Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 2) | Page 107

Practice Issues
Implications for Designing Intervention
So what can we do to help make the job search experience a more positive
one for clients? One way to do this is to promote a successful identity in the
client. Every person carries around a number of overlapping and conflicting
identities or roles, such as worker, parent, daughter, hobbyist, and so on. The
way people feel and act depends on which identity is active, and any given
situation has a strong influence on which identity emerges. Programme staff
can encourage desired behavioural outcomes by drawing on the positive
identity in a client - for example, by emphasizing an individual’s strengths
or successes. This helps to prevent the undesirable emotions and mind sets
that arise with associations to weak identities which can negatively influence
the process of job search.
Research shows that asking clients to think and talk about a time when they
succeeded can activate an identity that inspires and motivates them to take
action towards their goals. It is useful to do this just before an important
action is supposed to occur - for example, before the client fills out a job
application or goes for an interview. Likewise, it is good to design written
materials and forms to make them more positive and avoid activating client
identities that are related to dependency or inadequacy.
Another point where the job search experience can be improved is to
help clients to navigate with some ease a roadmap to upcoming events,
specify the next steps in clear and achievable goals and use reminders. The
more the message or signal is specific and salient to us as individuals, the
more powerful it is likely to be. This helps to direct the clients’ attention to
information and action steps that are most important and are relatively easy
to incorporate into their day to day life. These may appear to be small steps
but they make a lot of difference in the motivation of clients.

2. Designing hotlines (Office of Planning, Research
and Evaluation, 2014)
Another area that can benefit from behavioural economics for re-design of
systems is the operation of hotlines. Many callers hang up while on hold,
and once lost, they may never call back and receive the assistance they seek.
This happens when the caller’s experience of waiting heightens anxiety and
uncertainty about how long he or she has to wait to get through to someone.

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