Why I hired a workforce no one else would | Randy Lewis | TEDxNaperville

Summary

In this inspiring story, the speaker shares the journey of helping individuals with disabilities find meaningful employment at Walgreens. Highlighting the struggles of his own son with autism, he explores the transformative impact of inclusive hiring practices, where employees with disabilities work alongside their peers. Despite facing initial skepticism, the program leads to impressive results, with employees exceeding performance expectations. The story emphasizes the importance of breaking down barriers and changing attitudes toward hiring people with disabilities, ultimately fostering a culture of acceptance, teamwork, and success across the company.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker introduces their middle child, Austin, who has autism and faced significant challenges, including delayed speech and learning difficulties.
• 😀 Austin's siblings note his unique behaviors, such as showing interest in boyfriends only after a new one is introduced, and his quirky interactions around everyday situations like driving tests.
• 😀 Despite his challenges, Austin's progress includes passing his driver's test on the first try, which contrasts with his sister Allison's struggles with the same test.
• 😀 The speaker, an executive at Walgreens, highlights the difficulties people with disabilities face in finding jobs due to societal misconceptions and biases.
• 😀 The speaker's company began hiring people with disabilities for roles such as custodial work and merchandise handling, but they still faced challenges of inclusion and recognition.
• 😀 They decided to take a bold step in creating a new facility in South Carolina, where one-third of the workforce would be people with disabilities, aiming for equal standards and pay for all employees.
• 😀 Despite skepticism, the new initiative succeeded, showing that people with disabilities can perform just as well or better than others, with better retention and lower absenteeism.
• 😀 Employees with disabilities, like Chuck, showed unique qualities that challenged workplace norms, but were ultimately embraced due to their positive contributions.
• 😀 The initiative not only helped individuals like Desiree, who relocated for the opportunity, but also fostered a culture of teamwork, inclusion, and success within the company.
• 😀 One of the key lessons learned was to never assume what people with disabilities can or cannot do, and to always ask for creative solutions to challenges.
• 😀 The success of the program led to other companies adopting similar initiatives, proving that inclusive hiring practices can result in positive performance outcomes and cultural shifts in the workplace.

Q & A

How did the speaker's son, Austin, overcome his challenges with autism?

Austin, diagnosed with autism, faced significant challenges such as not speaking until age 10. Over time, he developed his own unique ways of interacting with people, including a tendency to talk about others' relationships and excelling in driving, passing his driver's test on the first attempt.

What was the initial challenge in finding a job for individuals with disabilities?

The challenge was that people with disabilities often face multiple barriers to employment, including difficulties with the application process, interviews, and learning in the traditional way. There was also a widespread belief that people with disabilities couldn’t perform as well as others.

How did the speaker’s company, Walgreens, start addressing the employment challenges for individuals with disabilities?

Walgreens started by contracting with outside agencies to bring people with disabilities into their centers for custodial and merchandise roles. They later made a conscious effort to include individuals with disabilities in mainstream roles, treating them as full employees with team member t-shirts and name tags.

What was the turning point when Walgreens began integrating people with disabilities into all types of work?

The turning point occurred when Walgreens opened a new center in South Carolina, where they set a goal for one-third of the workforce to be people with disabilities. This initiative aimed to prove that individuals with disabilities could do the same jobs and meet the same standards as others.

How did Desiree’s story exemplify the opportunities provided to people with disabilities?

Desiree, who had a rare muscle disease, moved from California to South Carolina for the chance to work at Walgreens. Despite her condition, she became a supervisor at the new center, demonstrating that individuals with disabilities could overcome challenges and thrive in the workplace.

What was the outcome of Walgreens' initiative to employ people with disabilities in their new center?

The initiative was extremely successful. The center became the most productive in the history of the country, with employees with disabilities performing as well or better than others. They also had better retention rates, less absenteeism, and contributed positively to the workplace culture.

How did Walgreens adapt their standard operating procedures to be more inclusive?

Walgreens made adjustments to their procedures, such as asking people with disabilities how they would perform certain tasks instead of assuming they couldn’t do them. For example, they asked deaf employees how they would test a lift truck’s horn, leading to a safer and more inclusive work environment.

What was the impact of employing people with disabilities on workplace culture at Walgreens?

Employing people with disabilities had a positive impact on the workplace culture. Managers became better listeners, more focused on teamwork, and emphasized helping others succeed. Employees reported increased commitment and camaraderie, creating a unified and successful team.

How did Walgreens' success influence other companies?

Other companies, including competitors, took notice of Walgreens' success and visited to learn how they integrated people with disabilities into their workforce. Many of these companies launched similar initiatives, leading to improved performance and workplace culture across the industry.

What was the speaker’s personal motivation behind this initiative?

The speaker's personal motivation stemmed from his experience as a parent of a child with autism, Austin. Seeing the challenges Austin faced in finding opportunities inspired the speaker to create an inclusive environment for all individuals with disabilities, aiming to open doors that had been previously closed.