The Recruitment and Retention of People with Disabilities

📖 The Scoop

A British survey of employers examined the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities (PWDs). Telephone interviews were conducted with two samples of employers: a random sample of 1,250 and a sample of 250 registered users of the Employment Service's "Disability Symbol," which sets a good practice standard for the employment of PWDs. Findings indicated that more than 90 percent of employers with any disabled employees employed 5 or fewer. The two most common reasons for not having any disabled employees were that none had applied for a job or that a person with disabilities had been employed but had subsequently left. Forty-five percent of the symbol users sampled had a policy specifically addressing the employment of PWDs; only 17 percent of the random sample had a policy. There was a direct relationship between the size of establishment and the existence of written policy. Almost 71 percent of symbol users and 11 percent of the random sample were actively trying to attract applications from persons with disabilities; almost 40 percent of respondents reported difficulty in attracting such applications. People with difficulties in seeing or with mental handicaps/learning difficulties were hardest to employ. The main perceived problem related to the nature of the work. Almost all symbol users were prepared to make costless or minor changes to work environment; 84 percent were willing to pay for necessary adaptations or alterations. Eleven percent of symbol users did not seem aware of its existence. (Appendixes include the sampling design and characteristics, reanalysis of a previous survey, and questionnaire.) (YLB)

Genre: Business & Economics / Human Resources & Personnel Management (fancy, right?)