[acb-hsp] Four Ways to Measure Hiring PWDS

[Baracco, Andrew W]

Hiring is great, but we also need to look at opportunities for
advancement.

Andy


-----Original Message-----
From: acb-hsp-bounces at acb.org [mailto:acb-hsp-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf
Of peter altschul
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2013 9:51 PM
To: Acbhsp
Subject: [acb-hsp] Four Ways to Measure Hiring PWDS

Four Ways Companies Can Measure Returns Hiring Employees with
Disabilities
  by Suzanne Robitaille
  In the last few years, disability hiring has undergone a sea change,
moving its stature from philanthropic cause to good business decision.
  That's good news for job hunters and employers alike, and has breathed
new life into corporate disability-hiring programs across all
industries, from retail to technology.  As every employer knows, even
seemingly good business decisions must prove successful if they are to
be sustained for the long term.  While it's still difficult to pinpoint
the impact of disability-hiring initiatives, companies that learn to
measure results with a more flexible yardstick will derive more value
from their programs.
  For the most part, many of the tools used to assess other diversity
hiring programs, such as those for women and minorities, don't work as
well in the disability space.  For instance, hiring a women or
Asian-American candidate based on his or her school, coursework and
grades may demonstrate an employer's ability to capture top minority
talent.  Yet for someone with learning or mental disability, a
grade-point-average doesn't always provide the best picture of a
candidates' worth.
  It's also worth pointing out that disability isn't as easy to identify
as race or gender.  Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employees
do not have to disclose a disability.  
And just last year, the Act was expanded to include new definitions of
disability such as diabetes and epilepsy.
  For these reasons, companies should unfold that yardstick and aim
broadly, but with clear business needs in mind.  A good approach is to
focus on the one-of-a-kind benefits that disability-hiring programs
bring to the table.
  1.  Reward Loyalty The most unique advantage, by and large, is more
effective human resource management.  People with disabilities are more
loyal workers, with less turnover and absenteeism rates, according to a
2008 disability employment report by Rutgers University.  More workers
on the job, staying in their roles for longer periods, directly
correlates to productivity gains, a strong measure of success in any
corporation.  For instance, at a Walgreens distribution center in
Anderson, S.C., more than 40 percent of the 275-person workforce has a
disability, ranging from autism to Down syndrome.  The Anderson center
operates at a 20 percent higher rate of efficiency, says Randy Lewis,
Walgreens senior vice president for distribution and logistics.  "It's
literally our No.  1 producing facility in the country, with very low
turnover and low accident rates," he says.
  2.  Strut Your Stuff The second distinctive benefit is a stronger
all-around reputation.  Disability hiring supports the communities in
which you operate, helping to boost relations and goodwill.  It also
helps improve public perceptions in the eyes of your customers and
shareholders.
  A smart approach is to take on initiatives that celebrate your
disability programs, including public relations, joining an employment
council or local group, and seeking awards and recognition for your
disability programs.  You can then measure results based on media
coverage, awards won, and other accolades in the areas of social
responsibility and work environment.
  For instance, Wells Fargo and Motorola participate in the U.S.  
Business Leadership Network, a national organization that promotes
disability employment.  More than a dozen Fortune 500 companies have
received the U.S.  Department of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award,
including IBM, Merck and CVS Caremark, for bringing more people with
disabilities into the workplace.
  3.  Remember Your Customers A third benefit is enhanced
competitiveness, which translates, at least indirectly, to revenues.
Hiring people with disabilities helps a company more demographically
reflect its customer base and also attracts the larger disability
community, representing $200 billion in annual buying power.
  That's why companies like Microsoft and Hewlett Packard involve
employees with disabilities in the design, engineering product
development, testing and marketing of product lines as a way to make
their products more accessible to users who would otherwise have
difficulty using them.  It's also why Google recently supported one of
its Deaf software engineers in configuring Google Voice technology to
automatically caption YouTube videos, a feature that's extremely
beneficial to the deaf and hearing-impaired population.  No doubt that
the story, written up in dozens of blogs, contributed positively to
Google's brand and increased the search-engine provider's affinity among
the disability community.  Of course, a happy customer also creates a
happy shareholder.
  4.  Get Good Grades If you're really looking for the nuts and bolts of
disability measurement and are willing to take a hard-core look at your
hiring and customer needs, look no further than the Return on Disability
(RoD) Index.  Rich Donovan, a former Merrill Lynch trader, developed the
Index for his disability consultancy, Integrated Process Solutions.  The
RoD Index helps companies determine the performance of their disability
programs.  While criteria varies depending on a company's needs, some
hiring benchmarks include cost to hire, productivity gains, revenue
benefits, or savings from adding to a shrinking labor pool.  All of a
company's programming efforts are then distilled down to a single,
standard rating.  "We're proving that returns exist in the disability
space," Donovan says.
  Whether you're just starting up or have an established hiring program,
you can take your initiatives farther -- and get the resources you need
-- if you're able to single out critical success factors.  Armed with
one or more of these flexible measurement methods, your
disability-hiring program has more gravitas to stand on its own,
flourish and perhaps even set the gold standard for your industry.
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