top of page

INTERVIEWING AND HIRING WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES


It’s illegal to ask about disabilities in an interview. However, it’s acceptable to ask applicants if they are able to perform the essential responsibilities of the job with reasonable accommodation.

Job Descriptions

Always start with good job descriptions. They should be prepared carefully, since they can be used against your company in a lawsuit, or if properly prepared, as a defense to such a lawsuit. .

How to Create a Job Description.

A well-written job description is one of the most important documents you’ll use in recruiting and managing your employees. Here are some basic ideas to help you get started.

One easy way to get started in writing or revising your job descriptions is the Career One Stop’s Job Description Writer. You can utilize this tool to:

  • Follow a step-by-step guide to building a comprehensive job description.

  • Retrieve and customize O*NET occupational data to include in your description.

  • Edit the job description to your desired length and specifications.

How to use job descriptions

The well written job description becomes the foundation for a wide variety of employment activities, including:

  • Compensation

  • Job specifications, ads, and internal postings

  • Pre-screening and employment interviews

  • Orientation and onboarding activities

  • Training and career development activities

  • Performance evaluations

  • General HR planning

Learn more about hiring people with disabilities

There are a wide range of benefits to hiring people with disabilities. Businesses everywhere have discovered the benefits of hiring workers with disabilities. They are skilled at adapting to difficult situations, highly motivated and less likely to leave than other employees.

Get more information at these resources

The United States Department of Labor and its partners have collected key resources for to assist employers hiring workers with disabilities:

EARN.org. The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) is a resource for employers seeking to recruit, hire, and retain qualified employees with disabilities.

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN). JAN is dedicated to helping you integrate or retain people with disabilities. It’s a leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.

Recruiting, Hiring, Retaining, and Promoting People with Disabilities. This resource guide for employers was produced collaboratively by nine federal agencies to help employers hire, train, and retain workers with disabilities. The guide will open as a PDF in a new window.

Disability Employment Tabulation, U.S. Census Bureau. This Census Bureau data shows disability status and labor force diversity for 4,000 local U.S. areas. Learn more about the skills and availability of people with disabilities, including details on occupation, education, and earnings.

Check out these tax benefits at the IRS website.

For help with interviewing and other workforce issues, contact Kinley Law Practice at www.kinleylawpractice.com

bottom of page