Resources

Many job descriptions are created and never updated. Work with current employees to see if their respective job descriptions match their day-to-day roles. Some employers include this process as part of annual performance reviews.

Identify which tasks are essential to the position and which may come up occasionally. If you had a excellent candidate who was able to complete all the essential tasks, would there be someone else on your team who could complete the occasional ones? By breaking tasks apart into these two categories, applicants have a better sense of the core responsibilities, and you’re better able to evaluate potential employees.

Consider the education required for the position. Employers often require a high school diploma or equivalent by default. Look at your job description. Is that education requirement there because the employee needs to have certain math skills to keep track of inventory, use a register, or make calculations? Does the position require an understanding of grammar for writing and editing? Are these skills testable or able to be demonstrated?

If so, can these skills be listed on the job description instead of requiring a diploma? This will increase your number of applicants and better inform them of what is necessary to succeed in the position.

For more advanced jobs, ask the same questions. Does an employee need to have a degree because of legal regulations and licensing or is it sufficient for them to have a comprehensive understanding of the field? Many folks are unable to afford higher education yet attain the same level of knowledge through self-study and free online coursework.

People with disabilities have historically faced many barriers to employment. Even those with graduate degrees may find themselves without the requisite years of work experience asked for in a job announcement.

A company’s brand and reputation is not created through a single social media post about inclusion. Make sure your marketing, social media presence, and recruitment all regularly include the disability community without tokenizing it. Over time, become a company that everyone knows wants to hire qualified people with disabilities.

Just as with the branding above, make it clear to your employees, partners, and clients that disabled applicants are encouraged to apply. Who knows? One of your current employees might know the perfect person to refer! In addition, this communication will improve your company’s work culture and could result in current employees sharing their accommodation needs with you. Accommodations aren’t bad; they help your employee be even more productive than they already are.

Whether it is on your homepage or your jobs page, a statement of inclusivity is the most direct way to share the message: This company wants to hire qualified individuals with disabilities.

A job announcement shared to social media as an image will most likely not reach applicants who use text-to-speech technology like screen readers. This population may include those who are blind or have low vision, and people with reading disabilities such as dyslexia, other cognitive disabilities, and motor disabilities. If you must share it as an image be sure to include alternative text (see Digital Accessibility for more information).

Uploading your job announcement as text or in a file format like .doc or .pdf ensures the inclusion of this applicant pool. Most Microsoft Office applications have a built-in Accessibility Checker that you can use to fix common accessibility mistakes. As an added bonus, having the information as text-based also increases the likelihood that a search engine will include it in its results.

If you are a registered employer on this directory, you are also welcome and encouraged to include a statement saying so on your job announcements.

An accessible announcement only does half the work; you need to make sure you reach your potential applicants. You can improve your reach by:

• Including a link to your jobs webpage when you register for the directory. If you’ve already registered and want to edit your information, contact us at [email protected]

• Send the job announcement to us and we’ll distribute it to our jobseeker mailing list. We’re happy to share social media job announcements too.

• Reach out directly to local service providers who work with disabled jobseekers. The partners on the bottom of this page make up a comprehensive local network.

Unless otherwise noted, links open in new tabs.

Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)

• Company Website Disability Inclusion Messaging

• Encouraging Applicants with Disabilities: Job Descriptions and Announcements

• Encouraging Applicants with Disabilities: Job Descriptions and Announcements – Checklist for Employers

Mid-Atlantic ADA Center

• Video: How to Write Good Job Descriptions

• Video: Make Sure your Job Recruitment Activities are Accessible and Inclusive

Partnership On Employment Accessible Technology (PEAT)

• Communicating Your Commitment to Accessibility: Tips for Employers

Businesses increasingly rely on third-party application software to handle online submissions. This saves the employer the need to hire technical experts to build custom digital applications. Unfortunately, many platforms are not accessible for a significant number of users. If you are shopping for a platform, find out if they meet WCAG 2.1 AA criteria. More details about this are available on the Digital Accessibility page, but what you should know is that these are internationally recognized accessibility standards. If the vendor doesn’t know how to answer your question about WCAG, they probably don’t meet the criteria.

