Background context (15 min)

Objective: To gather important contextual information in relation to the respondents' engagement with job seeking behaviour (e.g. interest in returning to work and confirmation of their current employment seeking status) and career services take-up/interest.

To start with, we would like to collect a little background information.

• Firstly, give me a brief overview of your work history.
  • When were you last in paid employment (for 3 weeks or more)?
  • What were you doing?
    • Role/Position?
    • Employer (Sector/Industry)?
    • Full time/part time?
  • Is this the type of work you were doing prior?
  • As relevant: How come you changed career?
  • How come you left?
    • Probe in particular the following:
      • Having a child/caring for dependents.
      • Dismissed/made redundant.
      • Health/disability issues.
    • Were you given any options?
      • If so, what information, services and/or assistance was offered (e.g. a different position in the organisation, retraining, etc.)?
  • What could have kept you working there?

• Rating scale - Rate your interest in returning to paid work as soon as possible (where 1 = no interest at all 10 = very keen).

• List the things that are stopping you from getting back to work (these will be discussed in detail later in the interview).

  Probe in particular for the following reasons:

  • Caring for dependents.
  • Health/disability issues.
  • Shortage of jobs for my skills, in the local area.
  • Attitude of employers/others to employing older staff (ageism).
  • Training issues (access, cost, ability, etc.).
  • Skill-set out of date.
  • Don't know what's out there/what I could do.
  • Lack of confidence/out of practice.
• For each reason given probe for perception vs. reality: How come that is stopping you/making it difficult to find work (as relevant, have you personally experienced this, or do you just imagine this to be a problem?)?
• What is the main reason for you not being in paid work?

EXPECTATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH RETURN TO WORK (25 min) RETURNING TO WORK (FANTASY PROJECTION):

Imagine you are in the paid workforce. You have been working again for a week or two. The sort of job and workplace you're imaging is what you expect to find - not necessarily your ideal job or workplace. Take a moment to get a clear picture of how you would feel about your job, the workplace, your employer and your workmates. Imagine also how you and those close to you will feel about your return to work. (Give respondent time to get a clear picture in their minds eye)

• Describe in detail what it is like.
  • Your work.
    • Type of work.
    • Your position.
  • Your employer.
  • Your workplace.
  • Your work mates.
• How would your life be different (i.e. working compared with your current situation of not working)?
  • (Motivations) What are all the things you like/love about being back at work?
    • What would you like/love the most?
  • (Barriers) What are all the things you dislike/hate about being back at work, including the things that make getting back into paid employment hard?
    • What do you dislike/hate the most?
• Thought bubbles - Ask R to fill in the thought and feelings bubbles about what they are thinking and feeling about being back at work.
• Split screen picture - Ask R to draw an image that sums up their feelings about working again versus how they feel in your current situation not working.
  • Discuss thought bubbles and drawing and identify the strongest feelings and most dominant thoughts.
• As appropriate - How would you being back at work impact others in your household?
  • How do you think they would they feel?
  • What would they think about your working?
• How would friends/family respond to your working?
• How could this become a reality? What would have changed to make this possible (probe re: response to previous section of barriers to working)?
  • Who/what would need to change/happen?
  • How would these things have changed?
  • What/who would have been involved?

IDEAL WORK SCENARIO (15 min) IDEAL RETURN TO WORK (FANTASY PROJECTION).

Now, as opposed to what you imagined returning to work would really be like, take some time to imagine your ideal return to work scenario. This time you are daydreaming that you have the ideal job, ideal workplace, etc. (Give respondent time to get a clear picture in their minds eye).

Describe the ideal:

• Your work.
  • Type of work.
  • Your position.
    • Your employer.
    • Your workplace.
    • Your work mates.
• How would your life be different:
  • From now?
  • Compared with your previous fantasy?
• Motivations vs. barriers:
  • What are all the things you like/love about your ideal back at work scenario?
    • What do you like/love the most?
  • What, if anything, are all the things you dislike/hate about your ideal back at work scenario?
    • What do you dislike/hate the most?
  • How does this compare with what you expect returning to work to be like (i.e. your previous fantasy)?
• Thought bubbles - Ask R to fill in the thought and feelings bubbles about what they are thinking and feeling about being back at work in their ideal back to work fantasy?
• Picture - Draw a picture of how you would be feeling.
  • Discuss thought bubbles and drawing and identify the strongest feelings and most dominant thoughts.
    • How does this compare with what you were thinking and feeling in your previous daydream?
• As appropriate - How would your return to work impact others in their household?
  • What would they think about this? How would they feel?
  • How does this compare with your previous fantasy?
• How could this daydream become a reality?
  • Who/what would need to change/happen in your personal life? In the employment market?
    • What are the most important things?
  • How would these things have changed?
  • What/who would have been involved?

Summary (5 min)

• How does your ideal return to work scenario compare with what you expect returning to work to be like (i.e. previous fantasy) and your current situation?
  • What are the key differences?
  • What are the pros and cons of each situation?
• Summarise the key inhibitors and benefits associated with returning to work.
  • Recap all the things stopping you from returning to work?
    • What are the key things?
  • What are the attractions to returning to work?
    • What are the biggest hooks?

CIAG EXPERIENCE

• Are you currently looking for paid employment?
  • If not, do you anticipate a time in the future when you will look for work?
  • What, if any, support, information and/or advice have you sought/received (now, or in the past) to assist you to get back into paid work?
    • Describe this in detail.
  • When did you get this help?
  • How did you find out about it?
  • Who provided this (e.g. WINZ, Career Services, Career Advisor, Employment Consultant)?
  • How useful/valuable was it?
  • What worked/didn't work so well, and how come?

Service proposition

Imagine there was a service that could help make your return to work fantasy a reality.

• What would this service be like/offer:
  • What kind of advice, information and guidance would they offer (explain the form of the service in detail)?
    • How would this help you?
• What would be the main benefit of a service like this for you (i.e. the key value proposition)?
• What services are out there that offer this currently?

Delivery

• How would the service be delivered (describe)?
  • 0800, Internet, TV, face-face, print, etc.?
    • What makes this the ideal form for you?
      • Where would you be most comfortable going to gain this support (e.g. Library, Citizens Advice, dedicated place, etc.)?
    • Do you have access to a computer?
      • Do you require any assistance/support to use the Internet?
      • If this ideal service were available over the Internet, what support/assistance would you want/need (e.g. access to a computer, help to use it, help with the Internet, etc.)?
      • Where would you feel comfortable going to get this support/assistance?

Form

• If ideal is personal contact, what type of people would deliver the service (as relevant)?
  • What qualities/skills would they need to have?
  • How come these qualities would be important?
• If ideal is print/electronic, what qualities would be important (e.g. simplicity, ease of use, friendly, etc.)?
  • How come these qualities would be important?

Channels

• How could they capture your attention to tell you this service is on offer?
  • What would be the most likely ways to target you (TV, DM, community notice boards, Internet, newspaper, magazines, friends/family, community/church groups, etc.)?
    • How come this would capture your attention/make it appear relevant to you?

Organisation

• Who would you approach to gain this service (which organisation)?
  • How come?
• Are there any other organisations that you think could provide this service?
  • WINZ?
  • Career Services?
  • Employment Consultants?
  • Careers Advisors?
• How would you feel about your ideal service being provided by any of these organisations?
  • How come for each (pros & cons)?

Other ideas

• What if any other ideas do you have in terms of making it easier for you to return to work?

Thanks and close.