Ontario Corporate Training Centre Business Survey

OCTC Survey for Businesses

The Ontario Corporate Training Centre’s (OCTC) mission is to educate and empower businesses across Ontario with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to embrace disability-inclusive hiring, fostering diverse and thriving workplaces.

Did you know….

27% of Canadians identify as having a disability. That is almost 1 in 4 Canadians. (Statistics Canada, 2017)

An estimated 795,000 people who have a disability in Canada are unemployed despite being able and willing to work. (Institute for Work & Health, 2022)

Disability-inclusive businesses have 30% higher profit margins than companies that aren’t (Accenture, Getting to Equal 2018: The Disability Inclusion Advantage)

This survey will take approximately 7-10 minutes to complete. You will be asked questions about your experiences with recruiting, hiring, onboarding and retaining workers who have a disability as well as disability specific supports for businesses.

The information you provide will be kept confidential and only summary data will shared. No identifying features will be used in any of the reporting. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of research ethics.

If you would like an alternative format to complete the survey or have any questions, please contact Lila Jorgenson at 1-866-280-6336 ext. 117 or ljorgenson@odenetwork.com.

Question Title

* 1. Please select which sector your organization falls under: (Select the option that best applies)

Management occupations

Business, finance, and administration occupations

Natural and applied sciences and related occupations

Health occupations

Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services

Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport

Sales and service occupations

Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations

Occupations in manufacturing and utilities

Other (Please Specify):

Question Title

* 2. What challenges does your business face when trying to fill job vacancies? (Select all that apply)

Access to qualified candidates

Length of time to fill vacancies

High employee turnover

Access to HR personnel

Access to accommodation resources

Financial limitations

Attraction and retention challenges in rural areas

Hiring employees who want to grow with your business

No significant challenges

Other (Please Specify):

Question Title

* 3. What resources or methods has your business used to find candidates in the last 12 months? (Select all that apply)

Collaborating with post-secondary programs

Connecting with local high schools

Partnering with Employment Service Providers

Job boards

Social media platforms

Job fairs and networking

Working with recruitment agencies

Implementing employee referral programs

Other (Please Specify):

Question Title

* 4. Do you have interest in receiving disability awareness and confidence training?

Yes

Unsure

Question Title

* 5. Does your business offer training to human resources, supervisors and hiring managers on unconscious bias and inclusive hiring practices?

Yes

Unsure

Question Title

* 6. What specific topics related to disability awareness and confidence would you like to have included in training programs? (Select all that apply)

Understanding different types of disabilities and intersectionality

Addressing unconscious biases and stereotypes

Navigating accessibility challenges

Communicating effectively with people who have a disability

Empathy and active listening

Hiring and retention strategies

Other (Please Specify):

Question Title

* 7. What is your business doing to improve its inclusive culture and providing opportunities for employees who have a disability to grow in their roles? (Select all the apply)

Create or provide hybrid or work from home opportunities

Provide disability awareness training for staff

Have specific targets for hiring people who have a disability

Have mentoring and support programs 

Provide accommodations in the workplace

Regularly reviewing job qualifications and job postings

Providing professional development and advancement opportunities

Evaluating employee engagement

None of the above

Other (Please Specify):

Question Title

* 8. How does your team support candidates who have a disability during the recruiting and hiring process? (Select all that apply)

Write job postings and job descriptions using plain language

Use accessible technology and platforms

Have a process in place to provide accommodations during application and interview process

Have a clear and transparent feedback process for candidates who were not selected for a position

Work with Employment Service Providers

Unsure

Other (Please Specify):

Question Title

* 9. Is your business aware of community resources available to support the needs of your employees such as mental health, substance use disorders, and youth organizations?

Yes

Unsure

Question Title

* 10. What community resources do you think would be beneficial to your business? (Select all that apply)

2SLGBTQIA+

Indigenous

Literacy and Skills Training

Mental Health

Newcomer

Substance Use Disorders

Youth

Other (Please Specify):

Question Title

* 11. How did you learn about OCTC?

Question Title

* 12. The OCTC team will be contacting businesses who are interested in learning more about creating a disability inclusive workforce. Please complete the following if you want to be contacted:

Business:

Contact Name:

Phone Number:

Email: