(Part I of this article was published in the February 2007 issue.)

PROACTIVE PROJECTS

One of the most successful approaches that I have seen for recruiting people with disabilities has been the development of what I call “Proactive Projects”. Going beyond “general” recruiting strategies of a company, these are specific and deliberate initiatives to bring people with disabilities into their workforces. They are typically done in partnership with a CBO (Community-Based Organization) or Educational institution. They have the advantage of concrete and measurable results, they can often be duplicated in other departments/branches of a company, and they tend to quickly heighten the level of disability expertise within a company. Proactive Projects can assume many forms; here are just a few examples:

Contracting - One large company contracted its in-house print shop to a CBO. The CBO ran the print shop and employed people with disabilities to do so. The host company then recruited from that pool of workers for job openings in other parts of their operations. Similarly, another company contracted a heavily clerical part of their operation out to a CBO that already ran a clerical training program – again directly recruiting employees from that talent pool. See: State Compensation Insurance Fund's Providing Equal Opportunity for All.

Training - A company with a chain of hardware stores collaborated with a CBO and a community college to develop and run a 6-month training program for cashiers and agreed to hire all graduates of the course. The course included classroom instruction and in-store work experience. This model has been used successfully by both individual companies (i.e. a company with a large call center recruited customer service operators this way and a large retail store uses this model as an ongoing recruiting tool) and by collaborating companies within a particular sector (i.e. several banks collaborated to train/recruit bank tellers and 10 hotels banded together to recruit assistant chefs.) See: Partners for Workplace Inclusion program of the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work.

Mentoring - One company set up a Mentoring program with several CBOs. Several times annually, a dozen employees of the company were paired with selected job seekers with disabilities from the CBOs. The company’s employees served as job-search Mentors for a three-month period. Naturally, the company hired several of the best candidates. Contact Project HIRED to learn about their Mentor Program.

Internships – Several companies in Cincinnati participate in Project SEARCH – hosting one-year internships for a group of high school students with developmental disabilities. Historically, these hosting companies have actually hired 30% of the students at the end of the internship period. Another 57% of the students have secured jobs with other companies at the end of the internship period. See: A Unique Model to Tap the Talent of People with Disabilities.

Targeted Employment – I am making a distinction here between “targeted recruiting” and “targeted employment”. In “targeted recruiting”, companies seek to increase their participation rates of people with disabilities in their workforces by proactively recruiting applicants with disabilities. I am using “targeted employment”, to refer to companies who actually designate jobs for people with disabilities and then implement recruiting efforts to find the people they need to fill those jobs. See: If We Can’t, Who Can? An article on the targeted employment initiative of Walgreens distribution centers.

PUBLIC PROFILE

As I pointed out earlier, people with disabilities are unlikely to be found congregated in a way that makes targeted recruiting as easy as you would like it to be. Any good recruiting strategy, for job seekers with disabilities, will include portraying a disability-friendly profile to the general public.

People with disabilities are spread throughout virtually every level of society – every age group, every cultural institution, every ethnic/racial group, and every social/economic class. This “dispersion” is what makes your general public profile so important! Carefully consider how people with disabilities are portrayed in your advertising, merchandising, and recruiting media. If you are able to portray yourself as a company that values the contribution of people with disabilities, it is likely that job seekers with disabilities will gravitate to you. (Particularly when people with disabilities want to avoid the discrimination and awkwardness that is so prevalent in most of their contact with employers.)

Even small companies can make big statements. I remember, several years ago, walking into a store that had a sign on its door that read: “Customers and job applicants with disabilities are welcome. Please see customer service if you need any assistance.” I also remember the bank that hired a Deaf Teller – within weeks, in addition to a significant increase in Deaf customers, they received numerous applications from qualified candidates with a variety of different disabilities.

Not long ago, I remember seeing a recruiting brochure from a major corporation. They had been careful to include photographs of men and women from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. They also included an attractive photo of a young man in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, this picture was not on the pages about career opportunities; but on the “Community Involvement” page that outlined their various charitable endeavors. What a different message this brochure would have communicated to disabled readers if that photo had been on the “Careers in Engineering” page!

In addition to the public profile that is portrayed in your own communications, consider how you can heighten your visibility with disability-focused organizations and media. Look for ways to get recognition by supporting the work of disability-focused organizations and events in your community.

