Many of us in the disability services sector have heard this question – and many of us have had an immediate emotional response, struggled with our words and in the end, failed to capitalize on a great opportunity. The fact is, employment inclusion professionals should be able to respond with ease to inquiries and challenges. The case for inclusion speaks for itself; it’s not about ‘doing the right thing’ – it’s about doing the smart thing and leveraging the benefits of diversity.
10 Responses to “Why Would I Hire Someone with a Disability?”
- What criteria have you used to hire the people who work for you now? Generally speaking, such criteria can be distilled down to ‘You believed they could do the job and would stay in the position for a reasonable length of time – ideally, several years.’ How’s your track record so far?
- According to current statistics, 46% of hiring decisions fail in the first year – most publicly funded employment inclusion services perform better much better than that.
- You don’t generally know the people you hire. You see their resume and spend up to 60 minutes in an interview with them but your hiring choice is typically an ’educated guess.’ Our service takes the time to know our clientele, their strengths and goals etc. so that when we present them to you, we’re doing so with solid knowledge of their capabilities and assets.
- Reflecting the market you serve is important; one in every six Canadians has a disability of some kind. When you hire people with disabilities, you’re communicating to customers with disabilities (or their family members) that your company believes that people with disabilities can make a contribution and deserve to be included. Market share – plain and simple.
- Disability may be viewed as an ‘obstacle’ put in a person’s path. How they thought about that obstacle and found a way over, under around or though it gives them a different perspective of problem solving. This is the essence of the strength inherent in diversity.
- Inclusion of people with disabilities in your workplace can strengthen your business. Innovation and engagement are higher at workplaces that reflect diversity and inclusion.
- You might just become a better supervisor; learning how to include and accommodate people with disabilities creates ‘transferable skills’ for effective communication and leadership.
- Other employees often become more engaged at work. The presence of someone who might need a little extra direction and mentorship can attach more meaning to the job for employees.
- A lot of employers are a bit afraid of trying to supervise and include an employee with a disability – that’s one of the main reasons our service exists. We’re quite adept at supporting employers through any issues or concerns. It’s a lot easier than you think.
- I’d like you to meet someone with a disability who would love to work for you