Including workers with special needs within an organization can generate a positive impact on the company. It can improve corporate reputation, promote teamwork, allow for greater commitment to core values and help employees learn to be more inclusive and accepting of diversity. Taking the first step to hiring people with special needs is one of the biggest challenges facing companies today. The question is, how do you do it? How do you start? Before you begin, it is imperative not to perceive any barriers or limitations.
- First, have a deep desire to make your company an inclusive organization. That will be the first impulse to mobilize executives, decisions and resources necessary to make this dream become a reality.
- The second is connected with the corporate values that are activated when making this determination. The values of respect, acceptance of diversity, inclusion and of non-discrimination are ethics worthy of emulation.
- To this, you should add the strategic aspects, such as the productivity factor. Understand that people with special needs can be as productive, and sometimes more productive than anyone else.
Companies that have hired people with special needs know that having them provides a number of benefits such as improving the working environment, promoting teamwork, engaging more workers and enhancing corporate reputation.
Advantages and benefits of hiring people with special needs
- Improved Working Environment
- The integration of people with special needs in the company generates an improved working environment, changes attitudes of workers and eliminates many stereotypes as a result of the great responsibility and perseverance that someone with challenges can develop. An employee with unique challenges will prove the label “disabled” to be incorrect as they are given more opportunity to be in control.
- Promotes teamwork
- The opportunity to share tasks with people with challenges is a mutual learning experience. Labor inclusion is a contribution to the overall functioning of the teams
- Sensitizes other staff
- The opportunity to work with people from all walks of life usually sensitizes the staff of the company, promoting acceptance of diversity and non-discrimination.
- Generates greater commitment
- The challenged worker is generally more faithful to the job than workers without special needs. They have a lower turnover rate, avoiding costs and training time. For this reason, labor inclusion is a process that should include equal work conditions, wages and hours of any other regular worker.
- Improved corporate reputation
- The image of the organization is not only positively affected in the market place, but also within it. A pride of ownership takes place at a company that respects and integrates people with various challenges.
These are just few of the benefits of hiring people with special needs. There may be minor limitations when it comes to some issues, but when you work as a team, almost all of them can be overcome.
