The Benefits of Hiring Someone with Disabilities

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Imagine you just finished shopping at Jewel and are in the checkout line. The lady in front of you is getting frustrating with the cashier because he accidentally typed the wrong amount for her bunch of bananas. After the situation gets settled, the bananas travel down the conveyor belt to the bagger. You smile when you realize that the bagger is clearly someone with special needs, but the lady in front of you does not even notice as she rips the bag out the bagger’s hand and storms out of the store.

Whether it was the cashier or the bagger, it does not matter the abilities either of them obtain because there will still be angry customers, so how could hiring people with special needs benefit the companies? An article from Huffington Post will answer this with support from big name companies.

Companies are not only looking to make extra money, but they truly believe that the abilities that people with special needs have can be very beneficial to their company.

The Executive Vice President and Chief Partner Resources Officer of Starbucks says that, “we challenge ourselves to look beyond traditional sources and typical profiles, to bring in people that share our values and our passion for service and community.”

Starbucks is not the only company who have the want from a stronger community. Back years and years ago when women were beginning to be hired by companies, there were companies that wanted women for their specific benefits. Young people who may have low-functioning autism will get discriminated because of the disorder the have.

Companies like Starbucks look past a disability and strictly focus on the abilities and talents they do have that will ultimately benefit the success of their company. It is said that “people with disabilities often have well-honed problem solving skills and a degree of adaptability that are especially valuable in today’s fast changing business environment.”

But what is it exactly that these special people have that provide benefits to the company?

“Employees with disabilities have higher retention rates, so for many businesses, there can be a real cost savings through reduced turnover.” Companies are saving money while hiring the people with disabilities being able to spend this money on new technology and products for their stores.

Not only are they saving money, but they are also making money because they are creating a better environment for the consumers. “Organizations employing people with disabilities have higher morale and employee engagement, which we know drives profitability.”

The incentive that companies have for hiring disabled people is not only driven by money, but also the type of environment that they are able create.

Future Research Questions: What kind of organizations are helping those with disability get equal opportunity in the workforce?

Does the government under-ride companies hiring people with special needs?

What does the future look like as we continue to improve the educational techniques for students with special needs?