Hiring College Students with Disabilities—Innovative Strategies for Success

Presenters: Ann Macheledt (Minnesota Business Leadership Network)

Tom Lynch (MN AHEAD)Dawn Kirchner (Mayo Clinic)Anastasia Damyan (Mentee)

Kathleen McDowell (Reverse Job Fair Candidate)

Welcome & Introductions• Introduce yourself and where you are from

• Take 5 minutes to discuss with someone at your table the following question:

What are some of the key challenges in recruiting college students with disabilities?

Why are we here? Qualified individuals with disabilities are often an untapped market. In 2016, the US Department of Labor statistics reported:

▪ Labor Force Participation rate for people with disabilities was 20.4% (68.4% for those w/o disabilities)

▪ Unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities was 10.2% (4.7% for people w/o disabilities)

▪ 37% of MN college graduates with disabilities were not participating in the labor force

This issue connected strongly with MNBLN’s mission and the D&I goals of our members.

Minnesota Business Leadership Network (MNBLN) & Its Partners

Intro to MNBLN

• Began in 2000, certified as a 501c3 in 2003

• Mission: An employer led endeavor that promotes best practices that enhance employment and career opportunities for skilled candidates with disabilities.

Intro to MNBLN

• An affiliate of the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN)

• Our mentoring program was modeled after USBLN's Rising Leaders Mentoring Program.

• MN AHEAD was a collaborating partner in developing and implementing our Career Connections Mentoring Program.

MNBLN Members

Business Members• Large, medium and small• Disability Owned Business Enterprises (DOBE)• Governmental entities

Providers• Community organizations and nonprofits• Governmental entities and academic institutions

For more information go to www.mnbln.org

MNBLN Career Connections Mentoring Program

Our Mentoring Program Emphasis

• Career readiness • Creating the pipeline for business• Growing the knowledge for both individuals-

mentors and mentees • Everyone is on their own journey to discover

work that is meaningful and aligns with their values.

Mentoring Program Structure & Model• 3 month program, February - May • Programming included:

▪ 2 mentoring contacts per month▪ Webinars (Kick Off and Disability Disclosure

Training)▪ Email communication with TED Talk

recordings, resume and networking resources ▪ Engagement in MNBLN Member Meetings and

other disability related outside events• Coordinator provided monthly follow up

Mentee Program Eligibility• Individuals with disabilities 18 and older meeting

one of the following criteria:▪ Enrolled in college ▪ Participating in a training or certificate program▪ Recent graduate

• Mentees were required to:▪ Commit to 4-6 hours a month to the mentoring

experience▪ Provide a reference check

Mentor Program Eligibility

• MNBLN member employers (as a priority) and non-member employers that MNBLN had connections with

• Mentors were required to:▪ Commit to 4-6 hours a month to the

mentoring experience▪ Complete a background check and obtain

company support for their participation

Mentee Application Key Questions

• What are your career aspirations?• What do you hope to get out of this mentoring

program and experience?• What areas are most important for your

mentoring experience?• What three soft skills would you like to

strengthen?

Mentor Application Key Questions

• How will mentoring help you reach your personal/professional goals?

• Tell us your confidence rating in specific mentoring areas

• Preferred major/program/industry or field of mentee match

• What types of jobs or skills are needed within your company?

Pair Matching Considerations

• 18 participants, 9 mentor/mentee pairs• Factors/considerations involved in the matching

of pairs: Field of study/Industry worked Goal areas of mentees/areas of expertise and

confidence level in mentoring areas Availability Preferences Job availability at company

Businesses & School Represented

• Businesses involved

• Schools represented

Minnesota Association on Higher Education and Disability (MN AHEAD)

www.ahead.org• Provides support and education to professionals working

with secondary and post-secondary students with disabilities

• Members: disability resource professionals, student affairs personnel, ADA coordinators, diversity officers, AT/IT staff, faculty and other colleagues invested in higher education

MN AHEAD Perspective

• Cornell Disability Statistics

• MNBLN’s Career Connections Mentoring Program bridges the gap for students.

Mentor Perspective

Mentor Perspective

Key elements of the program• Structure - Beginning & End• Education• Built in support• Clear expectations/Goal of the program• Celebrate successes

Mentor Perspective

Mentor Perspective

Lessons learned• Your career pathway

has value• Listen more and ask

questions• You may need to move

slow to go fast• Opening doors can lead

to inspiration

Mentee Perspective-Anastasia

Commitment + Engagement = Career Success

Mentee Perspective-Anastasia

Lessons learned • Seeking an employer that aligns with my values• Improving soft skills by practicing in a safe space• Self-advocacy in a work setting• Goal setting • Identifying strengths by self-reflection

Mentoring Program Results

• 16 individuals total completed the program--8 mentees

• Post program, mentees reported the following results:

4 full time

1 part time

3 in school or looking for work

Mentoring Program Results

•Anastasia - Leadership Justice Program in Connecticut, full

time

•Jillian - Goodwill Easter Seals, full time

•Greg - State of MN, full time

•Katherine - PCA part-time, expected to finish school in

December or May

•Katy - K-12 schools, substitute teaching, full time

Mentoring Program Results

•Madison - sophomore, pre-med

•Christine – no specific employer at the time, but was involved

in politics/advocacy work

•Christina - planned to finish school in May, was looking for

internship opportunities, extended her meetings with her

mentor over the summer

What was most valuable?

