Workforce Wednesday is an opportunity for Minnesota employers to come together and share their stories and strategies on how they’re addressing current workforce challenges. These sessions take place the first Wednesday of every month. March’s discussion focused on strategies for engaging and supporting Minnesota’s workforce with disabilities. Here are some of the key takeaways we heard from our panel of employers.  

Please describe your company and experience working with people with disabilities 

Kari Scanlon, Vice President of Human Resources – Touchstone Mental Health  

• Touchstone Mental Health provides services to adults affected by mental illness in a variety of different ways. Many of our staff have hidden disabilities and learning to navigate that is very important for our company.  

Andrew Robertson, Owner & General Manager – Christian Brothers Cabinets  

• We’ve focused on working with kids coming out of high school who are still figuring out what they want to do. We work really closely with Vocational Rehabilitation Services and we try to give them skills and opportunities for their eventual career paths. If they decide they like working in cabinetry and carpentry that’s great, but if they decide it’s not for them, we’re just happy they gained valuable experience.   

What are some strategies for recruitment and retention that create an inclusive and supportive work environment? 

Andrew Robertson, Owner & General Manager – Christian Brothers Cabinets  

• We set out clear expectations and have open and honest conversations with the individual student on what they are looking to get out of it.  We start slow, give them tours, and over time we give them more responsibilities as they get more comfortable in the work environment. It’s fun to see their personalities come out as their responsibilities grow. It helps that we have a foreman who has a heart and a talent for this work. Our entire company is aware of our involvement in the program and the expectation is that all employees will invest in the students and the program. It’s part of our company’s culture.   

Kari Scanlon, Vice President of Human Resources – Touchstone Mental Health  

• We looked at our hiring process and created an end-of-interview evaluation so that we rely less on gut feel when interviewing because there is a bias to hiring people like ourselves. We want everyone to take a big picture approach. We also think about things like elevators and making sure our workspace is manageable for all people. We have a staff person with limited mobility and before that we hadn’t really thought about our surroundings in that way before.   

What are some examples of success stories in your company? 

Kari Scanlon, Vice President of Human Resources – Touchstone Mental Health  

• We have a strong care and resiliency policy by providing a lot of time off for staff and we want people to use it and take care of themselves. Since the pandemic, it’s helped people overall. When hiring people with disabilities we’ve ramped up their caseloads in a slower way so people who take a bit longer to learn can feel comfortable with their work. We also like to be aware of the language we use so that we can take the stigma out of words like disability.   

Andrew Robertson, Owner & General Manager – Christian Brothers Cabinets  

• The more hours and responsibility we give certain staff, the more they enjoy the work. We worked with someone who wasn’t a good fit for our company, but he was able to find something else that worked better for him and we’re just happy he found something he enjoys doing as a career. We consider that a success.   

What value have people with disabilities brought to your workplace?  

Andrew Robertson, Owner & General Manager – Christian Brothers Cabinets  

• There’s personal fulfillment in being part of it and seeing the student’s development over time. People come out of their shell and you get to really know them. There’s also a financial benefit. Those simple tasks are still very valuable and important to our profitability. It’s also part of our core values as a company culture. All individuals who have come through this program have added a benefit to our company that’s invaluable.   

Kari Scanlon, Vice President of Human Resources – Touchstone Mental Health  

• As an organization with a mission to support adults with mental health issues, we also want to support our employees and their mental health. It’s important that we walk that talk. From a business perspective, people with disabilities have lower turnover which is helpful for us. We also offer part-time positions because it’s what some people are more comfortable doing and it provides us stability in our work schedules.    

Share one key takeaway for businesses considering hiring People with Disabilities 

Andrew Robertson, Owner & General Manager – Christian Brothers Cabinets  

• Working with DEED and the VRS program, it’s been a positive experience and we’ll continue to do it as long as I own the business.  

Kari Scanlon, Vice President of Human Resources – Touchstone Mental Health  

• Lean on your networks. The contacts at DEED and VRS are amazing and they are looking for win-win solutions. Connect with other HR professionals and discover what is working at other companies. It’s helpful for everyone.   

View a recording of February’s session and other past sessions, plus view related resources you can download and use, on the Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com.