By Rachel Bozek
Decision-makers don’t always think of disability inclusion as a business move. But it can strengthen companies in several ways, from bottom-line benefits to brand loyalty.
Here are five disability inclusion benefits that can bring value to your company. Some of them might surprise you.
1. Increased employee retention and productivity
Companies want their employees to stick around. And they want them to care about their work.
“The number one hidden benefit of disability inclusion is increased retention and decreased turnover,” says James Emmett, a disability inclusion expert and lead workplace strategist for Understood. “It’s a direct product of employee brand loyalty.”
A third of managers rate employees with disabilities as more dedicated and less likely to leave the job than their peers. And the benefits can extend to the wider staff.
Three years ago, Quest Diagnostics began actively recruiting candidates with autism spectrum disorder. It was part of DiverseAbilities, the company’s disability-focused employee business network.
Employees across the company have embraced the program. “Folks who have been here for years appreciate when we do anything to help us get a stable, reliable, productive workforce. It impacts them when we don’t have that,” says Linda Behmke, Quest’s corporate engagement and human-resources compliance manager. Thanks to the DiverseAbilities program, Quest found opportunities to improve their onboarding process in a way that benefits everyone.
According to Emmett, disability inclusion has a “rally effect” where “productivity is enhanced for everybody.”
“It’s not just people with disabilities coming in and kicking butt in the workplace,” he says. “It’s people who don’t have disabilities rallying around the initiative and the people in this initiative.”
2. Access to an untapped talent pool
3. Boosting a company’s bottom line
4. Consumer brand loyalty
5. Strength from new perspectives
For the full story: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/hidden-value-of-disability-inclusion-5-benefits-that-can-help-company