If you want to do a quick inspection of your application, try to complete it without a mouse or cursor. Can you navigate through all the fields with only the Tab key? This is only one of the criteria, but is the most prevalent error and is the easiest to check.

For businesses that don’t use online platforms, a digital application form is generally used. A pdf can be quickly generated from a Word document, but may not be editable. Uneditable pdfs must be printed by the applicant, written on, and then either scanned and emailed, mailed, or hand delivered.

Unfortunately, creating editable pdfs requires Adobe Acrobat Pro, software that must be paid for. If you already have this program, make sure to add fillable areas to the application. If you don’t have Acrobat Pro, the Champaign Public Library has public computer stations that have the program available for free. If you have questions about creating editable pdf applications, please contact [email protected] and we can schedule a time to help you with the process.

The upside of pdf files is that their formatting and spacing is kept even when the applicant fills it out. However, an alternative to having a pdf file is uploading your application in a native format (such as .doc). In fact, this is often a more accessible format for people who use screen readers. The downside is that the spacing and lines may be shifted. Being flexible and understanding why the spacing is off will keep you from potentially disqualifying an excellent candidate.

Not everyone qualified for a position may be tech-savvy. If you have a few printed applications available, you’ll be ready for walk-up candidates. Even better if you have a large-print version too!

To have the broadest applicant pool possible, an employer should be willing to accept applications both electronically and in person. This helps to include applicants who may not own electronic devices and applicants who are not able to travel easily.

This latter category does not necessarily mean that the potential employee will never come to the workplace. Some people with disabilities require longer periods to prepare for the day and have to wait for specific transportation options to get somewhere. Asking them to spend 2-3 hours getting there in order to drop off an application is not necessary.

Whether it’s on your careers page, the job announcement, or the application itself, be sure to provide both an email address and phone number. This way, applicants will be able to contact you with any questions they may have about the position, the application process, or other relevant matters.

If an applicant requests a reasonable accommodation for the interview process, be sure to have it in place before they arrive for the interview.

A qualified applicant may be the perfect fit for a position and an excellent addition to your team. However, not everyone thrives in the traditional face-to-face interview style. Consider these alternative approaches as a means of better understanding your candidate’s background, approaches, and skills.

For many skilled people, test and interview anxiety acts a barrier to succeeding in on-the-spot evaluations. By allowing the applicant to see the questions in advance, they are able to better prepare their responses. This way, you’re able to evaluate them based on their answer and not their performance under pressure.

This method also benefits individuals who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or may have an auditory processing disorder or speech disorder.

Similar to the first option, allowing for an interview that is 100% by email reduces candidate anxiety. This also enables applicants with speech disabilities or who are non-speaking to fully communicate their thoughts without feeling pressured by an in-person environment.

Walking interviews entail touring the workplace or facility during the interview. It is a means of removing the face-to-face pressure and expected eye contact while still learning about your candidate. By letting the candidate see where they could be working, it may also provide an opportunity for them to ask more questions about the job or suggest accommodations that may improve success.

Like the walking interview, this brings the candidate into their potential workplace and allows for both of you to see how they will do with the essential tasks of the position. It is important to not use this method solely as a means of free labor and should be limited in both scope and time. Depending on the workload requested, you could even offer a stipend for the work completed.

Video interviews became a widespread practice over the last two years and benefited many people. As mentioned on the Applications page, a need for specialized transportation can turn a 15-minute interview into a three-hour process of getting there and back. This is not an issue when it comes to employment, but you can save your candidate’s time, energy, and money by allowing for a live video interview.

Our team includes an Employment Specialist with years of experience providing job support and attending employer interviews. They would be happy to schedule a time to meet with you, discuss these interview styles in greater depth, and take a look at the process you currently use. Contact us at [email protected] if interested.

Unless otherwise noted, links open in new tabs.

Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)

• Accessible and Authentic Interviews for Candidates with Disabilities

• Interviews

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

• Affirmative Action and Disability: What Can Employers Ask?

• Job Application/Interview Stage Dos and Don’ts

Not every disabled employee requires an accommodation. For those who do, something as simple as allowing them to have a phone with them can make a huge positive impact on your company’s bottom line.

