Questions That Develop Rapport and Begin the Assessment Process

Questions that develop rapport and begin the assessment process

“Triple-duty” questions that you ask when first meeting a client can help you accomplish three things:

1. Lay the foundation for a productive relationship with the client

When they first meet you, job-seeking veterans are often asking themselves several questions:

• Are you:
• Trustworthy?
• Competent?
• Able to understand their situation?
• Respectful?
• Committed to assisting them get a good job?
• Likeable?
• Do they really want what you are offeringthem? Will it be worth their time to return for a second visit?

The questions you ask, and the way you listen and respond to them, can answer the questions your clientsare silently asking themselves about you, telling them:

• You arecompetent,

• You share or understand enough about his or her background to be able to ask intelligent questions about it
• You are committed to helping the client achieve his or her goals
• You care,you respectthem; you value their experience and ideas; you’re genuinely curious about clients and what they have done and what they think.

2. Begin the joint assessment process

These same questions—especially if you are listening carefully to their answers—can begin revealing the client’s goals and motivations, the limitations and obstacles that mayget in their way of getting a job and succeeding in the position, assets and strengths they can leverage during the job search, and capabilities they can offer an employer.

The brief answers they give at this stage can suggest topics you’ll want to explore with them in more detail in the future.

3. Set expectations for how you and the client will work together

These early conversations can send the message to clients that:

• They are the experts on what they want, what’s holding them back, and how they can best move ahead.
• You will be asking a lot of questions each time you meet, and your ability to effectively assist them will in large part depend on how accurately and completely they are willing to share their story with you.

Some questions to use or adapt when meeting a client for the first time

About their visit today

• Did you have any trouble getting here?
• How’d you hear about us?
• What do you know about us?

Low-key questions about military service

• What branch were you in?
• How long ago? For how long?
• What was your MOS / Rating / AFSC?
• Where were you stationed?

Share commonalities that you share - branch, skills / functions, rank, geographic assignments, era of service, etc.

More generic topics, if they seem reluctant to talk about their military service

• Are you a native of Minnesota?
• If not, where are you from?What brought you to Minnesota?
• What have you been up to for the past several years? or
• What sorts of things have you been doing for the past several years?