1. SHRM Poll: Recruiting Veterans With Disabilities: Perceptions in the Workplace In collaboration with and commissioned by ILR – Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University
January 12, 2011

2. Key Findings
Are employers aware of resources available to find qualified job applicants who are veterans with disabilities? More than 60% of organizations reported that they are unaware of the Tip of the Arrow Foundation, the VetSuccess Program and the Wounded Warrior Program, which are resources available to employers to find qualified job applicants who are veterans with disabilities. SHRM recommends that all HR professionals seek information and use these resources to tap into the great talent pool of U.S. veterans.
How do organizations perceive on-the-job performance of veterans with disabilities? Nearly three-quarters of organizations agreed (responded “strongly agree” or “agree”) that, in general, veterans with disabilities perform on the job as well as any other employee. These results validate the high potential of the veteran pool of candidates.
Are veterans being hired and appreciated? 68% of organizations reported that they hired a veteran in the past 12 months; 67% of HR professions reported that their organizations included veterans in their diversity plans/policies.
Do companies have employee assistance programs (EAP) with expertise in veterans’ issues? 38% of HR professionals reported that their organizations had EAPs with expertise in veterans’ issues.

3. Are you aware of the following resources for employers to find qualified job applicants who are veterans with disabilities?
Note: n = Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

4. Are you aware of the following resources for employers to find qualified job applicants who are veterans with disabilities?
Comparison by Organization’s Sector
Wounded Warrior Program: Publicly owned for-profits (59%) , privately owned for-profits (63%) and nonprofits (63%) were more likely than government entities (37%) to report that they have never heard of the Wounded Warrior Program as a resource for employers to find qualified job applicants who are veterans with disabilities.
Tip of the Arrow Foundation: Privately owned for-profits (89%) and nonprofits (92%) were more likely than government entities (76%) to report that they have never heard of the Tip of the Arrow Foundation as a resource for employers to find qualified job applicants who are veterans with disabilities.
Have never heard of this resource
Have not used this resource in the past 12 months
Wounded Warrior Program
Publicly owned for-profits (59%), privately owned for-profits (63%) and nonprofits (63%) > government (37%)
Government (55%) > Publicly owned for-profits (34%) and privately owned for-profits (34%)
Tip of the Arrow Foundation
Privately owned for-profits (89%) and nonprofits (92%) > government (76%)
Note: Blank cell indicates that there were no significant differences in this category.

5. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
Don’t know
Accommodating employees with disabilities is a worthwhile return on investment for my business/organization. 1% 3%
54%
29%
14%
In general, veterans with disabilities perform on the job as well as any other employee. 2%
49%
23%
26%
Having veterans with disabilities in our workforce will improve our customer image. 5%
48%
24%
Hiring veterans with disabilities will benefit my business/organization.
19%
Accommodating workers with disabilities such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) requires more effort for the employer. 9%
43%
18%
Workers with disabilities take the same amount of a manager’s time as any other employee.
17%
51%
Job applicants must tell potential employers about specific disabilities that affect the essential functions of the job they are applying for. 7%
28%
46%
12%
Workers with PTSD often have a right to an accommodation in the workplace. 6%
55%
It is easy for employers to find resources to help recruit veterans with disabilities.
15%
42% 8%
32%
USERRA is the main law covering veterans with disabilities in the workplace. 4%
35%
31%
It is easy for employers to find resources to help them accommodate veterans with disabilities.
33%
41%
It is costly to accommodate workers with disabilities such as PTSD or TBI.
52%
Most workers with TBI will need assistance with work tasks that involve reading.
13%
70%
Workers with PTSD are more likely than others to commit acts of violence in the workplace.
53%
Note: n = Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Table sorted by “strongly agree” column.

6. Please indicate whether your organization has done any of the following activities in the past 12 months:
Note: n = Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

7. Please indicate whether your organization has done any of the following activities in the past 12 months:
Comparison by Organization Staff Size
Used recruitment sources targeting applicants who are veterans (by staff size): Larger organizations (those with 500 or more employees) were more likely than smaller organizations (100 to 499 employees) to report that they have used recruitment sources targeting applicants who are veterans in the past 12 months.
Included veterans in the organization’s diversity plan/policy (by staff size): Larger organizations (those with 25,000 or more employees) were more likely than smaller organizations (those with 2,499 or less employees) to report that they included veterans in their diversity plans/policies in the past 12 months.
Smaller Organizations
Larger Organizations
Differences Based on Organization Staff Size
100 to 499 employees (25%)
500 to 2,499 employees (46%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (54%)
25,000 or more employees (77%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations
Smaller Organizations
Larger Organizations
Differences Based on Organization Staff Size
1 to 99 employees (59%)
100 to 499 employees (63%)
500 to 2,499 employees (60%)
25,000 or more employees (89%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations

8. Please indicate whether your organizations has done any of the following activities in the past 12 months:
Comparison by Organization Staff Size
Included people with disabilities in the organization’s diversity plan/policy (by staff size): Larger organizations (those with 25,000 or more employees) were more likely than smaller organizations (24,999 or less employees ) to report that they included people with disabilities in their diversity plans/policies in the past 12 months.
Hired a veteran (by staff size): Larger organizations (those with 500 or more employees) were more likely than smaller organizations (1 to 99 employees) to report that they have hired a veteran in the past 12 months.
Smaller Organizations
Larger Organizations
Differences Based on Organization Staff Size
1 to 99 employees (67%)
100 to 499 employees (60%)
500 to 2,499 employees (49%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (72%)
25,000 or more employees (93%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations
Smaller Organizations
Larger Organizations
Differences Based on Organization Staff Size
1 to 99 employees (51%)
500 to 2,499 employees (79%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (77%)
25,000 or more employees (89%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations

9. Please indicate whether your organization has done any of the following activities in the past 12 months:
Comparison by Selected Organizational Demographics
Publicly owned for-profits
(n = 116 – 151)
Privately owned for-profits
(n = 243 – 316)
Nonprofits
(n = 107 – 142)
Government
(n = 39 – 59)
Other
(n = 11 – 14)
Differences Based on Organization Sector
Differences Based on Organization’s Operations Location
Used recruitment sources targeting applicants who are veterans.
65%*
28%*
23%*
46%
27%
*Publicly owned for-profits (65%) > privately owned for-profits (28%) and nonprofits (23%)
Multinational operations (52%) > U.S.-based only organizations (31%)
Used recruitment sources targeting applicants who have disabilities.
42%*
17%*
25%
43%
17%
*Publicly owned for-profits (42%) > privately owned for-profits (17%)
Included veterans in its diversity plan/policy.
81%*
60%*
63%*
65%
73%
*Publicly owned for-profits (81%) > privately owned for-profits (60%) and nonprofits (63%)
Multinational operations (74%) > U.S.-based only organizations (64%)
Included people with disabilities in its diversity plan/policy.
77%*
62%*
74%
72%
71%
Publicly owned for-profits (77%) > privately owned for-profits (62%)
Hired a veteran.
59%*
83%*
77%
*Publicly owned for-profits (81%) > privately owned for-profits (65%) and nonprofits (59%)
Government (83%) > nonprofits (59%)
Multinational operations (76%) > U.S.-based only organizations (64%)
Note: “*” indicate significant differences. Blank cells indicate that there were no significant differences in this category.

10. Please indicate whether your organization plans to do any of the following activities in the next 12 months:
Multinational operations (39%) were more likely than U.S.-based only organizations (23%) to report that they plan to use recruitment sources targeting applicants who are veterans in the next 12 months.
Note: n = Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

11. Please indicate whether your organization currently offers or plans to offer the following programs:
Note: n = Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

12. Please indicate whether your organization currently offers the following programs:
Comparison by Organization Staff Size
Employee assistance program (EAP) (by staff size): Larger organizations (those with 2,500 or more employees) were more likely than smaller organizations (1 to 499 employees) to report that they currently have an EAP.
Employee assistance program with expertise in veterans’ issues (by staff size): Larger organizations (those with 25,000 or more employees) were more likely than smaller organizations (those with 24,999 or fewer employees) to report that they currently have an EAP with expertise in veterans’ issues.
Internal diversity or EEO (equal employment opportunity) office/department (by staff size): Larger organizations (those with 2,500 or more employees) were more likely than smaller organizations (those with 2,499 or fewer employees) to report that they currently have an internal diversity or EEO office/department.
Smaller Organizations
Larger Organizations
Differences Based on Organization Staff Size
1 to 99 employees (63%)
100 to 499 employees (71%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (96%)
25,000 or more employees 96%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations
Smaller Organizations
Larger Organizations
Differences Based on Organization Staff Size
1 to 99 employees (31%)
100 to 499 employees (30%)
500 to 2,499 employees (41%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (50%)
25,000 or more employees (80%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations
Smaller Organizations
Larger Organizations
Differences Based on Organization Staff Size
1 to 99 employees (41%)
100 to 499 employees (38%)
500 to 2,499 employees (43%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (71%)
25,000 or more employees (88%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations

