employees with disabilities the forgotten diversity...

December 2013

Employees with Disabilities the Forgotten Diversity Segment: Tracking Trends

Presented by: Pete Rutigliano, PhD

December 10, 2013

Presented by: Pete Rutigliano, PhD

2 © 2013 Sirota Consulting LLC

About Sirota

40 years …a singular mission:

Improve the lives of employees and

enable organizations to achieve sustained business success by

creating stronger more productive relationships.

Service Offerings to Improve the Total Employee Experience:

Assess. Understand. Act. Organizational Surveys Analytics and Reporting Action Practices and Tools

Employee Surveys • Engagement Surveys • Pulse Surveys – “Spotlight” • Culture Assessment

Employment Life-Cycle Assessments • Onboarding Surveys – “Springboard” • Exit Surveys – “Pinpoint”

Leadership Development Surveys • 360° Feedback Surveys – “Elevate” • Upward (180) Feedback Surveys

Executive Analysis and Reporting • Predictive Analytics, e.g., Key Drivers

and Linkage Analysis • Employment Life-Cycle Research

Manager Reporting • Reporting Suite • Web Reporting Tools

Online Analytics and Reporting Tools

Survey Actioning Model and Training • Employee Focus Groups • Training for Managers • Training for HR Survey Champions • Facilitated Workshops and Coaching

Action Tracking Tools and Best Practices Sirota Leadership Advisory


The National Organization on Disability

NOD is a 30-year-old non-profit with a focus on employment

NOD helps companies diversify their workforce by hiring people with disabilities


Sirota and NOD Partnership

Survey research specialists with four decades of experience helping global organizations to improve their performance by better understanding their people. We find the people solutions to business problems.

NOD has three decades serving the disability community. Our primary focus is helping employers build a more disability-inclusive workforce. We believe “its ability, not disability, that counts.”

In 2010, Sirota and NOD joined forces in an effort to better understand the voice of employees with disabilities. Our efforts have been underway since then to capture, assess and understand the workplace experiences of individuals with disabilities as they compare to their colleagues without disabilities.


Why is this important?

1

2

3

4

5

People with disabilities are the largest minority group in the country: approximately 20% of the US population has a disability

Nearly 80% of Americans with disabilities are not employed; yet, the majority can and want to work

Employers report that EWDs are more dedicated and less likely to leave; yet, industry is not benefitting from this valuable talent pool

Comprehensive workplace diversity programs must include employees with disabilities

6

New OFCCP regulations (Section 503) will dramatically raise awareness and “interest” in employees with disabilities (“EWDs”)

EWDs are less satisfied than their colleagues without disabilities; this represents data from a previously unstudied diversity segment


New OFCCP Regulation – Section 503

1

2

Must set hiring goal of 7% EWD

Track number of EWDs

Federal contractors (25% of US workforce) must:


Research Approach

Deeper Dive What can we learn? How should we respond?

Establishing a Trend Are the results from the initial study an anomaly

or is there a recognized trend?

Discovery Are there differences in the engagement levels of employees with disabilities, versus those without?


•Goal – Investigate attitudinal differences between employees with disabilities (EWD) and those without (EWOD).

•Analyzed engagement survey data from 6 different projects: N=267,769

•Engagement surveys included questions like:

• Overall, I am satisfied with the company.

• My manager is doing a good job.

• I clearly understand how my own job contributes to achieving the goals of the company

• Overall, I feel that my career goals can be met at XYZ

•Employees voluntarily self-identified – Typically “Do you consider yourself a person with a disability?”

Discovery – Dataset

259,617 97%

8,152 3%

Disability Status

EWOD EWD


Employees with Disabilities (EWD) are less satisfied, less proud, are less likely to recommend their company and less motivated to go beyond what is expected.

Discovery - Engagement

81 87

84 86

73

80 79 80

50

60

70

80

90

100

Satisfaction with company

Proud of company Recommend company Motivated to go beyond what is

expected

EWOD EWD

Perc

ent

Favo

rab

le

-8 -7 -5 -6


The first question people ask is --- “Should an 8 point difference in Satisfaction be a concern?”

Discovery – So what?

YES! Typically, a 5 point difference is considered notable and a call to action

for employers.

What differences do we see in the usual areas of investigation (e.g. gender, race, sexual orientation)?

Gender – Only a 1 point difference, males higher than females

Race/Ethnicity – No notable differences

Sexual Orientation – 1 point, heterosexual higher than homosexual

No notable differences!


