Business to Business Interview - R. Libby

Vicki Brooke: What are your main business reasons for hiring people with disabilities?

R. Libby: I think the main reason for hiring people with disabilities is that employees 
generally work better, feel more comfortable in a workplace where the workplace is a 
reflection of the world around them.  So from a diversity point of view when we have the 
same mix of people in the workplace, as there are in the community people are 
comfortable with that.  Their uncomfortable when they look around them and don't see 
people like themselves, don't see people like their used to interfacing with in the 
community.  So I think it's a plus for the workforce and the work site.

Vicki Brooke: What has been the impact in hiring people with disabilities on your bottom 
line?

R. Libby: I think the main impact particularly when we're talking about an impact of 
bottom-line is that the same thing is true of people coming into a workplace.  If they don't 
see what they are used to seeing, if they don't see what the customer interface the people 
that their doing business with if that doesn't reflect the community that isn't a really 
comfortable place for them to be.  So I think that customers coming in particularly 
customers who are people with disabilities coming in are really looking for or are pleased 
to see if not looking for people that look like themselves.  I think that has a major impact 
in terms of the business.

Vicki Brooke: What advise would you give to a company that was having trouble getting 
their front line supervisors and managers to hire people with disabilities?

R. Libby: A lot of the things we do in terms of managers if their a little bit hesitant or 
resistant or feel uncomfortable even thinking about hiring people with disabilities is to 
use some examples.  We could do a lot of modeling around them, we have people who 
have been terribly successful and people with pronounced disabilities who have been 
very, very successful in jobs.   And we often times will have them talk with them, talk 
with their peers, talk with their managers.  I think that kind of one-to-one interaction to 
see a real case scenario, if you will, of successes is the best way to convince them.

Vicki Brooke: What recruitment strategies do you use to find people with disabilities?

R. Libby: We've gone about strategies for recruitment in a couple of ways, one would be 
through the BLN, Business Leadership Networks, which provides us with contacts with 
great areas to source applicants with disabilities in areas where we may be relatively new 
as a company.  We've also had along standing relationships with Goodwill and places like 
that for really the last ten to fifteen years and our local recruiting groups interface with 
them on a regular almost daily basis in some areas.