Hartford Business Journal

20 Hartford Business Journal • November 27, 2017 • www.HartfordBusiness.com EDITOR'S TAKE Bronin should finish what he started H artford Mayor Luke Bronin has done an admirable job getting the city to the cusp of long-term fiscal reforms, but there is still much work to be done. As the city potentially prepares to go under the control of a state-run oversight board and renegotiate contracts and debt with labor unions and bondholders, the stakes have never been higher in terms of needing a competent leader at city hall. That's why Bronin should restrain his political ambitions, for now, by shunning the allure of the governor's mansion and finishing his first term as Hartford's mayor. Bronin recently announced that he was seriously considering a gubernatorial run, an about face for the 38-year-old Democrat who told various media outlets in recent weeks that he wasn't yet interested in running for higher office. While Bronin, a Rhodes scholar who graduated from Yale Law School and worked at senior-level positions in the U.S. Treasury and at The Hartford and served in Afghanistan as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, certainly has the pedigree to be governor, his politi- cal accomplishments so far remain unfinished. He gets credit for winning the mayorship on his first-ever run for political office. He's also cut costs in city government, been open and honest about Hartford's fiscal challenges, and made some tough decisions, including firing Centerplan Construction, the orig- inal developer of Dunkin' Donuts Park, in order to bring in a more competent manager to finish the minor league baseball stadium. Just as important, he's stood up to organized labor — with mixed results — and garnered the support and confidence of the business community, even getting three major employers — The Hartford, Aetna and Travelers — to pledge $50 million in aid to the city, if Bronin and other stakeholders develop a long-term solution to Hartford's fiscal crisis. But here's the thing, Hartford does not yet have that solution. Are we closer than ever before to a potential true restructuring of city government and finances? Yes, but there are months of negotiations left with bondholders, labor unions, the state and other stakehold- ers to figure out how to tackle Hartford's long-term debt overhang. As part of the recently passed state bud- get, lawmakers pledged potentially tens of millions of dollars in additional financial aid for the city, if it agrees to be placed under an oversight board, which would monitor Hartford's finances and have some power over labor-union contracts. That should provide greater account- ability, but the tougher task will be trying to convince bondholders to take a haircut on debt that is expected to cost the city as much as $61 million annually by 2021, which would represent nearly 20 percent of the entire city budget. Without those concessions, bankruptcy may still be an option, Bronin has warned. That's why we need a competent, fully engaged mayor to lead the city through this process. It's tough to see how Bronin would be able to mount a serious gubernatorial campaign and run the city at the same time. Bronin is already getting flak for con- sidering a run for governor this early into his political career. Many people saw his Hartford mayoral bid as a stepping stone to higher political office, which was a safe bet. But we shouldn't fault Bronin, or any other politician, for having ambitions. Most leaders, whether they be in the private, government or nonprofit sector, are ambi- tious people. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, as long as they aren't guided by blind ambitions rooted only in self aggrandizement. There must be some desire to achieve a greater good, whether it's for an organization, community, state or society as a whole. Whether Bronin's contributions to Hartford and the state would be better served with him in city hall or the state Capitol remains to be seen, but he should only focus on occupy- ing one office at a time during this still tumultuous and uncertain period. OTHER VOICES Hiring people with disabilities can help fill jobs gap By Kris Foss N early 40 percent of employers are having challenges hiring qualified employees, while at the same time one in five people in the United States have some type of disability and are facing challenges in getting hired. Some disabilities are visible, such as physical disabilities, and some are hid- den, including mental health conditions, medical conditions, learning and cognitive disabilities. We also have a large population "aging into disability" for the first time and veterans with disabilities returning to the civilian workforce. I am often asked about the types of jobs a person with a disability can do and my answer is always the same — "What do you have?" The reality is that the talent pool of people with disabilities remains underutilized, even though it in- cludes jobseekers with a wide and diverse range of education, degrees, professional certifications, work experience and skills. Talent with disabilities brings alterna- tive perspectives to getting a job done, to solving a problem, and to reaching a goal. It is this unique perspective and life experi- ences that can contribute innovative ideas, processes and market reach. People with disabilities in the United States alone represent an annual spending power of $645 billion, and their friends and families — those who would make spending decisions based on how inclusive a company may be — repre- sent another $4 trillion in annual spending, accord- ing to the Return on Disability Group. This is both a talent and cus- tomer market that businesses want to engage. When your employees can give you a unique lens to a customer market they can inform advertising, product develop- ment, customer service and more. Hiring people with disabilities is not about charity, but about smart business. Among companies that hire people with disabilities are some familiar brands such as PepsiCo, Synchrony Financial, American Express, Aon and Staples. These compa- nies and others are taking action in hiring people with disabilities to meet their talent needs across the board and seeing real business results including key HR metrics: • An average 14 percent higher reten- tion rate in the same roles; • 33 percent decrease in interview-to- hire ratios, saving talent acquisition professionals valuable time while decreasing time to fill; • 53 points and 28 points higher rates of voluntary "self-disclosure" among job- seekers with disabilities and veteran's respectively — important compliance results for government contractors and reflecting a positive and inclusive corporate culture. All of us have many roles in life both in our work and personal lives and bring our varied backgrounds, upbringing, culture and prior experiences to the table. People with disabilities are no different and cut across all dimensions of diversity. There are certain steps companies should take if they'd like to hire people with disabilities. They include: 1) Finding the right talent partners. There are many organizations out there and it helps to have assistance in finding partners who will work with you to under- stand your business needs, and can provide solid and consistent talent referrals. Host events, talk to the community, or work with experts who know the talent field. 2) Have a strategy that aligns with your organization's business priorities and sys- tems. Don't be afraid to make changes, but don't "reinvent the wheel" either. 3) Don't worry about getting it "perfect" before starting. Follow your plan, know that mistakes might happen, and learn from them. 4) Find experts who understand both and can bring that perspective to your team. As competition for top talent in- creases, companies recruiting people with disabilities are recognizing mea- surable business outcomes. Kris Foss is the managing director of disability solutions at Ability Beyond, a Bethel-based nonprofit that helps companies create plans for hiring and retaining talent with disabilities. Kris Foss Greg Bordonaro Editor Talent with disabilities brings alternative perspectives to getting a job done, to solving a problem, and to reaching a goal. It is this unique perspective and life experiences that can contribute innovative ideas, processes and market reach. Whether Bronin's contributions to Hartford and the state would be better served with him in city hall or the state Capitol remains to be seen, but he should only focus on occupying one office at a time during this still tumultuous and uncertain period. Opinion & Commentary

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