ACTION GUIDE FOR HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS

Discovering an Untapped Resource 
Recruiting, Hiring, and Promoting People with Cognitive Disabilities

Project Employ

America's Shrinking Labor Force
Michael J. Hopkins, Senior Executive Editor than about government regulations. Employers know
of Inc'. Magazine, affinns that hiring and the high costs and profit losses associated with em-
recrujting capable employees are two of ployee turnover.
today's threshold business issues.
The video "Discovering an Untapped Resource" and
" As a business p'erson and employer, you've heard this guide try to address these concerns by focusing
of the difficultief; many companies face today in find- on people with cognitive disabilities as a source of
ing qualified employees. With a period of extended qualified employees. In the video, employers describe
economic growth and a shrinking labor pool, it their experiences in hiring people with disabilities,
doesn't look as though this is a problem that will and their resulting satisfaction with this approach.
go away any time soon," he says. This guide provides further information about how
you as an employer can effectively pursue this
"In the past fifteen years, the available supply of labor strategy to add qualified workers to your labor force.
in the U.S. has s]1runk by one-half its previous size. In the following pages, information is provided on:
In 1983, the U.S. unemployment rate was almost 11%.
Today it is less tJhan 5%. The labor pool has grown .the importance of focusing on ability, and not
only 1.3% a year :from 1986 to 1996, and so farsighted on disability, in the employment and retention
companies have already begun adjusting to deal with process
this projected employee availability crunch. Since. government-supported assistance for employers,
1996, the number of people on the job or available from private community rehabilitation service
for hire has increased at the ~emic rate of 1.1% a providers and public vocational rehabilitation
year, a pace that should continue until at least 2006, agencies for people with cognitive disabilities,
presenting HR pl,ofessionals with the tightest labor in identifying qualified candidates through such
market in 40 years." processes as job matchiI!g and job sampling
Recent business surveys by such organizations as .the nature of cognitive disabilities and how it
INC. Magazine, the Society for Human Resource relates to effective workplace performance
Management (SF[RM), and the National Federation. national and regional resources to help you
of Independent I~usinesses (NFIB) document that identify qualified candidates and make appro-
the number one ];>roblem for business is finding qual- priate workplace accommodations
ified employees. A July 1997 article in USA TODAY
reports that the l~ational Association of Business. strategies to promote continuing success for all
Economics cites a record 47 percent of companies employees, especially those with disabilities,
h.trblfudingghkilldkrstothrough an ongoing standard-setting and accom-
avrng ou e 1 enou s e wor e .
fiII available jobs, a leap from 32 percent just three modation-update process
montJhs ago. The NFIB June 1997 survey of small A list on page 12 provides you with resources
thebusinesses founcl that 27 percent of employers re- for recruiting, accommodation, technical assis-
ported difficulty in filling open positions. More mem- tanc~, and support.
bers, in fact, woncied about finding qualified workers
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People ,with Cognitive Disabilities:
an Untapped Labor Source
With business facing a severe shortage scenarios is that all those featured as exem-
of sldlled and unskilled workers, plary employees are people with cognitive
employers are increasingly turning disabilities, including mental retardation.
to nontraditional sources of labor. However,
high unemploYJ1lent rates continue for people People with disabilities comprise the largest
with disabilitie1). The unemployment rate for minority in America-54 million people. As
people with severe disabilities is approximately the population ages, so will the workforce.
70 percent. Yet" of adults with disabilities More than half the population over age sixty-
who are receiving public assistance, 75 per- five have a disability. In addition, approxi-
cent would rather be working. According to mately 20.3 million families, or 29.2 percent
the Census Bureau's Survey of Income and of all families in the United States, have at
Program Participation (SIPP) 1994-1995 data: least one member with a disability. Employers
.need to address disability issues in the work-
.26.1% of people WIth severe disabilities are
1.
fth1p ace I ey are to remain competitive.
emp oyed
.52.3% of all people with disabilities are The President's Committee on Employment
employed of People with Disabilities is seeking to expand
and enhance employment opportunities for
.82.1% of the :general population is employed people with cognitive disabilities. Project
In view of the f~LCt that apprJximately 82 per- E~LOY focuses on developing and placing a
cent of the total U.S. working age population q~~~~ lab.or po~l of people with cognitive
works, it becomes clear how much further disabilities, mcludmg mental retardation, in oc-
we must go before people with disabilities cupations that provide higher th~ the minimum
reach employmlent parity with the general wage, benefits, and promotional opportunities.
population. References
...M. Adams, "The Stream of Labor Slows to a Trickle," HR
SpotlIghtmg motIvated, qualified, competent Magazine, October 1998, p. 85.
employees, in a, variety of skilled positions, D: Hale, "Bon~ of F\1l1 Employment for US," Financial
.
th.d"D..Ti,mes, 14 Apnl1997.
IS e VI eo tscovermg an Untapped Re- " .
" ., .R, Hershey, U.S. Jobless Rate Declmes to 4.7%, Lowest Since
source. In the .Video s openmg sequence, we 1973: Ne'/1J York Times, 8 November 1997, p. 1.
hear just a little' of what their coworkers and
supervisors thillk of them. What links these
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