Understanding employers' hiring intention in relation to qualified workers with disabilities

The present study focused on the intentions of employers to reach out toward qualified workers with disabilities as part of their hiring pool recruitment activity. An employer survey was developed in accord with the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 2005). According to the tenets of the model, it was hypothesized that through multiple regression, it would be demonstrated that employer attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control variables predict the intention to engage in hiring behavior toward qualified workers with disabilities in the next six months. Overall, the model accounted for67% of the variance in the survey of Northwest employers (n = 92) in relation to hiring intentions with normative influences (CEOs, CFOs, etc.) accounting for the greater proportion of the variance, beta coefficient 0.48, p < 0.01. Attitudes toward the hiring behavior and perceived control had lesser beta weights, 0.24 and 0.22, p < 0.05. Implications of these findings and those from the focus groups used to develop the survey are reviewed in detail relative to more effective vocational rehabilitation marketing efforts.