Accessibility in the industry is not just about the hotels and their guests. There is an untapped group of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) whom hotels can hire to fill open positions at a time when they are dealing with hiring shortages.
To accomplish this, owner/operator/developer Hotel Equities (HE) has partnered with In Good Company (IGC)—which trains hospitality managers to recruit, train and retain employees with IDD—on a pilot program to expand its employment opportunities to those with IDD.
The program involves eight Georgia properties and will “equip our general managers and other key leaders with the skills and knowledge they need to develop a sustainable program where employing those with IDD becomes commonplace at every hotel,” noted Nancy Curtin Morris, SVP, talent, HE, who is spearheading the pilot program.
The IGC program follows a three-stage model: educate, implement and reinforce, said Sarah Naumann, the company’s founder, adding, “After defining goals and metrics with HE’s leadership, we began with workshops and webinars to clarify what disability entails. Next, we revised job postings to be more inclusive. Currently, we’re actively sourcing candidates and supporting HE managers in the interview and onboarding process for candidates with disabilities, including accommodation considerations.”
But what is keeping people with IDD from applying for open positions? One factor could be how job postings are written.
“People with IDD might not consider a job suitable for them if the postings don’t appear inclusive or relevant to their abilities,” Naumann said. “With simple, often cost-free accommodations, they can become valuable employees.”
Curtin Morris expects the program to expand to other Hotel Equities-managed properties.
“That is our goal,” she said. “We are still learning and developing best practices with our small group of hotels. Once that is complete, we will evaluate our learnings and determine the next steps needed to implement an enterprise-wide program.”
—Adam Perkowsky