Discovery - Other differences….

Out of the 84 questions, there were no

questions where EWD were more

favorable than those without disabilities.


Despite these differences, few companies are even capturing information on their employees with disabilities (the forgotten diversity segment)

Discovery – Forgotten Diversity Group

144 96%

6 4%

Projects that Study Disability

No Yes

Out of 150 Sirota projects, only 6 inquired about disability (4%)


Research Approach

Deeper Dive What can we learn? How should we respond?

Establishing a Trend

Are the results from the initial study an anomaly or is there a recognized trend?



•Goal – Replicate 2010 “Discovery” results – are these results consistent?

•Analyzed engagement survey data from 11 projects (N=755,216)

•Employees voluntarily self-identified – Typically “Do you consider yourself a person with a disability?”

Establishing a Trend – Dataset

731,083 97%

24,133 3%

Disability Status

EWOD EWD

•First confirmation – Similar population size, about 3% self identified as disabled.


Results are consistent with 2010 Discovery findings: Across all standard measures of employee engagement, EWD are much lower.

Establishing a Trend - Engagement

75

83 80

77

65

77 73

71

50

60

70

80

90

100



expected

EWOD EWD

Perc

ent

Favo

rab

le

-10 -6 -7 -6


Not one project showed EWDs had higher levels of engagement, 12 out of 17 projects showed notable differences of greater than 5 points difference.

Establishing a Trend – Engagement Across All Projects

68

67

83

75

84

89

93

82

77

93

88

77

85 86 86 86 87

54 54

74

67

77

82

87

76

71

87

83

72

81 82 83 83

86

50

60

70

80

90

100

EWOD EWD

Perc

ent

Favo

rab

le


Research Approach

Deeper Dive

What can we learn? How should we respond?

Establishing a Trend Are the results from the initial study an anomaly

or is there a recognized trend?



•Goal – Investigate the major differences between EWD and EWOD

Analyzed engagement survey data from 17 projects (N=1,022,985)

•Now with enough data, we can look for larger trends and get a deeper understanding

Deeper Dive – Dataset

990,700 97%

32,285 3%

Disability Status

EWOD EWD


Many of the largest differences were around the relationship between the employee and the company.

Deeper Dive – Largest Differences – Relationship with Company

64

54

72 77

52

44

62 67

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Company communicates to

employees on matters that affect

them

We do not compromise on

quality in order to meet other targets

I have enough information to do my

job well

Satisfication with physical working

conditions

EWOD EWD

Perc

ent

Favo

rab

le

-12 -10 -10 -10


Other large differences were related to encouragement and opportunity to achieve in their position.

Deeper Dive – Largest Differences – Personal Performance

67

88

64 59

55

76

52 49

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

I have been given an opportunity to

improve my skills

I have the freedom to use my own judgment

in my job

Employees can express themselves

without fear of retribution

Satisfaction with opportunity for advancement

EWOD EWD

Perc

ent

Favo

rab

le

-12 -12 -12 -10


Most of the smallest differences were around local environment variables like compensation and manager.

Deeper Dive – Smallest Differences – Local Environment

57

46

78 81

53

42

74 76

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

I am compensated fairly

The better my performance, the

more I will be rewarded

My supervisor gives me feedback to help

me improve

My supervisor is doing a good job

EWOD EWD

Perc

ent

Favo

rab

le

-4 -4 -4 -5


There are a high number of skipped responses (N=131,925); represent 12% of the total.

Missing responses showed scores consistent with EWD.

Investigating Missing Data

78

84 82

80

70

78 75 74

67

76 73 72

50

60

70

80

90

100



expected

EWOD EWD Missing

Perc

ent

Favo

rab

le


To investigate missing data, in 2012 we recommended adding the scale point “Rather not say”. While preliminary, results for this population is much lower than EWD.

Investigating Missing Data

78

84 82

80

70

78 75 74

67

76 73 72

64

70

63

68

50

60

70

80

90

100



expected

EWOD EWD Missing Rather Not Say

Perc

ent

Favo

rab

le


What are the key factors that distinguish engaged EWD from those not engaged?

Deeper Dive – What makes an Engaged EWD?

Feel communicated to from

management

Feel involved in decisions / opinions

count

Have the opportunity to learn

and get training

Job makes good use of their skills and

abilities

Career goals can be met at company

Company treats people fairly

regardless of gender age, disability, etc

These are the same key areas that drive ALL employee engagement!


