The good news is employers want to hire people with disabilities and qualified candidates are available. But putting employers and jobseekers together needs improved co-ordination to create more success stories
This is the second of a two-part series on recruiting people with disabilities. The first part, published in the Dec. 19 issue, summarized some of the reasons behind the employment gap for people with disabilities, as reported in the Neglected or Hidden study commissioned by the Canadian Abilities Foundation. This article looks at some innovative solutions that have emerged during the research.
Employers have bottom-line reasons for building workforce diversity. Inclusiveness is a competitive advantage that lets an organization better connect with a diverse community and customer base. Inclusiveness provides access to a larger pool of strong job candidates in a time of skills shortages and enhances an organization’s reputation as an employer of choice.
So why aren’t more employers tapping into the wealth of human potential in people with disabilities? After all, as a group they make up some 13 per cent of the working age population. That is precisely what the Canadian Abilities Foundation set out to determine in its recently completed Neglected or Hidden study, the findings of which may surprise some employers.
Likely the most revealing finding that illustrates the need for a new employment strategy for people with disabilities is the disconnect that exists between employers, people with disabilities and the service providers who help these individuals enter the workforce.
With few exceptions, these stakeholders just don’t seem to know how to communicate with each other, if they are fortunate enough to find one another in the first place.
The commitment and passion of workers with disabilities and those assisting them is sound. And more than enough employers across the country have opened their minds and their doors to workers with disabilities to demonstrate that the employment challenges these workers face can be overcome.
Yet the disconnect problem has persisted and will continue to do so without meaningful change.
As a major western Canadian employer participating in the study put it, “There seems to be a marketing gap. Agencies send the candidate with a disability, with a generic resumé, and say ‘Can you find a job for this person?’ There doesn’t seem to be a focus. They should say, ‘Here’s this person and here’s what he can do for you.’ The resumé should reflect that.”
Missing links
Out of about 75 employers contacted for the study, a sizeable percentage were willing to hire qualified jobseekers with disabilities, but were facing challenges in moving forward on this front. The majority indicated that, while they have workplace reintegration programs in place for employees who become disabled, they have not introduced proactive recruitment strategies targeting new applicants with disabilities. Many simply did not know where to turn for help and, to their knowledge, had also never been contacted by a community organization that assists disabled jobseekers.
Some employers have explored targeted recruitment tactics, such as working with disability services providers and advertising in non-mainstream press, but found their efforts were not producing the desired results.
Meanwhile, there are hundreds and hundreds of disability-related organizations across Canada that provide some level of employment support to their clients. However, most of the 50 organizations interviewed for the study have limited ongoing contact with employers and are typically reactive in their efforts. Factors contributing to this approach include limited financial resources, conflicting priorities and a lack of experience with how the private sector operates.
Successful connections in Nova Scotia, Alberta and Vancouver
The good news is that a small number of organizations have made significant inroads with employers in their respective regions. Many employers we interviewed spoke of the need for partnerships and this is precisely the angle these successful organizations have chosen. They spend time with an employer to become familiar with its culture, its products and services, the demands of individual jobs and where the job opportunities are. It is only then that the organization begins to identify and prepare the most suitable candidates.
Post-placement support and periodic followups are other elements of the service that help ensure both greater employer satisfaction and more positive outcomes for the worker. Of course the idea of “after-sales service” is not a novel concept in the private sector.
One example is the Dartmouth Work Activity Society in Nova Scotia, which started its new approach with just a single employer “partner.” Neglected or Hidden’s researchers found the employer to be highly satisfied with the services provided.
EmployAbilities, a full-service agency serving Edmonton and northern Alberta for more than 30 years, has also launched a partnership-building strategy that is receiving strong employer support. A unique feature of the agency’s approach is its partnership with the local chamber of commerce through which it offers advice on disability issues to employers. Employers that have been exposed to this advisory service recognize the benefits that the agency can bring to workplaces and are now establishing ongoing relationships with the agency.
Just a few short years after it came into being, the Greater Vancouver Business Leadership Network has grown its “co-ordinating agency” service to more than 35 employer partners. The organization is unique in that it is led by these partners. It also partners with other employment-related service providers by broadcasting employment opportunities to them and receiving candidates in return. Employers appear to overwhelmingly prefer this “one-stop shop” approach. Employers are targeted less frequently by agencies marketing jobseekers who do not meet their needs, recruitment efforts are simplified, candidates are carefully screened by the network’s job developers before referral and employers save a great deal of time.
