The Impact of a Brief Meeting on Employer Attitudes, Knowledge, and Intent to Hire

McDonnall, Michele C.; Antonelli, Karla

doi:10.1177/0034355219889409

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…It is important to recognize that implicit attitudes may be more difficult to alter than explicit attitudes (Jost et al, 2004). Findings from an associated study of this intervention presented in an earlier article documented a large improvement in explicit attitudes of these same hiring managers (McDonnall & Antonelli, 2019), but the present study documented only a small improvement in implicit attitudes. Implicit associations are often picked up not just by our experiences but also by the culture in which we live, and we have limited cognitive control over these implicit associations, despite new information obtained about the capabilities of people who are blind.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 63%

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Changing Employers’ Implicit Attitudes About the Competence of People Who Are Blind

McDonnall

Antonelli

2022

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness

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Introduction: Long-held societal beliefs about the incompetence and dependence of people who are blind are thought to contribute to their low employment rates. This experimental study examined the impact of a meeting between a vocational rehabilitation (VR) professional and a hiring manager on these beliefs, or implicit attitudes, about the competence of people who are blind. Method: Participants were 57 hiring managers working for a financial services company in the southern United States who participated in a one-hour meeting with a VR professional. Two VR professionals, one sighted and one blind, conducted the meetings, utilizing one of two approaches, resulting in a 4 (group) × 3 (time) experimental design. Implicit attitudes were measured with the Implicit Association Test-Blind & Visually Impaired (IAT-BVI) at pre-test, post-test, and a 4-month follow-up and data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: IAT-BVI scores decreased significantly following the meeting, though the size of the change was small. Type of approach and the interaction between approach and the VR professional’s vision status were not significantly associated with IAT-BVI change. Although vision status was not significantly associated with IAT-BVI change, follow-up analyses documented that participants who met with the blind VR professional had a significant decrease in IAT-BVI scores. Discussion: Hiring managers’ implicit attitudes significantly improved following a meeting with a VR professional, providing evidence that a brief interaction can decrease employers’ implicit bias regarding the competence of blind people. In addition, hiring managers who met with the blind VR professional showed significant improvement in their implicit attitudes after the meeting, with a medium-to-large effect. Implications for Practice: VR professionals should communicate with employers as much as possible about the work capabilities of individuals who are blind to help improve their implicit attitudes, and be aware that incorporating exposure to a competent blind person may result in a greater impact.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 63%

“…Participants completed the IAT-BVI along with other measures that were collected as part of a larger study involving this intervention; see McDonnall and Antonelli (2019) for details. Participants completed the IAT-BVI online as a pre-test measure within the week before their scheduled meeting with the VR professional.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing Employers’ Implicit Attitudes About the Competence of People Who Are Blind

McDonnall

Antonelli

2022

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness

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“…The 2021 salary survey by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification showed 12% of certified rehabilitation counselors worked in for-profit businesses (CRCC, 2021). In spite of this low utilization of VR services, research has shown that intervention by a VR professional can improve employment opportunities for PWD (McDonnall & Antonelli, 2020).…”

Section: Disability Supports and Policies Provided To Employees With ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Employers’ Perceptions of Challenges and Strategies in Hiring, Retaining, and Promoting Employees With Physical Disabilities

Munsell

Kudla

et al. 2022

Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin

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Disability is a common component of human diversity, yet people with disabilities (PWD) are underrepresented in the workplace despite known benefits to PWD and companies alike. There is an urgent need to promote inclusion of PWD in the workplace. The purpose of this study was to explore employer-perceived challenges and strategies for employing, retaining, and promoting people with physical disabilities (PWPD) and to describe the policies, supports, and job accommodations they provide to PWPD. We administered a cross-sectional, online survey to employers in the Midwestern United States ( n = 53). Employers had an average of 8.5 years of experience in their job roles and represented diverse industries and company sizes. Employers provide a range of job accommodations; however, many reported lacking comprehensive disability policies such as training managers on how to support PWPD, providing employee resource groups for PWPD, and having a specific job accommodation fund. Major challenges reported by employers were related to lacking competencies in supporting employees with physical disabilities. However, employers endorsed the utility of strategies to address these challenges, including providing education and training and increasing buy-in from leadership. Study findings inform employers on ways to best support PWPD and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

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Disability and Employment Research: Mind the Gap

Waxman¹

2023

Handbook of Disability

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The Impact of a Brief Meeting on Employer Attitudes, Knowledge, and Intent to Hire

Cited by 5 publications

References 45 publications

Changing Employers’ Implicit Attitudes About the Competence of People Who Are Blind

Changing Employers’ Implicit Attitudes About the Competence of People Who Are Blind

Employers’ Perceptions of Challenges and Strategies in Hiring, Retaining, and Promoting Employees With Physical Disabilities

Disability and Employment Research: Mind the Gap

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