Employers are often concerned about the potential expenses of providing accommodations for employees with disabilities. An ongoing national survey of disability-inclusive employers has found that more than half of accommodations came at zero cost while the bulk of the remainder had a median one-time cost of $500. This small investment resulted in a 90% retention rate (which saves the cost of onboarding a replacement) and major increases in both the employee’s attendance and productivity.

Some applicants and interviewees may feel comfortable sharing their need for workplace accommodation. Others may wait until a job offer has been made or even after they have started working. To facilitate onboarding, an employer can tell all new hires about the company’s commitment to inclusion and procedure for requesting accommodations as part of the job offer. It is up to the employee to make the request. Determination of what the reasonable accommodation will be is the outcome of a discussion between the employee and employer.

Imagine arriving for your first day on a job, only to discover that you can’t access the front door, bathroom, or team meeting space. To set your new employee up for success and to make them feel welcome, be sure to consider their individual needs for the position’s workflow.

The following list from the Job Accommodation Network’s onboarding page details some of the common categories to think about:

• Access to Website and online forms;

• Print material in an accessible format including providing media in alternative format as needed (large print, Braille, text file, etc.);

• Accessible parking and building access (keyless entry, security issues, restrooms, break rooms, exercise rooms, etc.);

• Use of service animal in the workplace;

• Computer and communication technology access (alternative input devices, screen reading software, screen magnification, telephone amplification, smart phone or tablet apps, etc.);

• Workspace modifications (furniture, lighting, space, noise abatement, etc.);

• Services or work related assistance (sign language interpreters, readers, note takers, etc.); and/or

• Emergency evacuation and shelter in place plan needs.

A new employee may not immediately know what accommodations they may need. Or, they might find that their needs change over time, possibly as a result of taking on new duties. Allow the discussion to be ongoing. This way, your employee can tell you what would help increase their productivity.

This section is covered in much more depth during our Frontline Staff training. Contact us at [email protected] if you would like to schedule a session for you or your staff.

Everyone has different preferences for the way they like to learn something new, whether they have a disability or not. You may find that some employees benefit from having access to training videos to rewatch later, or written instructions to go along with verbal direction. Others learn better through practicing a new technique themselves.

If you find that someone is having trouble understanding something, try rephrasing it or ask them if they have a preferred instructional format.

It is important that all new employees know who to go to if they have questions. Whether that’s an assigned mentor, a supervisor, or members of the employee’s team, having a connection allows for inclusion into the workplace and can help get your new staff up to speed.

Unless otherwise noted, links open in new tabs.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

• Accommodation Search

• Benefits and Costs of Accommodation

• Incorporate Reasonable Accommodation Practices into your Onboard Process

• Information for Employers

• Onboarding Accommodation Assessment Checklist (downloads .doc file)

Shadowing takes place over a period of two to five workdays. It provides real-world exposure for someone to see if a career they have read about is as they expect. This experience can be a deciding factor in determining if they want to pursue further studies in the area and can help to identify skills they need to develop in order to prepare themselves. The difference between this and job trials is that a shadow is primarily observing and asking questions.

The most important thing about a job trial is that it needs to have a set duration from the beginning. Some employers offer job trials as a potential path to permanent employment. More often, temporary positions are offered that allow an employment specialist or job coach to come in with a jobseeker that they are supporting. The trial is a means of trying out different jobs and tasks before they decide what position they want to apply for. In many cases, the employer has built a relationship with the coach, has trained the coach in that company’s approaches, and is confident that the tasks will be completed correctly without the employer having to monitor.

This is a successful model for job skill-building programs to cycle multiple candidates through several job types. By working a couple shifts at each, the candidate is able to better gauge their skills and interests.

High school and university students are often looking for fixed-term employment to build skills while they continue their studies. These could be quarter-, semester-, or year-long, or just for the summer. Ideally, internships are paid, but there are sometimes scholarships available through the school programs to subsidize the work. It is important that the internship is developed not only to fill a vacancy, but to be a structured means of developing the student’s skills.

Even if your business is unable to offer an employment option, mentorships are still vital to increasing a jobseeker’s connections and guiding their professional development. This could include anything from periodic conversations about goals and interests, to mock interviews and introductions to colleagues at business association meetings.