5 smart ways to recruit accounting candidates with disabilities

5 smart ways to recruit candidates with disabilities

September 23, 2021 12:00 PM

Many people with disabilities have experienced discrimination based on their disability and therefore may require some coaxing to apply for your jobs. However, they will provide your firm with unbelievable benefits and are worth the modest effort.

In an earlier article, I discussed 10 key benefits of helping your clients hire more workers with disabilities. Here, we’ll look at five smart ways to do so. My good friend Deb Russell, one of the nation's foremost experts on disability inclusion, shared these tips:

Go beyond Equal Employment Opportunity Commission language

When posting jobs, updating your company’s website career page and explaining that you do not discriminate against protected classes, take the next step to create a disability friendly communication strategy. Instead of saying, “We don’t discriminate against people with disabilities,” try saying something like, “We welcome candidates who represent diversity, especially those with disabilities.”

When scheduling interviews, ask every single candidate if they may need accommodation for the interview process. Don’t wait for the candidate to request one. This signals to all candidates that you are disability friendly.

Partnering

Partner with a local agency or school that provides employment services (also called “vocational”) to people with disabilities. You can go through your state agency, or directly to local agencies. To find ones in proximity, try an internet search based on “disabilities employment name of neighborhood/town/county.”

Communication

Clearly communicate, both internally and externally, that you are welcoming candidates with disabilities. In the past four years, the No. 2 source for candidates with disabilities is current employee referrals. But this only happens after a business has explicitly mentioned a desire to employ more people with disabilities.

Internships

Consider a dedicated internship for a college junior or senior with a disability. Every college and university are required to have an office of services for students with disabilities. These offices assist students with accommodations they may need to get the full benefit of their education (like a quiet test environment or a note taker during class). These offices can help you advertise an internship that has been dedicated to a student with a disability.

Quick tip: Be sure you maintain your current standards of qualifications and performance ratings for these students.

Understand which accommodations are 'reasonable' and which are not

Examples of reasonable: flexible work from home options, different lighting (once we are back to working in-person), software that “zooms” text or reads the screen, or video training that is captioned. Examples of unreasonable: changing the qualifications for job openings, reducing standards of performance, changing the architecture of a building protected by historical landmark status (and many others related to structural changes). The best resource for accommodations is

www.askjan.org

, a free and confidential informational source on accommodations for businesses.

A sixth tip I'd like to add is understanding more about the causes of disability. Sure, some people are unfortunately born with disabilities or develop them after suffering an accident. But you may not know that strokes are one of the leading causes of disabilities.

My personal story

I can tell you from personal experience that it’s true. In early 2014, I suffered a stroke. I was very fortunate that I recovered very quickly at least from a physical standpoint. Only about one in 12 (8%) stroke victims walk away without a physical disability. However, for the better part of five years, I struggled with feelings of melancholy, hopelessness and, yes, depression. I was fortunate to have a great support network around me and I did not keep my struggle hidden. I could tell my wife everything that was happening to me. I saw great counselors to help me figure out what was going on inside my brain. It was a long road to recovery, but I am proud to say that I have been melancholy-free for two years and counting.

With everything that the pandemic and COVID-induced economic challenges have brought us, I am sure it would be easy for someone to struggle with mental health. If you are struggling, please do not hide it. Share what is going on with your family and seek out someone to talk to. It worked for me.

Another great resource is

Stroke Survivors Empowering Each Other

. The SSEEO was an invaluable source of comfort and assistance to my family and me when we truly needed it. I continue to stay involved and am honored to serve currently as SSEEO president.

One positive outcome from my stroke and recovery is that I decided to evaluate my role in our business,

Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals

, which I co-founded in 2007. I had assumed the role of managing partner, almost by default, when we started. I was always good at starting and growing businesses. I was also very good at educating our CPA firm partners about tax credits and incentives. But I was not great at managing the day to day operations of the business. In 2017, those of us in top management decided to change responsibilities. My partner took over the role of managing partner, which leverages his strengths in management, and that freed me up to focus more on business development. I’ve always enjoyed generating new business, supporting our business development team and spending time educating CPAs around the country about tax credits and incentives. By changing roles, we’ve enabled our business to grow by over 300% over the past four years.

My stroke was the catalyst for making these bold changes, but it would not have been possible without my great support team and my decision to get help when I felt I needed it. By taking a hard look at my health and true skills, I was able to combine my passions for teaching and business development. Finding your strengths and passions, and surrounding yourself with others who have strengths different from yours, is critical for success. It took a traumatic experience for me to realize this, but this kind of self-reflection is something I urge you to do every year. Taking a little time out from the day-to-day can pay big dividends for your business and personal growth.