Another Recruiting Source

The regions labor pool is tightening. Worker dearth has given new meaning to the word “recruiting” – Labor pools that were previously overlooked have become fertile hunting grounds for all industries, and the trend is likely to continue. As the need for qualified workers continues to grow, businesses will need to look toward alternative sources of manpower to meet their job requirements. The face of America’s workforce is rapidly changing and growing more diverse. Is your business prepared for the workforce of the future?

People with disabilities represent the largest block of untapped labor market resources in our country. In Virginia, there are approximately 380,000 working age persons with disabilities. In an active effort to bridge the gap between individuals with disabilities and businesses seeking staffing solutions, the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) has established a strong, comprehensive program which addresses the needs of the business community.

At a time when qualified workers are at a premium, one of the most valuable services that DRS has to offer to the business community is in the area of staffing. With help from DRS, at no cost, employers with staffing needs can gain access to prescreened and pre-tested applicants; receive workplace accessibility analysis; find out about financial incentives; and enhance employee relations through disability training and awareness programs. To provide an objective basis of hiring, evaluating, training, and accommodating persons with disabilities, trained professionals can perform a detailed job analysis of the jobs in your company. Job analysis is a useful employment tool in that it can determine specific job requirements relative to screening and placement.

Hiring qualified persons with disabilities can also provide businesses with a number of financial incentives including tax and reimbursement benefits, which help employers, cover the cost of accommodations for employees with disabilities, and make their places of business accessible for employees and/or customers with disabilities. To help businesses successfully accommodate new employees or customers with disabilities, rehabilitation engineers are readily available to provide consultation, reconstruction and/or fabrication of devices or other needed modifications for the job or job site. Most employees experience uneasiness when we begin to talk about reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities because of the misconceptions of the amount of money that they will have to spend to be in compliance with the law. The fact is that most people with disabilities actually require little to no accommodation at all to perform their job. Accommodations that are necessary are usually low-tech, inexpensive, and are common-sense types of adjustments. Assistive devices or modifications can range anywhere from adjusting the height of an employee’s work desk or providing a cordless headset for answering phones, to simply rearranging an employee’s work schedule to one that meets his or her transportation needs.

Addressing disability issues in the workplace is another valuable service offered by DRS. Professionals with experience in disability and employment related issues provide programs on disability awareness and sensitivity training designed specifically for supervisors and employees who are or will be working with people with disabilities. We also offer seminars for personnel specialists and supervisors about fair and proper practices in interviewing, hiring and supervising people with disabilities.

Businesses throughout Virginia have witnessed, firsthand, how hiring an individual with a disability can make good business sense. See how DRS can serve as a valuable resource for businesses in a partnership that works! For further information, please visit our website at http://www.vdrs.org or contact Dana Rosanelli at 804-662-7069 or email rosanedm@drs.state.va.us.