Hiring the right employee means hiring the person with the right skills, and the person who will work well with the team. With a diverse talent pool to choose from, it’s important to carefully consider every prospective employee based on these two essential criteria. In working through the hiring process, these two criteria may point directly to a person with a disability.
In addition to skills, there are a lot of good reasons to hire a person with a disability, including their ability to adapt to situations, their problem solving skills, and their sensitivity to diversity.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP); the National Technical Assistance, Policy, and Research Center for Employers on Employment of People with Disabilities; and Cornell University have developed a comprehensive website called AskEARN.org. This website contains numerous “Resources to Help Employers Hire and Retain People with Disabilities”.
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) JAN is a free service of ODEP that provides productivity tools and strategies for hiring, accommodating, and retaining employees with disabilities.
Following is a collection of additional information designed to answer questions about employing people with disabilities, and help companies recruit and hire people with disabilities.
Financial Incentives
There are a number of financial reasons companies should consider hiring a person with a disability including tax benefits.
■ Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities
■ Diverse Perspectives: People with Disabilities Fulfilling Your Business Goals
■ State of Texas Work Opportunity Tax Credit
■ Hiring Authorities for Federal Employers
Advertisement, Application, and Interviewing Tips
It is important to make sure hiring processes are accessible, and allow access by people with disabilities. Following are several resources to help ensure your process is accessible.
■ Employers’ Guide to Reasonable Accommodations for Job Advertisements and Applications
■ Making the Online Application Process Accessible
■ Tips for Designing Accessible Web Pages
■ Focus on Ability: Interviewing Applicants with Disabilities
■ The Employer’s Guide to Reasonable Accommodations for Interviews
■ Disability Etiquette Tips for Interviews and Speaking Engagements
■ Interviewing Resources for Employers
Accommodations for Your Employees
Often, companies are unsure exactly what they need to do in order to make sure their workplace, policies, and job duties are set up to give people with disabilities a chance to succeed. The following resources are designed to help companies do just that.
■ Job Accommodation Network (JAN) – List of Publications
■ Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR)
■ Employer’s Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation
Office of Disability Employment Policy
■ Investing in People: Job Accommodation Situations and Solutions
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