Hiring of Disabled Skilled Knowledge Workers - Research Paper Example

Hiring of Disabled Skilled Knowledge Workers Introduction Disabled persons are eager to find a job. Having a job makes the disabled person independent. The disabled skilled knowledge workers do not need to get dole outs and donations from relatives, friends, neighbors, or the government. However, some companies prefer hiring the services of non-disabled skilled knowledge workers. The reason is obvious. There are tasks that the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers can do better than the disabled skilled knowledge workers. Government intervention will persuade more employers to more often consider hiring more disabled skilled knowledge workers. Hiring of disabled skilled knowledge workers Employers must more often consider hiring disabled skilled knowledge workers as another practice to achieve established organizational goals and objectives. A survey conducted showed that 90 percent of the disabled skilled knowledge workers produced average or above average work output performances compared to the non-disabled workers. Similarly, another survey showed that an estimated 85 percent of the disabled skilled knowledge workers generated average or better attendance results compared to the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers. Another research showed an estimated 97 percent of the disabled skilled knowledge workers produced average or better work safety results than the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers. Lastly, another research indicates the disabled skilled knowledge workers showed an estimated 71 percent retention than the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers. In terms of employee availability, the disabled skilled knowledge workers group represents a significantly very huge pool of untapped and unnoticed possible employee sources (Williams, 2011). To maximize the employment of disabled skilled knowledge workers, the companies must commit themselves to allocating huge funds for the provision of reasonable workplace environment. Reasonable workplace environment includes installing wheelchair paths, hand rails. Another disability workplace improvement is the installation of accessible washrooms. A third disability workplace improvement is modifying the work stations of the disabled skilled knowledge workers to reduce unnecessary mobility of the disabled skilled knowledge workers (Williams, 2011). Employers should more often prioritize the hiring of disabled skilled knowledge workers. With the advent into the current information technology age, the need for knowledge workers continues to increase (Williams, 2011). Knowledge workers include the financial analysts and stock market forecast workers. Other knowledge workers include computer programmers and data miners. Another group of knowledge workers include the application developers and content creators. Managers who focus on the enhancement of the social community transactions, information transfer, and communications fall under the knowledge skills category. The hiring of disabled employees has several advantages. First, the company that has a problem filling long vacant jobs can refocus its hiring process to include the disabled skilled knowledge person. Several companies instituted strategies that make the disabled skilled knowledge workers’ work more comfortable (Williams, 2011). For example, American Express Company constructed wheelchair work lanes to ease the mobility of the disabled skilled knowledge workers. Similarly, Sylvania Company rearranged the work schedules of its disabled skilled knowledge workers to encourage the same workers give their best performance to each assigned knowledge-related task. The General Motors manufacturing company specifically paid ergonomics specialists to design workplace designs to improve the mobility aspect of the working environment of the skilled knowledge workers. It is clear that these companies introduced enhanced working conditions to reduce the aggravation of the disabled workers’ ailments or disabilities. Second, the hiring of disabled skilled knowledge workers has an economic advantage (Williams, 2011). By including the disabled skilled knowledge workers as possible future employees, the companies can easily fill the vacant jobs within less time than when hiring only the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers. Sometimes, the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers refuse to work unless high wages, more benefits, and other excessive fringe benefits are given. When this happens, the cash-strapped companies can turn to hiring the disabled skilled knowledge workers to fill the urgent job requirements. Consequently, the disabled skilled knowledge workers can immediately fill the needs of the companies’ long awaiting current customers (Williams, 2011). Third, the disabled skilled knowledge workers can excel in their specialized fields (Manfred, 2012). For example, the wheelchair-bound computer programmer can easily produce similar or even better work outputs than the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers. The wheelchair –bound financial analyst can present more convincing analytical reports than the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers. Starting in the 1990s, one in every four disabled skilled knowledge workers was promoted to management positions. Their promotions were based on their work performances, without regard to the disability issues. Fourth, the hiring of disabled skilled knowledge workers presents a favorable public image of the company. The Disabled Persons (Employment) Act of 1944 and 1958 serve as viable legal guides for companies when they decide to hire disabled skilled knowledge workers. Customers who are pro-disabled skilled knowledge workers will surely increase their purchases of companies who hire the services of disabled skilled knowledge workers (Williams, 2011). The hiring of disabled employees has some disadvantages. First, the companies must allocate huge funds to ensure the disabled skilled knowledge workers have adequate working environments (Williams, 2011). This includes constructing wheelchair paths within the workplace facilities. Second, the disabled skilled knowledge workers, especially those who are wheelchair bound, cannot work on unexpected emergency tasks that require running, walking or other related activities. Third, the companies may be forced to fit the work tasks to the physical ability of the disabled skilled knowledge workers. When hiring the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers, the workers are promoted because they can do diverse tasks that disabled skilled knowledge workers are physically unable to do (Manfred, 2012). For example, wheelchair bound auditor cannot be forced to perform audits of clients where travelling most of the time to other states, countries and other far away communities causes travel discomfort on the disabled auditor. When this happens, the companies are forced to hire non-disabled skilled knowledge workers to do the job of the disabled skilled knowledge workers. Lastly, some of the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers may charge that the company’s offering more comfortable work conditions and employment opportunities to the disabled skilled knowledge workers as discriminating against the non-disabled skilled knowledge workers (Cotter, 2013). This is one of the comments against the quota-based affirmation action provisions. Under this affirmative provision, companies are required to allocate a certain percentage of their workplace for the disabled skilled knowledge workers. Some quarters interpret this as hiring the disabled person who is less skills qualified than the more skilled non-disabled skilled knowledge workers for the quota jobs. An example of the quota is allocating ten percent of the entire workplace only to disabled job applicants, despite the availability of more skilled non-disabled skilled knowledge job applicants. Some recommendations are needed to change the current situation. One recommendation is to enforce the affirmative action law, other disability-related laws, and our United States constitution’s equal protection provisions. More prosecutions of affirmation action violations, especially on the refusal to hire disabled skilled knowledge workers, should be increased (Walsh, 2012). The government can offer incentives to companies that hire disabled skilled knowledge workers. The incentives may include tax discounts or tax deductions. The incentives may include granting of government grants for hiring disabled skilled knowledge workers (Mercer, 2010). Conclusion The disabled persons are eager to land the first available knowledge skill job. The advantages of hiring disabled skilled knowledge workers include increasing the employment choices. The disadvantages of hiring disabled skilled knowledge workers include the avoidable allocation of funds to increase the disabled skilled knowledge workers’ access to other parts of the company premises. The government can offer incentives, including tax incentives and discounts, to persuade the employers to hire more disabled skilled knowledge workers. Evidently, the United States government intervention will encourage more employers to more often consider including the disabled skilled knowledge workers as part of the companies’ employment roster. References: Cotter, M. (2013). This Ability: An International Legal Analysis of Disability Discrminination. New York: Ashgate Press. Manfred, S. (2012). Managing, Equality and Diversity. New York: University Press. Mercer, G. (2010). Exploring Disability. New York: Polity Press. Walsh, D. (2012). Employment Law for Human Resource Practice. New York: Cengage Learning. Williams, C. (2011). Management. New York: Cengage Learning Press. Read More