A pilot investigation into the effectiveness of cold call and referral job development models in supported employment

The purposes of this study were to: (1) document and compare the effectiveness of two business/sales oriented job development models in supported employment, the Cold Call and Referral Models; and (2) determine preliminary job development activity standards that could be used to gauge areas of job development strength and weakness and pinpoint improvement strategies. The results indicated that the Referral Model, in which employers were contacted through third-part advocates, was found to be superior to the Cold Call Model, in which job developers contacted employers directly. Specifically: (a) fewer business contacts were required to obtain a yes decision through referrals; and (b) the referral process resulted in a higher percentage of employers that continued to work with job developers across each subsequent step in the job development process. Practitioner implications were addressed in light of these findings. Future research needs also were discussed.