PARIAN LOGISTICS

Video Transcript:

I am Neal Medeiros, General Manager for Parian Logistics. The Mark Wafer award is an award handed out at the CASE Conference, which is the Canadian Association for Supportive Employment. The award is for an employer that is diverse and inclusive in its hiring practices.

The process for hiring an associate who is experiencing a disability is not that different. We do have some accommodations, and that is one of the first things we ask when an associate comes in for an interview – “Are there any special accommodations that are required to make the interview successful?”.

There are times when we may not go with a standard interview face to face with the hiring manager. It could be a more on the floor experience of what the daily job would be, to know if the individual can do the functions required of the job.

Some things we have learned hiring individuals who are experiencing a disability is that they are able to do the work and can do a multitude of functions. I think a lot of the associates experiencing a disability on my team are loyal, punctual, pleasant to work with, and are a part of the community in the warehouse. These are all assets that companies anywhere would strive to have in any employee.

The Canadian population has 22% of individuals experiencing a disability, and I think it is important for Parian to surpass the national average. Parian’s workforce now comes in at 30%. I think it is important for us to be leaders and strive to hire an inclusive staff.

The standard for most companies out there is to hire 1 to 2 associates experiencing a disability, so I think for us being at 30% of employees, it is a good way to lead by example to get other companies to follow suit, and reach a workforce of individuals experiencing a disability closer to the national average.