United States Department of Labor

Recruitment and Retention

The goal of the hiring process should be to attract and identify the individual who has the best mix of skills and attributes for the job available. Ensuring that all qualified individuals — including individuals with disabilities — can participate in the process is key to achieving this goal. Similarly, employers and employees both benefit from a work environment that facilitates the retention of all skilled, qualified workers through effective job accommodations for employees with disabilities.

The following resources provide more information about recruitment and retention of people with disabilities:

For All Employers:

• Building an Inclusive Workforce — A Four-Step Reference Guide to Recruiting, Hiring, & Retaining Employees with Disabilities.
• Return-to-Work Toolkit — Information to help employers and employees understand the return-to-work process and resources to assist in getting employees back on the job quickly and smoothly.
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN) — ODEP-funded service that provides free, expert and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and other disability employment issues.
• Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) — ODEP-funded service that helps employers hire and retain workers with disabilities.
• Opening Doors to All Candidates: Tips for Ensuring Access for Applicants with Disabilities — Information on how to ensure an accessible hiring process.
• Focus on Ability: Interviewing Applicants with Disabilities — Information on interviews when an applicant happens to have a disability.
• Strategic Connections: Recruiting Job Candidates with Disabilities — Information on strategies for proactively recruiting people with disabilities.
• Leading Practices on Disability Inclusion — Summarizes variety of initiatives implemented by corporations to increase disability inclusion, in both the workplace and marketplace.

For Federal Employers

• Toolkit for Federal Agencies on Implementing Executive Order 13548 — Outline of five-step process and related resources to assist Federal agencies in their efforts to increase the employment of people with disabilities.
• Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) — A program that connects federal employers nationwide with highly motivated college students and recent graduates with disabilities who are seeking summer internships or permanent employment.
• OPM Federal Employment of People with Disabilities Website — Website that addresses federal disability hiring programs, reasonable accommodations in the federal workplaces, related laws and executive orders and other resources.
• The ABCs of Schedule A — This fact sheet from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provides tips for applicants with disabilities on getting federal jobs.
• Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans — Information about special hiring authorities federal agencies can use to hire veterans, including disabled veterans.
• Advancing Opportunities: Accommodations Resources for Federal Managers and Employees — Information on government-wide and agency-specific accommodation resources for federal managers.
• Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) — The federal government's centrally funded accommodation program. Provides assistive technology and services free of charge to federal agencies.