Ep 184 - Employment Success for People with Disabilities - Workology

Ep 184 - Employment Success for People with Disabilities - Workology Episode 184: Employment Success for People with Disabilities with Jim Fruchterman (@JimFruchterman) Welcome to a new series on the Workology Podcast we are kicking off that focuses on the future of work. This series is in collaboration with the  Partnership on Employment Accessible Technology  or PEAT. We’re talking about how to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Technology that is accessible plays a big role in that and there is a great program in Silicon Valley that is leading the way driving discussion and conversations among some of the biggest, brightest, and most interesting technology providers on how to make the employment process more successful with technology. A special thank you to our podcast sponsor is ClearCompany Episode 184: Employment Success for People with Disabilities with Jim Fruchterman (@JimFruchterman) Today, I’m joined by Jim Fruchterman. He is the founder of Benetech, a non-profit that empowers communities with software for social good uniting two worlds: the social sector and Silicon Valley. They work closely with both communities to identify needs and software solutions that can drive positive social change. Jim is a former rocket engineer who also founded two successful for-profit high technology companies and has received numerous awards, including the MacArthur Fellowship and the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, in recognition of his work. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Silicon Valleys Push to Drive Innovation In the Social Sector Technology Jim talks us through the work that Benetech is doing and their role in helping to solve business problems that a number of employers are facing. One of those areas is employment discrimination through the use of or non-use of technology. Benetechs report featured below is jam-packed with great insights into how much of the HR technology and the many processes we leverage are creating challenges for people with disabilities. Whether it is the candidate selection process and video interviews or employer processes to request accommodation and the use of new technology. Only 55% of DEI businesses have a company-wide external and internal commitment to digital #accessibility.â€"2018 Disability Equality Index Report #workology #hr Click To Tweet In a previous podcast episode with Sassy Outwater last year, we hear the challenges that many people have when it comes to using technology at work if you have a disability. Sassy is sight impaired and uses a screenreader. At a previous employer, she was hired to process payroll, and she and the employer learned quickly that the new payroll processing technology was not screenreader compatible. Things like this create roadblocks for everyone. Benetech and Jims work is shining a spotlight on the need for accessible technology to be developed for new and existing tech. Jim has a unique knowledge because of his background and as someone who has been an organizational leader. His knowledge of artificial intelligence and machine learning development provides insights and discussion points that Im not hearing from many HR technology companies in our space. Within the podcast, he provides great insights into human capital management, technology development, and accessibility. Hidden Talent Pool I’ve long mentioned that one of the biggest areas of opportunities for employers is expanding into hidden and underserved talent pools one of which is people with disabilities. The challenge for employers isn’t just hiring people with disabilities but providing them with the resources, tools, and technologies to be successful in their jobs.  According to the 2019 Disability Equality Index Report, Only 55% of DEI businesses have a company-wide external and internal commitment to digital accessibility. This is accessibility throughout the entire employment life cycle from the application, to interview, to onboard, to exit. I love Jim’s insights. His understanding of machine learning is refreshing not to mention his knowledge of the HR technology space. We’ll include a link to the Benetech report in the transcript resources of this podcast. Connect with Jim Fruchterman RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Expanding Employment Success for People with Disabilities ~ Benetech Report Accessibility: Making the Business Case for Employers Buy IT!â€"Your Guide for Purchasing Accessible Technology TalentWorks Introduction to Inclusive Talent Acquisition Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage Ep 134 Job Application Employee Accessibility with Sassy Outwater ~ Podcast Podcast Transcript How to Subscribe to the Workology Podcast Stitcher PocketCast iTunes Podcast RSS Google Play YouTube TuneIn You can also click here to find out how to be a guest on the Workology Podcast. *A special thank you to my production team at Total Picture Radio.