It’s evident that businesses employing people with disability can substantially benefit from the talents, skills, and qualifications people with disability offer.
When we improve employment outcomes for people with disability, we provide significant benefits to workplaces, the economy, the community and individuals themselves.
Below are just 4 of the benefits of employing people with disability:
Talent attraction and retention
When an organisation becomes more inclusive for people with disability by removing the barriers inherent in recruitment and workplace practises, they ensure that all available roles are filled with individuals with the relevant skills, qualifications, experience.
Inclusive workplaces have a larger talent pool to choose from when employing more diversity. These employees are more likely to enjoy their role and be more motivated and engaged for a longer duration. This is particularly important for industries with higher employee turnover rates, which costs money, time, and productivity.
Brand building and brand reputation
Surveys of members and case studies part of 2014’s Employer of Choice Study showed that employees and customers are more loyal to organisations demonstrating that they value diversity and inclusion. Employees and customers respond positively when a workforce is reflective of the community as a whole. Additionally, there is increasing evidence suggesting inclusion is taken into account when awarding tenders and contracts.
Improve marketing and retention
Employing people with disability helps employers to understand the needs of their customers or employees with disability, giving them an edge over their competition.
A diversified workplace reflects the wider community, which helps improve customer retention and loyalty and result in greater overall customer satisfaction.
Risk Mitigation
Research by Australian Safety and Compensation Council has shown workers with disability have higher retention rates, better attendance and fewer occupational health and safety incidents than those without a disability. These factors all contribute towards a more cost-effective business, and organisations with an inbuilt capacity for inclusion minimise injury risk, complaints, or breaches of discrimination law.
The disability employment sector represents a substantial opportunity for businesses and people with disability to come together and forge strong and effective partnerships.
