Organization-wide and disability-specific diversity policies best allow applicants with disabilties to understand their employers' intentions and thus signal to them the inclusivity of the company. This brings them into the applicant pool and increases their chances of selection.

University of Notre Dame

Employees with disabilities make up some of the biggest underutilized labor groups, and despite employers looking to recruit broadly to ensure the hiring of the best candidates, managers report having difficulty finding qualified applicants with disabilities. The application process actually ends up discouraging applicants (i.e. lack of accessibility features in electronic applications). Based on signaling theory, employers would find greater success in recruiting candidates with disabilities if they advertise themselves effectively as disability-friendly, such as by including disability in diversity statements.

Recruitment Concern #2: The Recruitment of Qualified Applicants

Bonaccio, S., Connelly, C. E., Gellatly, I. R., Jetha, A., &amp; Martin Ginis, K. A. (2019). The participation of people with disabilities in the workplace across the employment cycle: Employer concerns and research evidence. Journal of Business and Psychology, 35(2), 135–158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-018-9602-5 

The Participation of People with Disabilities in the Workplace Across the Employment Cycle: Employer Concerns and Research Evidence

Adopting and Signaling Inclusion (Recruitment Concern #2)

Establishing an inclusive approach is done before the hiring stage. Employers must think about what they signal to their applicants as to ensure that they promote their inclusive environment and as such encourage qualified applicants with disabilities. This statement of inclusively also reflects well upon consumers’ perceptions.

Implications of Recruitment Concern #2

More studies need to be conducted on managerial and organizational barriers that affect recruitment and employment, such as a lack of resources for support for employees with disabilities. Using the theory of planned behavior can help to determine employers' intentions. Empirical studies should be conducted on how the successes of businesses influence others’ recruitment and hiring decisions.

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