13. Please indicate whether your organization offers the following programs:
Comparison by Selected Organizational Demographics
Differences Based on Organization Sector
Differences Based on Organization’s Operations Location
Affinity/resource group for veterans
Multinational operations (14%) > U.S.-based only organizations (4%)
Affinity/resource group for employees with disabilities
Publicly owned for-profits (14%) > privately owned for-profits (6%)
Multinational operations (17%) > U.S.-based only organizations (7%)
Employee assistance program (EAP)
Publicly owned for-profits (91%) > privately owned for-profits (62%) & nonprofits (77%)
Nonprofits (77%) and government (91%) > privately owned for-profits (62%)
Multinational operations (89%) > U.S.-based only organizations (69%)
Employee assistance program with expertise in veterans’ issues
Publicly owned for-profits (53%), nonprofits (40%) and government (53%) > privately owned for-profits (27%)
Multinational operations (48%) > U.S.-based only organizations (33%)
Internal diversity or EEO (equal employment opportunity) office/department
Publicly owned for-profits (62%) > privately owned for-profits (36%) and nonprofits (44%)
Multinational operations (60%) > U.S.-based only organizations (40%)
A centralized office to handle disability-related accommodation requests
Publicly owned for-profits (46%), nonprofits (45%) and government (57%) > privately owned for-profits (32%)
Note: Blank cells indicate that there were no significant differences in this category.

14. If you could make one recommendation to improve the hiring of veterans with disabilities, what would it be?
Educate employers on the benefits of hiring veterans with disabilities.
Advertise success stories in national and local media (all types).
Make employers/veterans aware of existing resources.
Create a centralized resource where employers and veterans can post jobs, resumes, learn about disabilities and accommodations, etc.
Build a relationship between HR and Veterans Affairs.
Provide general education across communities on disabilities, veterans, etc. (for veterans, employees, senior management, HR professionals, public at large).
Encourage veterans to stay current by updating their skills, not rely on their disabilities to find work, be able to translate military experience into civilian skills.
Offer tax benefits and incentives.
Train veterans to use general career job sites.

15. Demographics: Organization Industry
Manufacturing–other
16%
Health care, social assistance (e.g., hospitals, clinics)
12%
Services–professional, scientific, technical, legal 9%
Educational services/education 7%
Retail/wholesale trade
Financial services (e.g., banking) 6%
Government/public administration—federal, state/local, tribal 5%
Consulting
Insurance 3%
Other services (e.g., other nonprofit, church/religious organizations)
Transportation, warehousing (e.g., distribution)
High-tech
Note: n = 845. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

16. Demographics: Organization Industry (continued)
Services—accommodation, food and drinking places 3%
Construction, mining, oil and gas 2%
Publishing, broadcasting, other media
Arts, entertainment, recreation
Telecommunications
Utilities 1%
Association—professional/trade
Real estate, rental, leasing
Manufacturing—auto/auto-related
Pharmaceutical
Biotech
Other 6%
Note: n = 845. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

17. Demographics: Organization Sector
Note: n = 843. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

18. Demographics: Organization Staff Size
Note: n = 453

19. Demographics: Other Does the organization have U.S.-based
operations (business units) only or
does it operate multinationally?
Is organization a single-unit company or a multi-unit company?
Single-unit company: A company in which the location and the company are one and the same
38%
Multi-unit company: A company that has more than one location
62%
U.S.-based operations
74%
Multinational operations
26%
Note: n = 831
Note: n = 862
17% of organizations indicated that employees at their work location were unionized.
Are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit corporate headquarters, by each work location or both?
Note: n = 839
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices
50%
Each work location determines HR policies and practices 3%
A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determine HR policies and practices
47%
Note: n = 553

20. SHRM Poll: Recruiting Veterans With Disabilities: Perceptions in the Workplace
Methodology
Response rate = 14%.
Sample comprised of 1,083 HR professionals randomly selected from SHRM’s membership.
Margin of error is +/- 3%.
Survey fielded November 3–November 30, 2010.
This poll was commissioned by the ILR – Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University.
For more poll findings, visit:
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