13 Reasons to Hire

As many businesses struggle with the current labor shortages, hiring individuals with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD) could help with this problem and provide consistent work for individuals who are all too often left out of the labor force based on misconceptions about their disabilities.

OPENNESS: Employers report that their employees with IDD have a great propensity to remain open to new ideas and listen.

INCREASED PROFITS: The majority of employers who have made the leap and hired an employee with IDD have seem a positive impact on productivity which, in turn, increases profits

LONGEVITY: The rate of attrition of employees with IDD is much lower than that of employees from the general population. Lower turnover and higher retention save money by not having to go through yet another hiring and training process.

SUCCESS: Employers agree that these employees are committed to their work and dedicated to the company and exhibit a very strong desire to succeed and regularly seek more responsibility.

RELIABILITY: Employees with IDD were rated higher on taking fewer sick days, arriving on time for work daily, and returning on time from breaks than their co-workers. Lower rates of absenteeism increase overall productivity.

PRODUCTIVITY: Employers have enthusiastically indicated that their employees with IDD continually meet or exceed the performance their peers, increasing company profitability. They demonstrate high levels of productivity in a wide range of jobs.

CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT: Employers have said the performance of workers with IDD improves steadily over time. Even those workers with more profound disabilities have shown great improvement, contributing to the bottom line.

GREAT ATTITUDES: No attitudes here! Employers say they are extremely satisfied with their employees with IDD because they truly love their jobs, embrace the opportunity to help the company grow, and respect authority.

INSPIRATIONAL: Employers have witnessed camaraderie and a positive effect on their entire staff. Co-workers seem much more open to teamwork when a person with IDD is on their team.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: Employees with IDD promote a positive corporate image that increases customer base and loyalty. One survey revealed that 93-percent of customers said they preferred to purchase from a company that employed individuals with disabilities.

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER: It takes action to beget action. If more companies would hire persons with IDD, others would be inspired to do the same when they witness first-hand what an incredible asset they can be.

FISCAL BENEFITS: No-cost consultation and technical assistance is available to help employers hire people with developmental disabilities and provide on the job training. There are also tax incentives available for those who hire individuals with disabilities.

DIVERSITY: Hiring individuals with developmental disabilities promotes diversity in your workforce and is good for the employee, the business, and the community in general.

Last year only 19.3 percent of persons with a disability were employed compared to the 66.3 percent of people without a disability, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor.