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Business

2013-04-29 15:19:06

How can my business benefit from hiring someone with intellectual disabilities?

A-Many people shy away from hiring anyone with intellectual disabilities. This is very unfortunate indeed—especially for the business owner! Hiring people from all backgrounds and abilities has tremendous value for every business and the community. First, hiring someone with a disability shows a commitment to the community which resonates with your customers. They care because you care, and become repeat customers. Second, your company benefits from the individual's unique abilities and adds in ways that you might not even realized is needed. For example, the employee might excel in working with people, can present information well, or can make customers feel welcomed when other employees find it difficult or intimidating. Another great reason for hiring someone with a disability is tapping into a ready and underutilized workforce. Research shows that employers report overwhelming advantages that translate into productivity and profitability. These studies find employers report employees: 1. Average or above average in safety on the job 97% 2. Hardworking 93% 3. Positive attitude 93% 4. Reliable 90% 5. Good employee 86% 6. Long-term employee 79% 7. Lower turnover-5 times more likely to stay on the job 8. Good team work 79% 9. Willing to work part time 76% 10. Good work ethic 76% When you stack up those statistics against the general population, you see that there is no question that there are enormous advantages. Given the right training and right support, hiring someone with intellectual disabilities ends up being right for everyone involved. In my experience at EOC, I can honestly say the experience has been overwhelmingly positive and enriching for me personally. Statistics can only show so much. What they do not show is that the amount of personal growth and satisfaction gained from a willingness to include all segments of the population.