If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being in the beautiful, challenging world of applied behavior analysis (ABA), it’s that the heart of this work isn’t perfectly intervention plan: it’s the people following the plan. This includes the registered behavior technicians (RBTs) who show up, day in and day out, to make a real difference.
This is why when it comes to interviews, I’ve tossed out the standard script. Forget sitting under fluorescent lights reading through a standardized list of questions. I conduct my interviews over the phone and my goal isn’t to grill the potential hire: it’s to connect.
The Two-Way Street: Are We a Good Fit for YOU?
Right out the gate, I aim to be very clear: this conversation is a two-way street. I am just as invested in the potential hire deciding my organization is a the right fit for them as I am in the reverse. They should be interviewing us just as much as we are interviewing them.
Why? Because everyone deserves a workplace that values them, supports them, and aligns with their professional values. My job in this interview is to give a transparent look at who I am as a supervisor, my organizational culture, and how we practice. I encourage asking the tough questions; advocate for yourself! If something is important, such as scheduling, supervision style, or client populations, this is the time to bring it up. Their voice matters here, and it always will.
If we’re not both walking away from that first call thinking, “Yes, this is someone I want to work with,” then it’s not the right fit, and that’s okay.
Beyond the Behavior: A Trauma-Assumed Approach
If we’re going to be a team, it’s crucial you know how I approach my clients. I am deeply committed to a trauma-assumed care model. This means I always consider the whole learning history of the individual, not just the immediate antecedent and consequence.
Recognizing that in moments of high emotional arousal, the establishing operation (EO) is set for behaviors that have historically provided safety and regulation, often escape or avoidance. Our job in those moments is not to only to increase skill acquisition but to provide safety and co-regulation. The learning can, and will, happen when the client is back in a state where they can access that learning.
We are still behavior analysts. We still believe in the power of reinforcement and the laws of behavior. AND we need to develop interventions that apply them with compassion, nuance, and a fundamental respect for the client’s emotional experience.
Why the Phone? Ditching the Visual Bias
You might have noticed I prefer phone interviews. There’s a method to my madness! While video calls are great, they come with instant, and often unconscious, visual judgments. Relational frame theory is constantly at play, with or without our consent. A phone call lets us both just… talk.
We can focus on the content of the conversation, the tone of voice, and the ideas shared, without any preconceived notions based on what we look like or what’s hanging on our wall behind us. It levels the playing field and lets connection happen through words first.
At the end of the day, my goal isn’t just to “fill a position.” It’s to start a professional relationship built on mutual respect, open communication, and a shared commitment to compassionate, effective care. If we’re not both walking away from that first call thinking, “Yes, this is someone I want to work with,” then it’s not the right fit, and that’s okay.