1G07 Outreach and Positive Recruitment
An acceptable AAP must affirm that the contractor engages in outreach and recruitment efforts reasonably designed to effectively recruit qualified individuals with disabilities. The contractor may engage in activities such as job fairs, recruitment activities with educational institutions and organizations that focus on job training and development for persons with disabilities, and posting of job opportunities with specialized organizations. Contractors may also develop their own outreach programs. The scope of the contractor’s efforts will depend upon circumstances, including the contractor’s size and resources, and the extent to which existing employment practices are adequate. Contractors can find more examples of outreach and recruitment activities at 41 CFR 60-741.44(f)(2).
The AAP must include documentation of the contractor’s assessment of its outreach and recruitment efforts that it made over the previous 12 months. This assessment is two-fold in that the contractor must evaluate the effectiveness of each effort and it must conclude whether the totality of its efforts has been effective in identifying and recruiting individuals with disabilities. When evaluating the effectiveness of each effort, the contractor must document its determination and, at a minimum, it must include the criteria used to make the determination. One of the criteria that must be included is the data collected under 41 CFR 60-741.44(k) discussed below in subsection 1G12. If, when looking at the totality of its efforts, the contractor concludes that outreach and recruitment efforts were not effective, it must identify alternative efforts that it will implement to fulfill its affirmative action obligations. Investigators must also ensure that the conclusion is reasonable for the AAP to be acceptable. To be an acceptable submission, contractors must provide all documentation discussed in this section with their AAP and Itemized Listing submission. Examples of what an Investigator should expect to see include:
- Documentation of meetings and agreements made with organizations outlining the recruiting expectations;
- Emails, mailings, or other correspondence indicating job vacancies shared with the organization;
- Documentation showing the number of applicants and/or hires from organizations tied to outreach and recruitment efforts; and
- Documentation of the analysis on outreach and recruitment efforts.
Investigators must record the results in CMS.