A MEASURE OF DSAP EFFECTIVENESS

By Susan Terry

The Center for Career Services (CCS) at the University of Washington has offered the 2½-day (18-hour) Dependable Strengths workshop since 1995. We offer the workshop about once a quarter. To provide a quality small-group experience, we restrict the enrollment to 16 participants for each workshop. We market the workshop primarily to alumni of the University of Washington who are seeking a career change, have been downsized from their current profession, or are simply curious how to better utilize their talents and strengths in their current employment situation.

Since 1995, we have received data from 507 participants through a survey that is handed out immediately following the workshop. The purpose of the data collection has been to determine the immediate impact of the workshop on participants. It is apparent from the results that participants have a valuable experience. 95% stated that the seminar raised their self-confidence (very much or some). 93% believed that they had an increased ability to get a job (very much or some). 88% discovered overlooked talents or skills (very much or some). 94% had increased hope (very much or some). The evaluations indicate an increased awareness of revealed talents and strengths, as well as confidence and hope. The specific results are outlined below.

The Dependable Strengths workshop has . . .

Raised my self confidence

Very Much	58%
Some	37%
Not sure	5%

Increased my ability to get a job

Very Much	57%
Some	36%
Not sure	7%

Revealed overlooked talents or skills

Very Much	55%
Some	37%
Not sure	8%

Made it easier to make and use contacts

Very Much	53%
Some	32%
Not sure	15%

Helped me develop a job campaign

Very Much	45%
Some	45%
Not sure	10%

Given me increased hope

Very Much	67%
Some	27%
Not sure	6%

Recently, the Center for Career Services embarked on a project to extend our data collection to determine the longer term impact of the workshop. It is well and good that the majority of participants have a valuable experience during the workshop, but what about three, six, or nine months later? We developed the survey questions with two objectives in mind. A) What long-term benefits, if any, does the Dependable Strengths Articulation Process offer alumni seeking employment? This would pertain either to an alum who was unemployed at the time of the workshop, or to an alum who was interested in a career change. B) Are the initial benefits of the workshop extended over time? This would pertain to any participant, irrespective of the need for a job search.

Here are sample questions from the survey:

Focus A (Job-Search Results)

• Did Dependable Strengths support you in gaining a better understanding of your strengths?
• If you pursued a job search following the workshop, how soon after did you secure employment?
• How would you rate your current job satisfaction?
• To what extent do you contribute your current employment to the Dependable Strengths Workshop?
• To what extent do you think the following aspects of the workshop were helpful in securing employment?
  • Identification of Dependable Strengths
  • Job Magnet (networking with others to be remembered and referred)
  • Dependable Strengths Report
  • Job Interview Approach
  • Salary Negotiation Tips
  • Job Finding Tools
  • Goal Setting

Focus B (Other Results)

• What happened to you as a result of the Dependable Strengths Workshop?
  • Gained increased hope
  • Gained self-confidence
  • Learned new things about myself
  • Discovered overlooked talents and skills
  • Became clearer about my Dependable Strengths
  • Gained an increased ability to articulate strengths
  • Learned how to conduct an effective job-search

The strategy for collecting data is to continue to gather information on the immediate impact by surveying participants at the end of the 18-hour workshop. All participants will be surveyed three months subsequent to the workshop to determine if they chose to pursue a job search and if so, the results. Another survey will be sent out after six months and a final one after nine months.

We hope to provide evidence for what we believe: that the Dependable Strengths Articulation Process supports an individual in finding gainful and meaningful employment by revealing overlooked talents and skills and increasing hope and confidence—the essential ingredients for a successful job search.

Susan Terry, a Dependable Strengths Master Trainer and a member of the CDS Board of Directors, is Director of the Center for Career Services, University of Washington, Seattle.

For more on the effectiveness of the Dependable Strengths articulation process, click here.

For a newly developed survey tool available to DSAP Facilitators (the DSAP Job-Search Outcome Assessment), return to www.dependablestrengths.org, and access the DS Members Only page. If you are a DSAP Facilitator, and have forgotten the password, it is available upon request. Send your request by email to ds@highline.edu.