4 Disability-Inclusive Methods to Attract Diverse New Hires to Your Business

As a business owner, attracting top talent is always a priority. But when it comes to attracting diverse populations — including workers with disabilities — many companies need to work a little harder. Appealing to professionals with disabilities is one thing; delivering on those promises is another. With these methods from TI Verbatim, your company can begin reaping the benefits of a diverse workforce while offering competitive perks to prospective employees.

Tick All Housekeeping Boxes

Before bringing on any new staff, ensure that your organization is ready to fulfill all its legal obligations. Although many employers have a basic understanding of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the nondiscrimination policies of other federal employment laws protecting individuals with disabilities are often less familiar. There are actually five federal laws addressing disability employment and job application rights:

• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Rehabilitation Act
• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
• Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act
• Civil Service Reform Act

Expand Work from Home Opportunities

Working from home is an appealing job perk for many workers, not solely those with disabilities. To ensure that remote work is a benefit and not a pitfall, set your team up for work-at-home success before sending them to their home offices.

Consider equipment and adjustments your team may need to support remote work, including assistive devices for workers that require them. Confirm that your company website, employee-facing applications, and workplace materials are accessible and compatible with assistive technology to ensure success.

Additionally, a work environment is more welcoming if employers think ahead to address workers’ needs versus a worker with a disability having to inquire about accommodations.

Advertise Your Accessible and Inclusive Culture

After adjusting your job openings and checking the boxes for accessibility and inclusivity, it’s time to promote your business. Showcase the benefits you offer through transparent hiring processes, social media activity, and traditional marketing methods.

All policies should be up-front, and applicants should know from the outset that you welcome diversity and support accommodations. In terms of outreach, your company’s social media ads can feature your entire team, including those with disabilities (visible or otherwise).

Traditional marketing methods like newsletters and brochures can also serve as channels for pitching potential new hires. For example, developing recruiting documents for new applicants is a convenient way to share information. For a document in any format, make things easier on yourself by using a PDF doc converter to switch to PDF format and be 508 compliant. PDFs are easy to manage and edit, too.

Innovate with Internship Opportunities

Companies in every industry benefit from a diverse workforce. Research confirms that diversity and inclusion in the workplace open companies up to a larger talent pool, boosts engagement and trust, and often increases profits. One way to ensure a consistent influx of new ideas and perspectives is by implementing an internship program.

Creating a well-planned internship program expands your applicant pool and creates mutually beneficial working relationships for employers and employees. It helps employees gain skills and employers receive qualified short-term labor. To engage and promote internship opportunities within the disabled community, consider working with organizations such as the National Business & Disability Council, which maintains a database of postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities who are seeking summer jobs and permanent employment.

Expanding your hiring efforts to include professionals with disabilities can’t happen overnight. There are laws and guidelines to follow and many considerations to make for accommodations in both technology and your workspace. With this guide, you can start working toward an inclusive and engaging work environment that will attract and retain the most qualified professionals for the job.

TIVC believes any successful workplace has a human-first approach, and we are dedicated to helping people work better together. Questions? We’d love to hear from you!