Employees with Disabilities

1. Strong work ethic. Just like anyone else, people with disabilities want the opportunity to establish a rewarding career. Unfortunately, barriers often arise, many times in the form of a potential employer’s preconceived notion that hiring people with disabilities is too difficult or expensive. When given the opportunity, people with disabilities tend to be very hard working and enthusiastic about their employment. This enthusiasm is worth its weight in gold and transfers to other employees in the workplace.
2. Star performers. Dedicated and motivated employees often prove to accomplish the most in any work environment. Employees with disabilities are often passionate about what they do and this enthusiasm translates into increased productivity. When these employees demonstrate they are more than capable, they can become respected leaders and models of star performance.
3. Long tenure. When employee turnover is high, recruiting, training and hiring expenses quickly add up. Some experts say each new hire costs a company more than $5,000. That’s money that could be better invested in training, employee benefits or company profit sharing. Employees with disabilities tend to stay on the job longer, which saves the company money and is better for everyone.
4. Enhanced skills. Some managers are pleased to learn that employees with disabilities are really employees with super-abilities. For example, many vision-impaired people have learned to be better listeners as they compensate for their vision loss. This means listening in for sounds that callers are distracted or emotional. In some cases, it may involve exercising patience or listening with empathy. For customer service agents, this is a huge benefit that leads to better customer satisfaction and ultimately higher sales as callers’ needs are understood correctly and their needs are met.
5. Good business and community relations. With more than 50 million Americans living with disabilities, or one in five people, there is a large pool of candidates who are underserved and often underemployed. When you combine this availability with a company’s obligation to be a good neighbor, it makes good business sense to reach out to this population segment. It will go a long way toward building a reputation as a responsible corporate citizen and employees will point to your efforts as evidence of corporate goodwill.
6. Minimal cost plus tax incentives. Accommodating the special needs of people with disabilities can be inexpensive. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free and confidential service offered to employers of the disabled by the U.S. Department of Labor. According to JAN, in 85 percent of the cases it handles, employers are able to accommodate disabled employees, with a modified workspace for instance, for little or no cost. JAN offers an online searchable database with valuable employer resources at www.jan.wvu.edu.

To find out more about how to recruit, train and hire people with disabilities for your contact center, visit your state government office of health and human services, your local employment development department or any organization that offers vocational rehabilitation. Helpful information is also available through the Department of Justice and the Americans with Disabilities (ADA). Small business owners can also receive a tax deduction or tax credits to offset any costs in providing accessibility for employees with disabilities.

Making it a priority to recruit, hire and train people with disabilities can prove to be a financial boon for your business. When you hire motivated, positive employees, it tends to rub off on co-workers and this ultimately leads to higher morale and lower turnover.

Chris DeLambo is vice president of marketing at LiveBridge, Inc. a global call center services company in Portland, Ore. www.livebridge.com

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