associated with promoting employees with disabilities at your company?

[IF YES:] What are the challenges?

6. Termination

Has your company ever terminated an employee with a disability? [IF YES:] Were there particular challenges due to his or her disability status? Please explain.

4. CULTURE

   1. How does your company address and overcome stereotypes and misconceptions about employees with disabilities?

   2. How does your company communicate a culture of inclusiveness of employees with disabilities…

      1. …internally?

      2. …to the public?

5. INFORMATION

1. Sources

How do employees learn about resources at the company for persons with disabilities?

2. Utility

1. How useful is the information your company receives about disability employment policies and practices?

2. What sort of information do you think is lacking? What information would be helpful?

6. ACCOMMODATIONS

   1. Protocols and Processes

1. Please explain how an employee with a disability at your firm might go about getting an accommodation for a disability. [PROBE: Please give me an example.]

2. What would be the process for a job applicant with a disability to get an accommodation? [PROBE: Example?]

3. What company processes are useful for ensuring accommodations for employees with disabilities who need them?

4. What kinds of problems stand in the way of getting an accommodation for an employee with a disability? [PROBE: bureaucratic red tape, lack of knowledge about how to accommodate, etc.]

5. What are examples of other accommodations your firm has provided for employees with disabilities?

1. Technological Change

1. What is the role of technology in providing appropriate accommodations for people with disabilities?

2. How does your company keep abreast of new types accommodations for people with disabilities? [PROBE: sources of information, how difficult to obtain]

3. How have changes in technology affected your firm’s accommodation processes for employees with disabilities?

7. BENEFITS

   1. What are the benefits to your company of employing individuals with disabilities?

   2. To what extent has employing people with disabilities has any effect on…

      1. …sales?

      2. …revenue?

      3. …customer service?

      4. …customer satisfaction?

[PROBE:] what are the effects?

8. COSTS

   1. What do you believe are the costs—in time, money, and effort—associated with employing people with disabilities?

9. STRENGTHS

   1. What are your company’s strengths in the employment of people with disabilities? [PROBE:] recruitment, hiring, supervision, retention, and advancement.

   2. Why do you think your company has been successful with [RECRUITING, HIRING, RETAINING, ADVANCING] employees with disabilities?

10. OPPORTUNITIES

    1. What are your company’s opportunities for disability employment? [PROBE:] recruitment, hiring, retention, supervision, termination, advancement, etc.

    2. Does your company have any plans to work on those opportunities?

[IF YES:] How?

[IF NO:] Why not?

11. CLOSING

Is there anything you think might be important for me to know about disability employment at your company? [IF YES:] Please describe.

Thank you for your time!