Promoting Diversity in the Workforce, Series 1 – Disabled Candidates

By Rathin Sinha, President

Having our foundation rooted in workplace diversity with our predecessor, America’s Job Bank, a pioneer in online recruitment started in 1995 by the United States Department of Labor, workplace diversity is a central theme of America’s Job Exchange’s business. To this end, we’re beginning a series devoted to “Promoting Diversity in the Workforce.” The first in our series focuses on disabled Americans.

Out of all working-age disabled Americans in the United States, only about one third has a job.  When it was enacted almost 20 years ago, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) was designed to “level the playing field” for people with any kind of disability. Clearly, that has not happened

A disability can encompass many areas from a physical ailment, to cognitive, mental or developmental issues.  Hiring managers need to source talent regardless of disability issues. Sourcing these candidates can be strategic to your recruiting plan and accomplishes 3 goals: 1) offers an untapped resource; 2) contributes to bottom line performance; and 3) reinforces your ongoing efforts for Equal Employment Opportunity.

For many companies who are sourcing candidates for high-growth areas, disabled employees can prove valuable. From call center staffing, technical support, medical transcription and billing, data entry, to non-physical labor careers like the legal sector, disabled workers should be considered  prime candidates if they can fulfill the requirements of the job.

Along with finding the best employees, there are also grants available for businesses who hire disabled candidates. The government -funded Ticket to Work program provides support for employees hiring disabled candidates who receive Social Security. Businesses can also look for funding offered by the Office of Disability Employment, just to name a few.

Ultimately, you should not hesitate to hire a candidate with a disability. This should not be considered a nice thing to do,” but the right thing to do in creating a diverse organization.

If you are not registered with us, register today and post jobs on our Disability Exchange to source candidates rich and diverse in talent.