Mentee

“The MNBLN's Mentorship Program gave me the opportunity to see

what the work environment was like in the real world, especially

when presented with accommodations. What I have learned during

this mentorship will continue to be referenced when I apply to

graduate school and various careers in the future - this is definitely

one of the best decisions I have made in my college career!”

What was most valuable?

Mentor

“It gave me the opportunity to connect not only with a candidate

with a disability but also connect with a young, new college grad

that is just beginning the start of their adult life. It was an honor to

be part of that and help get her started on her life's journey.”

Note: Additional information and mentoring video can be found at

www.mnbln.org

Reverse Job Fair

3 Words to Describe Yourself• Write down 3 words to describe yourself or 3

words that others might use to describe you

• Take 5 minutes to discuss with someone at your table.

How did that feel? Was it hard or easy?

Audience Polling

• How many of you have participated in or attended a Reverse Job Fair before?

• What was it like or what do you think this type of job fair involves?

Reverse Job Fair

• The Reverse Job Fair (RJF), in essence, flips the table and allows the job seeker (student) to create a display and presentation to showcase their talents, interests and skills.

https://idaholabor.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/post-falls-reverse-job-fair-2013.jpg

RJF Benefits For Individuals• Career readiness

skill building & networking

• Candidate in the driver’s seat

• Personalized way to showcase skills and abilities

• Strengths presented in visual ways

• Employer insight and feedback for creative career connections

Candidate

RJF Benefits For Employers• Access to diverse

qualified candidates

• Increased quality face time

• Creative ways to learn about an individual & connect based on values

• Opportunity to match individuals to careers based on strengths

Employer

Reverse Job Fair Prep

• One 2 hour hands-on training

• Homework: Create a poster board and 30 second elevator speech for MNBLN Disability Inclusion Summit & Career Fair

Poster Board Questions

Poster board should answer the questions:• Who you are• What you know• What you have done• What you hope to do

Poster Board Ideas

Who you are:• Your name• Your picture• Reference to where you are from• Words that describe you

Poster Board Ideas

What you know could be demonstrated by:• Skills you feel you have• Certifications or degrees you have received• Training you have completed• Hobbies and interests you have• Questions you like to answer • Ideas you have

Poster Board Ideas

What you have done:• Volunteer work you have participated in• Leadership opportunities you have engaged in• Skills you have developed along the way• Recognition you have received• Personal goals you have achieved• Physical things you have produced or work you have

done

Poster Board Ideas

What you hope to do:• Jobs or work you are interested in• Part or full time work• An internship you might be seeking• Other career exploration opportunities such as a job

shadow, workplace tour, informational interview• Gather feedback on where to apply your skills

Candidate Poster Board

Candidate Perspective-Kathleen

Candidate Perspective-Kathleen

Key elements of the experience ▪ Showed employers I am a multi-dimensional

person▪ Helped reduce anxiety to be able to speak to

what is important to meLessons learned

▪ Requires an individualized look at the person ▪ Learn a lot more about an individual on their

terms

Employer Perspective

• Drives a more visual type of resume• Provides individuals an opportunity to express

ideas and needs in innovative ways• Creates “comfort zone” for interactive dialogue

surrounding accommodations • Allows individuals with less work history to

highlight their strengths

What was most valuable?

RJF Candidate

“I am more conscious of presenting myself as

competent and a can-do potential employee.”

Innovative Strategies & Resources

Strategies & Resources for Recruiting College Students

• Build your recruiting network--MN AHEAD, MNBLN, Campus Disability Services, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, community organizations, etc.

• Take advantage of business education partnership opportunities

• Explore options for a digital meeting place

Strategies & Resources for Recruiting College Students

• Be proactive about your presence on campus to discuss your business, needs, culture, etc. and get to know students

• Be open to new and innovative ways for meeting and sourcing candidates—mentoring programs, Reverse Job Fairs, visual resumes, virtual career fairs

Innovative Strategies Work

“Caring, knowledgeable people opened the door,

took my hand, guided me through, and walked close

beside me along the way to discovering options and

placement in my career interest.”--Mentee

Innovative Strategies Work

“I think we could all make a huge impact on our

upcoming workforce if we committed to mentoring a

young person. The "inside" information to business

best practice can expedite the shift from an

educational setting to the employment world for

students. Finding a career you can grow into after

college gets lost in translation for some of the

individuals we support.”--Mentor

One Action Item

Write one action item following today that you will take to engage with college students

Questions