Corinne Weible, PEAT Rachel Kerrigan, Perkins School for the Blind Teaching Accessible eRecruiting as a Business Strategy CSUN • March 2, 2017 Corinne Weible, PEAT Rachel Kerrigan, Perkins School for the Blind

The Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology What is PEAT? The Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology

The Employment Lifecycle

2015 Report on eRecruiting eRecruiting & Accessibility: Is HR Technology Hurting Your Bottom Line? (2015) Key Takeaways: 46% rated their last experience applying for a job online as “difficult to impossible” Of those, 9% were unable to complete the application and 24% required assistance View report and full infographic at www.PEATworks.org/talentworks/content/ erecruiting-accessibility-report

Helping Employers Make Their eRecruiting Tools Accessible TalentWorks Helping Employers Make Their eRecruiting Tools Accessible

Helping Employers Make Their eRecruiting Tools Accessible TalentWorks Helping Employers Make Their eRecruiting Tools Accessible

Why Perkins School for the Blind? “Our educational goal is to prepare students for a successful transition to life beyond the classroom.”  -Dave Power, President and CEO, Perkins School for the Blind On Campus Prepare students with independent living and vocational skills Off Campus Students participate in work experience opportunities at local businesses Educate the business community about accessibility and workplace inclusion

Perkins-Business Partnership Perkins.org/PBP

Why is this important to businesses? Diversity is more than race and gender It’s a competitive strategy Bring in new talent and retain current talent

Introduction to Inclusive Talent Acquisition Introduction to Inclusive Talent Acquisition, a free online course co- developed with Harvard Extension School, gives hiring managers and recruiters the tools they need to attract, interview and onboard qualified candidates with disabilities. Spring Session: March 14 to May 8 2017/2018 Dates TBA Learn more about the course >> Watch the course trailer >> Introduction to Inclusive Talent Acquisition Learn more: Perkins.org/edX

Introduction to Inclusive Talent Acquisition: Fall 2016 Pilot Review 1,034 participants from 115 different countries Breakdown by Occupation 28% HR professional 26% senior management/leadership 16% recruiter 4% hiring manager

Introduction to Inclusive Talent Acquisition: Fall 2016 Pilot Review BEFORE THE COURSE AFTER THE COURSE 26% of participants know strategies for effectively recruiting candidates with disabilities 27% of participants understand what questions are appropriate to ask during an interview 26% of participants know strategies for effectively onboarding employees with disabilities 89% of participants know strategies for effectively recruiting candidates with disabilities 90% of participants understand what questions are appropriate to ask during an interview 92% of participants know strategies for effectively onboarding employees with disabilities

Introduction to Inclusive Talent Acquisition: Fall 2016 Pilot Review What did participants have to say? "Simple and practical.“ "The videos were fantastic!“ "I enjoyed the real life, personal stories." “An engaging way to be educated and feel empowered.” “Very good use of my time.” “I found myself wanting more!” “Definitely an eye opener.” “I got more than I bargained for.”

Questions?

The Employment Lifecycle: Dominique and Sebastian Image Description: Dominique is a manager at Van Ness Inc. She is a hot yoga enthusiast, sells handmade rings on Etsy, and is a loving mother to her Corgi dog, Adele. There is a lot of pressure on her to fill the head customer service rep position as soon as possible. Sebastian, the candidate, is a customer service rep at Van Ness Inc's competitor. He is an avid Crossfitter (aiming for a rope climb personal record torday) and is perfecting his cherry double-chocolate cookie recipe. He's a top performer ready to take the next step in his career.

1. Recruitment: Paper Forms The Situation: Sebastian is looking forward to his interview at Van Ness Inc. but didn’t disclose his visual impairment in advance. Dominique realizes that Sebastian has to fill out a paper form for HR. What should Dominique do? Fill out the form with Sebastian and write in his responses Send Sebastian the form in an accessible electronic format following the interview Reschedule the interview Answer: A or B – ask Sebastian which method he prefers

What should Dominique do in the future? Talk to Human Resources and request the form be made into an accessible web form. Make it a best practice to ask about accommodations during the phone screen For ex: “During the in person interview, we ask candidates to fill out a paper form. Do you require any accommodations to complete the form?”

2. Hiring and Onboarding: New Hire Manual The Situation: Sebastian landed the job and he starts in one week. Dominique realizes the New Hire Manual is only available in a printout format. What should Dominique do? Scan the New Hire Manual and email the PDF to Sebastian Ask Sebastian what format he prefers for electronic documents Answer: B – the scanned PDF will likely not be accessible with a screen reader

What should Dominique do in the future? Convert the New Hire Manual Binder into an accessible electronic document instead of using a printout – it’s better for the environment too!

3. Work Immersion and Productivity: New Software The Situation: Sebastian has been working at Van Ness for 3 months. At his weekly check-in with Dominique, Sebastian expresses his concern that the company is changing their customer relationship management software next month. What if it’s inaccessible with his screen reader? What should Dominique do? Ask IT if Sebastian can test out a demo of the software Ask IT if the software is accessible with screen readers Reevaluate Sebastian’s job responsibilities Answer: A and B

What should Dominque do in the future? Work with IT and Human Resources to make sure that accessibility is a priority with all software purchasing decisions

Accommodations vs. Accessibility Sebastian walks into the building and heads towards the elevator. He takes the elevator up to Van Ness on the 22nd floor. Is the elevator a workplace accommodation? Why or why not? The elevator is an example of accessibility and universal design. It makes the building for accessible for everyone who works there. Even though Sebastian is super fit, he doesn’t want to walk up 22 flights every morning.

Assistive vs. Accessible Technology 1. Sebastian turns on his computer and wears ear buds to listen to JAWs, a screen reader software. Is JAWs an example of assistive or accessible technology? Why? 2. Later that day, Sebastian leaves the office to head to a meeting downtown. He checks email on his iPhone using the VoiceOver feature. Is an iPhone an example of assistive or accessible technology? Why? JAWs is an example of assistive technology. The computer is not inherently accessible but the screen reader software allows Sebastian to use the computer and perform his job. JAWs was created specifically for users with visual impairments. The iPhone is an example of accessible technology. VoiceOver is built into the iPhone to ensure that it is accessible for all users.

Key Takeaways Short vs. long term solutions Think of the entire employment lifecycle – not only hiring Everyone has a responsibility to make accessibility a priority

Thank you for attending! Download Presentation Slides: http://www.PEATworks.org/content/conference/CSUN2017 Contact information: Corinne Weible, Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology cweible@peatworks.org www.PEATworks.org Rachel Kerrigan, Perkins School for the Blind rachel.kerrigan@perkins.org www.Perkins.org