05/07/2019
A quiet but talented group... with a great attitude!
Throughout my time owning and working within Incentive Employment I have met so many business owners and hiring managers. One of the most common wishes (if not the most) I have heard during this time is “I want someone that has a great attitude, loyalty, and wants to learn what we teach them”. I hear it repeated from small business to large corporations, offices to workshops, and within six figure salary roles to minimum wage roles. Interestingly, more recently I have had this discussion as part of the broader conversation around progressive and modern ways to resource a business through staffing… and recruitment processes. This was evident when I spoke with an executive at a global medical equipment firm that has tens of thousands of employees worldwide who sought a national sales manager. I asked him what type of background the applicant would need to come from and he said “it doesn’t matter. As long as the candidate scores highly on our testing for attitudes, loyalty and willingness to learn”. So I asked once again, after almost falling over myself, “What do you want to see on the resume though?”. He said, “Can you see attitude, loyalty and willingness to learn on a resume?”. The answer was obvious. I told him that I have a great big pool of people that meet his criteria – people living with disability.
People living with disability have faced many challenges in their life and are experienced in overcoming adversity. They tend to be a quiet cohort of job seekers that may not be accessed by Seek or other standard recruitment platforms. The challenges faced through disability strengthen that person’s tenacity, empathy, and loyalty to those that embrace diversity.
The conversation went on to discuss the inclusive nature of their hiring. I asked for some of the benefits they have received through employing a diverse workforce. The response I got was a sign of progressive, modern-day resourcing and recruiting practices;
“Our customers are of all different shapes and sizes. They are widespread and varying. Employing people equally as different, complicated, and interesting helps us engage with them and attract more customers from all around the world”.
I implore other businesses to embrace diversity, doing something different, and accessing for their next recruit what may have been a quiet but talented group of job seekers... with great attitudes!
