October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. In light of this, the Bank of Montreal has released a study on their recruitment. First observation: Progress has been made in terms of hiring people with disabilities.
The study sponsored by the Bank of Montreal (BMO) and conducted by Pollara through telephone surveys of 502 Canadian business owners last August shows that there is indeed progress being made in the realm of recruiting people with disabilities. It appears that 39% of SME owners are hiring candidates with disabilities, a figure representing a 10 point increase from 2013 when it was only 29%.
36% of companies have diversity programs
In contrast, while 90% of entrepreneurs consider workplace diversity as a strength and an asset, only 36% have implemented this kind of program within their organizations. However, research shows that the more a professional environment is diversified and inclusive, the better the productivity and motivation is among its employees. Moreover, diversity makes a business more competitive and it is thus valued for its commitment to this principle.
Sonya Kunkel, Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Vice President of Talent Management Strategies at BMO Financial Group emphasized that the introduction of a diversity program not only reduced the stigma against the handicapped population, but also helped to support employees, allowing them to give their all.