Hire People with Disabilities
| Employing people with disabilities is usually seen as a social cause—one best suited to nonprofits or the public sector. That’s a mistake—and more important, a missed opportunity. Proactively including people with disabilities in your DEI efforts can lead to real competitive advantage in a few key areas. * Talent. Disabilities often confer unique talents that make people better at particular jobs. Identify these opportunities and recruit people with disabilities accordingly. What’s more, hiring people with disabilities makes a company more likely to be seen as an attractive employer for people without disabilities. * Culture. The presence of employees with disabilities elevates the culture of your entire organization, making it more collaborative and boosting productivity. Colleagues of people with disabilities don’t learn just to be more accepting of one another’s limitations—seeing coworkers with disabilities succeed can inspire other employees and make them realize that they, too, can elevate their performance. * Customer relationships. A reputation for inclusiveness will enhance your company’s value proposition with customers, who will become more willing to build long-term relationships with your brand. Employing people with disabilities isn’t a substitute for good products or fine customer service—but it adds another dimension to your value proposition, which can help differentiate it in a crowded market. |
| This tip is adapted from “Disability as a Source of Competitive Advantage,”by Luisa Alemany and Freek Vermeulen |
