Slide 1 Human Resource Practices: IT in the Workplace Susanne M. Bruyère Program on Employment and Disability Industrial and Labor Relations Cornell University Presentation for the ILRU Webcast October 1, 2003 Slide 2 Presentation Overview • Why an interest in IT and the HR process? • Overview of two Cornell studies on Human Resources practices and IT – A review of selected e-recruiting websites – Survey of practitioners on accessible IT • Implications for CILs • Resources for future reference Slide 3 Why Interest in IT and the HR Process? • 1 in 6 people in U.S. have a disability • As workforce ages, visual and hearing disabilities become more common • Over half of U.S. households now own computers; people with disabilities are half as likely to have Internet Access as those without disabilities Slide 4 E-HR and People with Disabilities • As Internet access becomes more common, businesses are becoming network intensive • Web applications can pose barriers for those with vision, hearing, or dexterity-related disabilities • Most web sites are not designed to be accessible to people with disabilities Slide 5 A Review of Selected E-Recruiting Websites Sample • 10 Highest Traffic Job Boards • 31 Corporate E-Recruitment Sites – 14 “Best” E-Recruiting Sites (Cambria Consulting, 2000) – 17 Top Fortune 500 Companies Slide 6 Web Pages Evaluated Four Essential E-Recruitment pages: * Corporate Home page * Job Search page * Sign up / Registration page * “Resume Builder” page Slide 7 Evaluation Methods • Accessibility Evaluation Software: – Bobby v. 3.2 (priority one level) • Simulated Process Evaluation Attempted to find and apply for a job using only: – Screen reader accessible information – Keyboard Navigation Home page, career page, job search, job application/resume builder Slide 8 Bobby Results % of pages without major accessibility errors (Bobby Priority 1 errors) Data is presented in a 3 by 5 table. The columns are labeled page type, Job Boards (n=10) and Corporate Recruiting (n=31). The rows are labeled Home Page, Sign up Page, Job Search, and Resume Builder. The data are as follows: Home Page: Job Boards: 0% Corporate Recruiting: 26% Sign up Page: Job Boards: 0% Corporate Recruiting: 10% Job Search: Job Boards: 0% Corporate Recruiting: 17% Resume Builder: Job Boards: (n=2) 0 out of 2 Corporate Recruiting: (n=11) 1 out of 11 Slide 9 Simulated Process Evaluation • Job Boards (9 sites) – One third navigable throughout the entire search & application process steps • Corporate E-Recruitment Sites (12 sites) – One quarter navigable throughout the entire search & application process steps Slide 10 Common Accessibility Issues • Critical “submit” image buttons missing alternative text (alt text) • Critical links missing alternative text • Image maps lacking alternative text • Auto submit “combo-boxes” Image Description: Graphic of an Auto-submit box, a rectangular box containing a list of alternate choices for job types. Text reads as follows: Please select a job category, Accounting, Administrative, Support, and Clerical. Slide 11 Conclusions Majority of recruiting websites evaluated were not accessible. However Many of the issues can be easily corrected through the simple use of alt tags for buttons and links. Slide 12 HR and IT Survey • 433 private sector HR representatives interviewed • SHRM members • Had participated in a 1998 survey of employer practices in response to the ADA Slide 13 Respondent Characteristics • 24 percent were from large organizations (5000+ employees); 42 percent from organizations with fewer than 500 employees • 41 percent from service industries, 21 percent manufacturing, 13 percent from finance/insurance organizations Slide 14 Employee Computer Use • More than 80 percent of employees in finance, high tech/telecomm, and insurance use computers more than half the workday • 60 percent of employees in service and public administration use computers more than half the day • About 40 percent of transportation/utilities and manufacturing employees use computers at this level Slide 15 Use of Online Technology Organizations’ Use of Online Technology Online employee training A great deal (1): 4% Some (2,3,4): 59% Not at all (5): 37% Online benefits self service A great deal (1): 18% Some (2,3,4): 39% Not at all (5): 43% Online benefits information dissemination A great deal (1): 25% Some (2,3,4): 57% Not at all (5): 18% Online job postings A great deal (1): 44% Some (2,3,4): 45% Not at all (5): 11% Note: Percent of all respondents (n=433) excluding “don’t know/refused” responses. Source: Accessible IT for People with Disablities: HR Considerations. Cornell University, 2003. Slide 16 Perceptions of IT as a Barrier Respondents’ Perceptions of Barriers to Computer Use, by Employee’s Disability Type Percentages are those considering computer use a very significant barrier for people with this type of disability. Wheelchair Users Very significant barrier (1): 2% Somewhat significant barrier (2,3,4): 13% Not a barrier at all (5): 86% Deaf Very significant barrier (1): 7% Somewhat significant barrier (2,3,4): 45% Not a barrier at all (5): 48% Cognitive/learning disabilities Very significant barrier (1): 14% Somewhat significant barrier (2,3,4): 79% Not a barrier at all (5): 6% Fine motor limitations Very significant barrier (1): 18% Somewhat significant barrier (2,3,4): 73% Not a barrier at all (5): 10% Visually Impaired Very significant barrier (1): 38% Somewhat significant barrier (2,3,4): 52% Not a barrier at all (5): 10% Note: Percent of all respondents (n=433) excluding “don’t know/refused” responses. Source: Accessible IT for People with Disablities: HR Considerations. Cornell University, 2003. Slide 17 Familiarity with Assistive Technology Familiarity with Assistive Technologies Guidelines for Web design Familiar (1,2): 13% Neither (3): 14% Unfamiliar (4,5): 73% Screen readers Familiar (1,2): 16% Neither (3): 14% Unfamiliar (4,5): 70% Braille readers Familiar (1,2): 21% Neither (3): 19% Unfamiliar (4,5): 60% Video captioning Familiar (1,2): 25% Neither (3): 20% Unfamiliar (4,5): 55% Speech recognition software Familiar (1,2): 32% Neither (3): 23% Unfamiliar (4,5): 45% Screen magnifiers Familiar (1,2): 46% Neither (3): 22% Unfamiliar (4,5): 32% Note: Percent of all respondents (n=433) excluding “don’t know/refused” responses. Source: Accessible IT for People with Disablities: HR Considerations. Cornell University, 2003. Slide 18 Familiarity with IT Access Resources Clearinghouse for Information Technology Accessibility (CITA) Familiar (1,2): 7% Neither (3): 11% Unfamiliar (4,5): 82% World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Familiar (1,2): 8% Neither (3): 14% Unfamiliar (4,5): 78% Vendors of accessible computer software/hardware Familiar (1,2): 16% Neither (3): 23% Unfamiliar (4,5): 62% JAN (Job Accommodation Network) Familiar (1,2): 20% Neither (3): 10% Unfamiliar (4,5): 70% Disability specific organizations (eg. American Federation for the Blind) Familiar (1,2): 39% Neither (3): 25% Unfamiliar (4,5): 35% Note: Percent of all respondents (n=433) excluding “don’t know/refused” responses. Source: Accessible IT for People with Disabilities: HR Considerations. Cornell University, 2003 Slide 19 Experience Providing IT Access Computer Adaptations Made for Employees with Disabilities (of those who made adaptations: n=180) Braille reader: 6% Screen reader: 8% Large Screen: 16% Voice recognition: 20% Computer input (special mouse, keyboard etc.): 31% Screen magnifier: 41% Workstation alteration: 47% Source: Accessible IT for People with Disabilities: HR Considerations. Cornell University, 2003. Slide 20 Assessment of Web Site Accessibility • Approximately 10 percent said their HR sites had been evaluated for accessibility • About 40 percent said their sites had not been evaluated • Slightly more than half were unsure of whether their HR site had been checked for accessibility. Slide 21 Employee Training in Internet Accessibility • Only 15 percent of respondents reported that any employees had been trained in Internet accessibility for persons with disabilities • 31 percent reported some staff trained in making computers accessible Slide 22 Helpfulness of Organizational Resources • The employee with a disability him/herself was rated as the most helpful resource (84 percent) • Health and safety/ergonomics staff rated helpful by 72 percent. Computer network services staff and disability management staff rated helpful by 66 percent. Slide 23 Helpfulness of Barrier Removal Aids Helpfulness in Removing Technology Barriers Training purchasing or procurement specialists in Internet access issues for people with disabilities Helpful (1-2): 55% Neither (3): 27% Not Helpful (4-5): 18% Print information on Internet accessibility Helpful (1-2): 61% Neither (3): 25% Not Helpful (4-5): 15% Telephone or e-mail expert consultation on Internet accessibility Helpful (1-2): 66% Neither (3): 21% Not Helpful (4-5): 13% Web based resource on Internet/computer accessibility Helpful (1-2): 70% Neither (3): 20% Not Helpful (4-5): 10% Computer training for potential employees with disabilities Helpful (1-2): 71% Neither (3): 13% Not Helpful (4-5): 15% Uniform guidelines to make Web-based employer processes accessible Helpful (1-2): 73% Neither (3): 16% Not Helpful (4-5): 12% Trained technical staff within your organization Helpful (1-2): 73% Neither (3): 15% Not Helpful (4-5): 11% Specific expertise or technical assistance on technology accessibility issues in your organization Helpful (1-2): 74% Neither (3): 16% Not Helpful (4-5): 10% Note: Percent of all respondents (n=433) excluding “don’t know/refused” responses. Source: Accessible IT for People with Disablities: HR Considerations. Cornell University, 2003. Slide 24 Conclusions • Results demonstrate the magnitude of computer use and computer related skills required throughout the labor force • Need to raise awareness of IT access considerations for persons with disabilities • Highlights the importance of computer training for potential employees with disabilities Slide 25 Implications for CILs • IT access an issue across the employment spectrum for persons with disabilities • The HR practitioner is a key workplace contact for intervention • Information services on web design considerations and accommodations are needed • Knowledge of key resources is imperative Slide 26 Additional Resources • Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers, 1-800-949-4232, www.adata.org • U.S. EEOC - www.eeoc.gov/ada/adahandbook.html • Section 508 - www.section508.gov • World Wide Web Consortium - http://www.w3.org/ • ACCESSIT - www.washington.edu/accessit/ • Cornell University Program on Employment and Disability ILR Extension, Ithaca, NY 14853 (607)255-9536, www.ilr.cornell.edu/ped/ Slide 27 Related Cornell University Research Reports • Bruyére, S. & Erickson, W. (2001) E-Human Resources: A review of the literature and implications for people with disabilities. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations-Extension Division, Program on Employment and Disability. • Bruyére, S. Erickson, W., & VanLooy, S. (2003) Accessible IT for people with disabilities: IT considerations. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations-Extension Division, Program on Employment and Disability. • Erickson, E. (2002). A review of selected E-recruiting websites: Disability accessibility considerations. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations-Extension Division, Program on Employment and Disability. Copies of Cornell University reports on which this presentation is in part based, are available from the authors by email: Susanne M. Bruyére, smb23@cornell.edu & William A. Erickson, wae1@cornell.edu Slide 28 Contact Information Program on Employment and Disability Cornell University 331 Ives Hall Ithaca, NY 14853-3901 Phone: 607-255-9536  Fax: 607-255-2763 TTY: 607-255-2891 Email: ilr_ped@cornell.edu Website: www.ilr.cornell.edu/ped End of slide presentation