Recognize These Common Myths About Job Coaches

​Job coaches help train employees with many different types of disabilities, including individuals with autism and persons with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Employers should be aware of and not be influenced by myths about job coaches.

Job Coach's Role

Job coaches are trained professionals who specialize in helping individuals with disabilities learn and successfully perform job duties, according to Melanie Whetzel, a principal consultant and team lead for the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). JAN, a service provided by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, is based in Morgantown, W.Va.

Job coaches provide one-on-one training tailored to the needs of the employee. They may start by doing a job analysis to identify the position's job duties. Then job coaches may develop a plan for how they can best train the employee to work more independently until the worker is able to perform job duties accurately and effectively without assistance, Whetzel said.

Nancy Ratey, owner of Strategic Life Coach LLC for Professionals with ADHD in the Columbus, Ohio area and with a virtual practice around the world, said her goal is to try to get her clients to the point where they can "self-observe, stop, pause and reconsider" in order to avoid procrastination. People with ADHD sometimes get "stuck in the moment and do something else," she said. As a job coach, she can help the employer understand the individual's patterns and what the person wants to change to perform well, Ratey noted. She helps the worker break tasks down with timelines and an understanding of what takes the person off course. "ADHD is the cause. Take out judgment," she explained.

Barbara Bissonnette, principal of Forward Motion Coaching in Quincy, Mass., coaches individuals with autism. "Sometimes, an employer sponsors me to coach an individual," she said. Performance expectations perhaps are not being met or someone is having trouble working well in a group. Bissonnette involves managers, HR professionals and other stakeholders in job coaching. She helps clarify goals and how the employer measures progress, plus sets benchmarks. Managers also are trained to better understand how to make autistic employees successful. HR typically is familiar with Americans with Disabilities Act obligations, she said.

Employees with autism often have difficulty in interpersonal communications and may misunderstand expectations as they are very literal. Just saying, "You've got to work faster" isn't meaningful to these workers, Bissonnette said. "You need to be more precise."

Much of what people communicate happens nonverbally through gestures, tone of voice or facial expressions. "People on the spectrum may not notice or be able to accurately interpret these nonverbal cues," she said. "As a result, the actions of other people can seem very random and confusing. It can also create a lot of anxiety in social situations."

People with disabilities, including those with autism, have many skills to offer employers, however. Bissonnette said autistic individuals typically have strong attention to detail, spot anomalies others might miss, make new connections others haven't recognized, and can concentrate for long periods without becoming burned out or bored.

Misconceptions About Job Coaches

"A common misconception about job coaches is that the coach will be doing the job for the employee," Whetzel said.

This misconception may be based on the methods the coach uses. "Some teaching strategies involve the coach demonstrating how a task is done, the coach and employee then doing the task together, then the employee doing the task alone," she explained.

Other misconceptions involve the cost of the coach, the assumption the accommodation will be permanent and confidentiality concerns of allowing a nonemployee into the workplace.

In some instances, there may be state and local agencies, such as state vocational rehabilitation agencies, or nonprofit organizations that will provide coaches for employees with disabilities at little to no cost to the employer, Whetzel said. The cost of a coach varies, as does the amount of time the coach is present. Both Ratey and Bissonnette said at least three months is needed to coach a client.

"The time frame a coach is necessary will vary from person to person according to their needs and the complexity of the job, but the purpose of the coach is to help the employee become proficient on their own, providing less assistance over time until the employee is self-sufficient," Whetzel noted. "If the process is taking longer than anticipated, a conference to determine how to move forward may be needed."

When an employer is worried about security and confidentiality, they may ask the coach to undergo the same background check as an employee and inquire as to the confidentiality training the coach has been provided, she added. "Some employers choose to provide this training, but many outside professional coaches come trained in confidentiality," she said.

Employers must also protect the confidentiality of disability information about the employee who is being provided a job coach.

Should Relatives Be Job Coaches?

In some cases, a parent or other family member can be an effective job coach, Whetzel said. "A family member may better understand the employee, their disability and how their limitations affect them on the job." However, she added that when the coach is not adequately trained, doesn't respect boundaries, or becomes too emotional or controlling, that person may do more harm than good.

Another consideration is the employee may not want the family member to be the coach, said Michelle Barrett Falconer, an attorney with Littler in San Francisco. Or the family member may want to be considered an employee of the company.

"Further, family members may have a tendency to want to help the employee too much," she cautioned. In these instances, the family member may end up doing the work for the employee rather than providing the employee with effective tools, skills and methods to succeed in the job for the long term, she said.