DISMANTLING ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS

Be mindful of attitudinal barriers in your organization that can scuttle all your best efforts.  “Disability” is an emotionally-charged, misinformation-prone issue.

• 22% of employers report co-worker stereotypes and attitudes a major barrier to employment/advancement of people with disabilities. (Implementation of the Provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Survey of 1400 Members of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), March 1999.)

• 15% of non-disabled people report discomfort at the prospect of working for, or nearby, a person with a disability. (Gallup and Robinson Survey reported by Training Resources Infolines Update Oct/00.)

• 40% of disabled workers report encountering on-the-job discrimination. (Harris Poll, 2000.)

Recruiters, Hiring Managers, even co-workers with misinformation and/or bad attitudes can effectively block or hinder your best efforts. Be sure that part of your recruiting strategy is to educate and inform your non-disabled workforce! Wouldn’t it be great if applicants with disabilities were swept into your company on a wave of enthusiasm and support!

Training Seminars - Many local CBOs and Departments of Rehabilitation offer free training available to employers in their areas. For a fee, articulate people with disabilities are available in most areas to address topics such as reasonable accommodations, the ADA, disability etiquette, etc.

Several great videos are available. One of the best is the Ten Commandments of Communicating with People With Disabilities. It also comes with handouts and a training module. See: www.diversityshop.com/store/10comvid.html.

If you want to run your own internal training seminars, rather than develop your own, you might check out the free curriculum offered by California State University Northridge at www.csun.edu/~sp20558/dis/emcurcon.html?113,133. The most widely-used program in North America is the WINDMILLS Attitudinal Training Program. (Contact: Milt Wright & Associates www.miltwright.com.

Online Information - A wealth of great informational resources already exist online. Provide your employees with links to some of the best sites that you can find. If you have one, your corporate Intranet is an effective place to keep pertinent information for your employees. I worked with one company to compile extensive resources on disability issues – recruiting, interviewing, accommodating, supervising, developing/promoting, etc. It is an effective way to have critical information at your employees’ fingertips.

Personal Interaction - Direct, face-to-face interaction is the most powerful way to break down attitudinal barriers. Take advantage of every opportunity to give your employees direct contact with people with disabilities. This contact will do a lot to overcome any uncertainty discomfort and misinformation that your employees are harboring. I have already suggested getting your employees involved with Mentoring programs, hiring Interns, and inviting guest speakers with disabilities. Here are a few more suggestions:

• Mock and Informational Interviews – Most CBOs value “Mock” interviews as a way for their job seekers to hone their interviewing skills. They also value “Informational” interviews as a way for their job seekers to gain industry-specific information on their career interests. Consider offering such interviews to clients of a local CBO. It is a comfortable way for your employees to increase their own “disability competence”.
   

• Internal Training “Scholarships” – Some companies, again partnering with CBOs, have made some or all of their internal training courses free to job seekers with disabilities. This is truly a “win/win” proposition. For little or no cost to the company, such arrangements enable people with disabilities to gain more marketable skills – while they give company employees the opportunity to interact directly with people with disabilities and thereby increase their disability comfort/acumen. Also, more than one company has snagged a good employee this way! 
   

• Job Fairs – Although they were mentioned earlier, one company used a Job Fair for job seekers with disabilities as a great opportunity staff development. Instead of staffing their booth with 2 or 3 employees for the whole day, they changed shifts every hour – giving over a dozen employees the opportunity to interact with job seekers and to see the related exhibits on accommodations and access technologies.
   

• National Disability Mentoring Day – October 24 is National Disability Mentoring day. It is sponsored by the US Department of Labor, Office on Disability Policy. It is an exceptionally good opportunity to involve your employees in a positive interaction with students with disabilities. See: http://www.dmd-aapd.org. 

LAST WORD

According to every study conducted in North American workplaces, people with disabilities have proven themselves to excel in performance and reliability. Companies that have taken the extra effort to dismantle their own internal reticence and to proactively tap into this labor pool have reaped the rewards - and continue to do so.

~ Rob McInnes

© Rob McInnes, Diversity World, March, 2007 (If not used for commercial purposes, this article may be reproduced, all or in part, providing it is credited to "Rob McInnes, Diversity World - www.diversityworld.com". If included in a newsletter or other publication, we would appreciate receiving a copy.)

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