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Written for the Employmentpaper.com.
The Overlooked Business Solution
By: Joyce Bender
Executives and business owners throughout the United States are
dealing with an ongoing problem that will not be solved in the near
future, an enormous scarcity of resources that has created a tight job
market.
In addition to escalating payrolls and recruitment costs, companies
are missing deadlines on critical business projects, resulting in
significant profit losses due to the inability to recruit or retain
the necessary talent. In a recent Fortune Magazine article, a study
from McKinsey notes, the next 15 years will witness a 15% decline in
the number of people between the ages of 35 and 44. This means
existing labor shortages in specific markets will continue.
One industry that has experienced a significant labor shortage is
information technology, where some companies in the United States
currently have over 100 open positions that cannot be filled. Many
companies in the United States have had open position in IT for over
nine months on a consistent basis. According to a recent report by
the Commerce Department, the growth rate for computer systems
analysts, computer scientists, and computer engineers will have
exceeded 100% for the decade ending 2006. With the Internet
development and e-commerce explosion, the technical skills companies
are seeking over the next five years will not be found easily. For
this reason, many corporations in the United States have moved to
offshore development work and focused on the recruitment of foreign
workers. This recruitment of foreign workers is so aggressive that
this year all of the visas allocated for foreign workers through the
government, were issued by mid-year.
The Secretary of Commerce, Secretary William Daley, recently stated
there exists a critical need for business, government and education to
work together to deal with the current shortage of IT skills.
An obvious business solution is being overlooked by the business
community, employing people with disabilities. The most recent data
from the US Census Bureau states that there are over 10 million
Americans of working age with disabilities who are unemployed in this
country. It is the largest protected class group of people unemployed
in America. This labor group, comprised of people who want to work,
has been traditionally ignored by most businesses.
In a recent survey by the National Organization on
Disability/Harris poll, over 81 percent of people with disabilities
stated they wanted an opportunity to work. How refreshing to employ
someone who values employment as gaining freedom in this country, and
remains dedicated and loyal to the company that provided them real
independence.
With such a logical business solution to employers, the question is
why is it being overlooked? Businesses today must overcome
attitudinal barriers that prevent people with disabilities from
gaining entrance to the workforce. These barriers include pity, fear,
ignorance, and thinking of a person with a disability as inferior.
Pity is a cloaked form of racism and both lead to unemployment for
people with ability.
Corporations and small businesses need to establish a
corporate-wide recruitment program that aggressively includes the
recruitment of qualified people with disabilities and employee
disability awareness education. If a person has the ability to work,
wants to work, and is qualified for the job, why not seize this
opportunity to solve an enormous and costly business problem. People
with disabilities add value to the work environment, because diversity
always improves the culture and perspective of the staff.
This is not a charity issue; this is a business issue. Companies
should not hire someone because they have a disability. Companies
should hire a person with a disability who is qualified for the job.
The individual who cherishes an opportunity to add value to the
company will be a productive individual.
Statistics from the President's Committee on Employment of People
with Disabilities demonstrates that people with disabilities have a
high attendance record and great longevity at a company. This is a
business solution that relates directly to retention of skilled
workers.
Retention is a very costly issue to employers today. Costs
associated with training, sign-on bonuses, benefits, and recruitment
costs are staggering. Over the next five years with many companies
offering early retirement packages, recruitment and retention issues
will be significant. Today, companies must realize they cannot afford
to discount a prospective employee because he or she is entry-level in
experience or because he or she has a disability. Recruiting and
retaining valuable employees with ability will continue to be a key
business issue across America. Where will the resources companies so
desperately need come from today? Where will those resources come
from as we enter the 21st Century?
Open your doors; there are over 10 million working age Americans
with ability ready to help solve your business problems.
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