Simply put, the co-ordinating agencies meet the employer’s human resource needs rather than expect employers to take what is available and be satisfied with the choice. Employers also know where to turn for other services and information related to workplace accommodation, facilities accessibility and awareness training.
Disability-related organizations benefit in that they can focus their attention and resources on the skills upgrading and job readiness of their clients rather than looking for employers that might be in need of a worker.
Leadership must come from employers
Since progressive service agencies are few and far between in Canada, employers should be prepared to take a lead role in partnership development if they want to benefit from workforce diversity. Suggested actions include:
•Identify a community-based employment services provider that has the capacity to provide a one-stop shop (co-ordinated) approach to employment referral and workplace support services for workers with various types of disabilities. Ensure that the job developers (counsellors) who are on staff know and understand employers, and are qualified and capable of building relationships and partnerships with them.
•Where such service provider capacity is unavailable, initiate discussions with a small group of employers from different business sectors regarding the establishment of a business leadership network to oversee the delivery of co-ordinated services. The key characteristics of this network should be that it is employer-driven and resource-lean, but rich in job developer experience and the effective use of technology.
•Ensure that the job developers with the network or agency are fully aware of an employer’s workplace culture, needs and priorities. They should also be briefed on such matters as skills shortage areas, employer expectations and job demands.
•Whether an existing service provider or a new network, help expand the partnership by encouraging other employers to join, and other agencies to provide referrals and information services to the co-ordinating body.
•Have the co-ordinating agency or network provide employer partners with training in workplace accommodation, adaptable workplaces and other awareness issues.
•Enable the employer’s human resources professionals to become an in-house resource on employment and disability issues for the organization.
•Hire a qualified worker with a disability to gain exposure and build confidence in hiring from this group while building receptiveness to the concept across the organization.
The Neglected or Hidden study suggests that the number of Canadian employers that are willing to hire people with disabilities should be more than adequate to meet the availability of disabled jobseekers. Similarly, the eagerness of people with disabilities to find work and to increase their practical experience and value to employers is clearly evident. The problem lies with bringing the parties together. While partnerships between employers and service providers are still in their infancy in Canada, they show great promise as newly-formed relationships grow and prosper. For employers that wish to achieve a fully diverse workforce, the partnership approach described in this article could be applied equally effectively to other targeted groups.
Alar Prost is president of Ottawa-based Innovera Integrated Solutions. Innovera led the Neglected or Hidden study, on behalf of the Canadian Abilities Foundation. Alar may be reached at [email protected] or at (613) 741-3549.
Employers have bottom-line reasons for building workforce diversity. Inclusiveness is a competitive advantage that lets an organization better connect with a diverse community and customer base. Inclusiveness provides access to a larger pool of strong job candidates in a time of skills shortages and enhances an organization’s reputation as an employer of choice.
So why aren’t more employers tapping into the wealth of human potential in people with disabilities? After all, as a group they make up some 13 per cent of the working age population. That is precisely what the Canadian Abilities Foundation set out to determine in its recently completed Neglected or Hidden study, the findings of which may surprise some employers.
Likely the most revealing finding that illustrates the need for a new employment strategy for people with disabilities is the disconnect that exists between employers, people with disabilities and the service providers who help these individuals enter the workforce.
With few exceptions, these stakeholders just don’t seem to know how to communicate with each other, if they are fortunate enough to find one another in the first place.
The commitment and passion of workers with disabilities and those assisting them is sound. And more than enough employers across the country have opened their minds and their doors to workers with disabilities to demonstrate that the employment challenges these workers face can be overcome.
Yet the disconnect problem has persisted and will continue to do so without meaningful change.
As a major western Canadian employer participating in the study put it, “There seems to be a marketing gap. Agencies send the candidate with a disability, with a generic resumé, and say ‘Can you find a job for this person?’ There doesn’t seem to be a focus. They should say, ‘Here’s this person and here’s what he can do for you.’ The resumé should reflect that.”
Missing links
Out of about 75 employers contacted for the study, a sizeable percentage were willing to hire qualified jobseekers with disabilities, but were facing challenges in moving forward on this front. The majority indicated that, while they have workplace reintegration programs in place for employees who become disabled, they have not introduced proactive recruitment strategies targeting new applicants with disabilities. Many simply did not know where to turn for help and, to their knowledge, had also never been contacted by a community organization that assists disabled jobseekers.
Some employers have explored targeted recruitment tactics, such as working with disability services providers and advertising in non-mainstream press, but found their efforts were not producing the desired results.
