Employers are always looking for the ideal employee. The one who comes to work when scheduled, is on time, takes initiative and is a team player. Hard to find, right?
Maybe it’s time to start taking a more creative approach to finding those employees. There is growing evidence that hiring people with disabilities is a win for employers on many levels including overall business profitability.
The phrase, “return on disability” was coined by Rich Donovan, a recognized subject matter expert on the union of disability and corporate profitability. Donovan has spent more than 10 years focused on defining and unlocking the economic value of the disability market. His organization, the Return on Disability Group (www.rod-group.com), provides data, context and a path forward for companies willing to explore the benefits of hiring the disabled.
Often employers have reservations about hiring people with disabilities. They have many concerns including how the disabled person will fit in with other employees, how they will relate to customers and if they will demand an inordinate amount of time to train.
Watch this video to gain an understanding of how hiring the disabled has been a good business decision for the businesses featured.
WaBA has committed to a leading role in a statewide effort to improve education training opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities. We facilitate business engagement: recruiting, coordinating, and managing active participation from businesses and trade associations to help improve access for applicants with disabilities.
If you’re interested in learning more about WaBA’s commitment to people with disabilities, contact Barry Long, our Disability Employment Initiative Project Manager, at barry@wabusinessalliance.org