What can we say about Employees with Disabilities…

1

2

3

4

5

Much more likely to be older

Much more likely to be part-time

Less likely to be a manager

Much less likely to be Asian or Hispanic

More likely to consider leaving the organization in next year


Tracking & Measuring Matters: By measuring this difference and attending to it, we can make change.

Can We Make Change? One Company Results

77

86 86

71

82 83

50

60

70

80

90

100

Time 1 Time 2 Time 3

EWOD EWD

Perc

ent

Favo

rab

le

-3 -6 -4


What did this company do differently?

Dedicated diversity manager with a new focus on disability issues

Since tracking disability data the company has increased its focus on disability employment initiatives

In addition to engagement surveys, this company also conducts diversity surveys

What we know from this company?


What We Know More Broadly…

Employers are changing the conversation on disability: Conversations on disability in the workplace are moving from taboo to mandatory for success and increasing diversity. How are your conversations going?

You can’t track (or even understand) what you don’t measure: We encourage employers to better understand all your employees, including those with disabilities, by capturing information about this group in regular engagement surveys

Standards are critical: Performance requirements should be flexible but not change for employees with disabilities. The how may be different, but not the what


“You can’t plow a field by turning it over in your mind.” Know your next steps

Change takes time: Disability employment is a journey, not an event. Start now!

What Companies Can Do

• Have you reviewed your employment lifecycle? What diversity initiatives can you include EWD’s? Where do you need help? Assess Your Current State

• As you plan monthly, quarterly and annual hiring, set targets for PWD (NOD recommends 10% of all new hires)

Set Targets/Goals

• Develop disability-focused Employee Resource Groups, use those groups to cultivate champions. Dedicate recruiting staff Internal Champions

• Partners (vocational rehabilitation and others) can help with sourcing, training, and job coaching Identify Local Partners

• Discuss disability as diversity in recruiting materials, ensure that messaging on disability employment matches the brand Craft Your Message

• Ensure effective communication and training to managers, team leads and staff at large on the program Staff Training

• Track all activity, know when to course correct Track, Measure and Manage


In 2013 NOD and Sirota, in partnership with the National Business & Disability Council (NBDC), are jointly introducing the Disability Employment Tracker to allow companies to measure their disability employment practices.

The survey tool is designed to:

Allow companies to assess their disability employment practices (publishing results if they choose to)

Use results as an internal training and reporting module

Benchmark against leading practices and, ultimately, against peers by business size or sector

Launched in November 2013

To participate in the Disability Employment Tracker

for free go to: www.nod.org/tracker

Sirota / NOD / NBDC Self-Assessment Tracker

http://www.nod.org/tracker


Disability Employment Tracker


Your Response

1) My company has a written diversity policy that references all diverse segments (ie. Disability, Gender, Ethnicity, Veterans, etc).

2) Our diversity policy specifically references individuals with disabilities.

3) My company has employee resource groups or affinity groups to address the needs of diverse populations (including disabilities).

4) Our senior leaders discuss and publicly promote diversity initiatives.

5) Our senior leaders discuss and publicly promote disability initiatives.

5.1) Briefly give an example of senior leaders promoting disability initiatives within your company.

Leading Practice

Leading Practice

Tracker Questions

N Y -

N Y -

N Y -

N Y -

N Y -

75%

50%

63%

25%

40%

% Yes Benchmark

Leading Practice

Leading Practice

Leading Practice

80% Click for Text 75% Leading

Practice

Disability Employment Tracker - Reporting


Leading Practice

OFCCP

Training All managers/ supervisors receive mandatory disability awareness training throughout the year. With all other company employees receiving mandatory disability awareness training every two years.

Disability Employment Tracker - Education


As you continue on your journey to be more inclusive…

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• It’s ability, not disability, that counts: leave your (mis)perceptions behind

• Disability is diversity

Think Differently

• Establish a plan and drive forward

• Know what success looks like and don’t aim too low

• Measure, measure, measure!

Be Deliberate

• Disability employment happens in a movement not a moment

• Dedicate time, talent & resources similar to all other diversity programs

• Ask for help

Be Dedicated


Questions?

Pete Rutigliano, PhD Vice President and Team Leader

Sirota Consulting

[email protected]

To participate in the Disability Employment Tracker for free go to: www.nod.org/tracker

http://www.nod.org/tracker

employees with disabilities the forgotten diversity...

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