Meanwhile, there are hundreds and hundreds of disability-related organizations across Canada that provide some level of employment support to their clients. However, most of the 50 organizations interviewed for the study have limited ongoing contact with employers and are typically reactive in their efforts. Factors contributing to this approach include limited financial resources, conflicting priorities and a lack of experience with how the private sector operates.
Successful connections in Nova Scotia, Alberta and Vancouver
The good news is that a small number of organizations have made significant inroads with employers in their respective regions. Many employers we interviewed spoke of the need for partnerships and this is precisely the angle these successful organizations have chosen. They spend time with an employer to become familiar with its culture, its products and services, the demands of individual jobs and where the job opportunities are. It is only then that the organization begins to identify and prepare the most suitable candidates.
Post-placement support and periodic followups are other elements of the service that help ensure both greater employer satisfaction and more positive outcomes for the worker. Of course the idea of “after-sales service” is not a novel concept in the private sector.
One example is the Dartmouth Work Activity Society in Nova Scotia, which started its new approach with just a single employer “partner.” Neglected or Hidden’s researchers found the employer to be highly satisfied with the services provided.
EmployAbilities, a full-service agency serving Edmonton and northern Alberta for more than 30 years, has also launched a partnership-building strategy that is receiving strong employer support. A unique feature of the agency’s approach is its partnership with the local chamber of commerce through which it offers advice on disability issues to employers. Employers that have been exposed to this advisory service recognize the benefits that the agency can bring to workplaces and are now establishing ongoing relationships with the agency.
Just a few short years after it came into being, the Greater Vancouver Business Leadership Network has grown its “co-ordinating agency” service to more than 35 employer partners. The organization is unique in that it is led by these partners. It also partners with other employment-related service providers by broadcasting employment opportunities to them and receiving candidates in return. Employers appear to overwhelmingly prefer this “one-stop shop” approach. Employers are targeted less frequently by agencies marketing jobseekers who do not meet their needs, recruitment efforts are simplified, candidates are carefully screened by the network’s job developers before referral and employers save a great deal of time.
Simply put, the co-ordinating agencies meet the employer’s human resource needs rather than expect employers to take what is available and be satisfied with the choice. Employers also know where to turn for other services and information related to workplace accommodation, facilities accessibility and awareness training.
Disability-related organizations benefit in that they can focus their attention and resources on the skills upgrading and job readiness of their clients rather than looking for employers that might be in need of a worker.
Leadership must come from employers
Since progressive service agencies are few and far between in Canada, employers should be prepared to take a lead role in partnership development if they want to benefit from workforce diversity. Suggested actions include:
•Identify a community-based employment services provider that has the capacity to provide a one-stop shop (co-ordinated) approach to employment referral and workplace support services for workers with various types of disabilities. Ensure that the job developers (counsellors) who are on staff know and understand employers, and are qualified and capable of building relationships and partnerships with them.
•Where such service provider capacity is unavailable, initiate discussions with a small group of employers from different business sectors regarding the establishment of a business leadership network to oversee the delivery of co-ordinated services. The key characteristics of this network should be that it is employer-driven and resource-lean, but rich in job developer experience and the effective use of technology.
•Ensure that the job developers with the network or agency are fully aware of an employer’s workplace culture, needs and priorities. They should also be briefed on such matters as skills shortage areas, employer expectations and job demands.
•Whether an existing service provider or a new network, help expand the partnership by encouraging other employers to join, and other agencies to provide referrals and information services to the co-ordinating body.
•Have the co-ordinating agency or network provide employer partners with training in workplace accommodation, adaptable workplaces and other awareness issues.
•Enable the employer’s human resources professionals to become an in-house resource on employment and disability issues for the organization.
•Hire a qualified worker with a disability to gain exposure and build confidence in hiring from this group while building receptiveness to the concept across the organization.
The Neglected or Hidden study suggests that the number of Canadian employers that are willing to hire people with disabilities should be more than adequate to meet the availability of disabled jobseekers. Similarly, the eagerness of people with disabilities to find work and to increase their practical experience and value to employers is clearly evident. The problem lies with bringing the parties together. While partnerships between employers and service providers are still in their infancy in Canada, they show great promise as newly-formed relationships grow and prosper. For employers that wish to achieve a fully diverse workforce, the partnership approach described in this article could be applied equally effectively to other targeted groups.
Alar Prost is president of Ottawa-based Innovera Integrated Solutions. Innovera led the Neglected or Hidden study, on behalf of the Canadian Abilities Foundation. Alar may be reached at [email protected] or at (613) 741-3549.
