Mark joined our administration team as a volunteer towards the end of 2013. Whilst his administrative skills were very good, he was awkwardly shy and very clear that he was unable to use the telephone to answer or make calls. Left unaddressed such reticence would obviously continue to hinder him in his search for a paid administrative role.
We decided to approach the issue gradually and over time, I built a steady rapport with Mark, (based partly on our shared love of football) and several months into his voluntary placement, I suggested that Mark and I start phone training. Mark was initially reluctant but agreed to give it a try and each week, we sat down for 30 minutes and role-played a variety of typical NewStarts scenarios over the telephone.
Mark made rapid progress and quickly became comfortable with the notion that he would soon be doing it for real. 6 weeks after starting his training, he took his first phone call in the office, something which represented a massive step forward for Mark. His new skill has definitely increased his value to us as an organisation, but it’s also eradicated one of the biggest barriers blocking him from securing paid employment.
Aside from the phone calls, his all-round social skills have improved as a result of the busy yet friendly office environment and he now stands a fighting chance of securing a paid administrative role when he attends an interview.