Nonprofit Disability Solutions Connects Jobseekers with Top Companies

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One year ago Disability Solutions launched its own online Career Center. Today, more than 300,000 people with disabilities nationwide, including veterans, visit the site every month to find a career that is the perfect fit for their skills...

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As top employers strive to diversify their workforce, they frequently turn to niche job boards to attract diverse talent as a key component of their recruiting strategy. While there are a many opportunities for reaching multiple diversity groups, there have been limited options focused on reaching talent with disabilities.

In response, Disability Solutions, a nonprofit consulting service that creates inclusion strategies for national companies, launched its own online Career Center one year ago. Today, more than 300,000 people with disabilities, including veterans, visit the site every month to find a career that is the perfect fit for their skills.

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"Employers face challenges striking the right balance between meeting their federal compliance obligations, improving their position in a competitive job market, and having a positive impact. They simply don't know where to start," explained Julie Sowash, Senior Consultant for Disability Solutions. "Advertising on our Career Center provides employers a quick start platform, with many options for establishing or strengthening their talent brand among the national talent pool of people with disabilities."

The national unemployment rate varies each month, but what has not varied is that the unemployment rate of people with disabilities is approximately double the overall population.

Sowash notes that by posting job opportunities on the Disability Solutions Career Center, businesses can attract qualified applicants with disabilities, as well as demonstrate OFCCP compliance. Furthermore, Sowash knows the power of employer branding and talent value messaging in the disability community. "We want to hear a message about our value to your company; hiring us is not an act of charity," says Sowash, who herself has a mental health disability. When employees and jobseekers believe a company wants to hire great talent with disabilities, increased self-disclosure and employee referrals will follow.

"Our Career Center is a great way for an organization to begin building a new pipeline of talent with a variety of skill, experience, and education levels," said Sowash. "Our ultimate mission is to change employers' minds about the talent value of our community and to change the lives of people with disabilities who find careers with outstanding companies. We establish inclusive hiring as a standard way of business and culture in the workplace. We have outcomes data that demonstrates this to be a business value proposition placing a high talent value in this untapped pool of talent."

Beyond connecting jobseekers with disabilities with employment opportunities through the Career Center, posted jobs are shared through Disability Solutions' wide social networks of jobseekers. Said Sowash, "The companies we work with are seeing real results. The Career Center is one of the many ways employers can reach talent. We partner with major corporations across industries and across the world including PepsiCo, Synchrony Financial, American Express, Staples, Office Depot Max, Aon, and Aramark to develop and implement a strategic approach to attracting, hiring and promoting talent with disabilities for their talent needs. This month we celebrate NDEAM as we work year round to change minds and change lives through inclusion. "

Founded in 2012, Disability Solutions is the national non-profit consulting division of Ability Beyond in Bethel, Connecticut and Chappaqua, N.Y. Disability Solutions focuses on helping corporations tap new channels for qualified talent, manage culture change, respond to a changing regulatory environment, and strengthen their workforce through diversity. To learn more visit: disabilitysolutionsatwork.org or for more information about the Career Center, please visit disabilitysolutionstalent.org

Attribution/Source(s):

This quality-reviewed article relating to our United States Employment section was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World due to its likely interest to our disability community readers. Though the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or length, the article "Nonprofit Disability Solutions Connects Jobseekers with Top Companies" was originally written by Disability Solutions, and published by Disabled-World.com on 2017-11-18 (Updated: 2018-03-15). Should you require further information or clarification, Disability Solutions can be contacted at disabilitysolutionstalent.org. Disabled World makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith.

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