Business Relations Program: Testimonies and Successes

Listen to businesses that have benefited by using the products and services from ADRS and their READI-Net business relations program.  Listen to, or read, the comments from

  • manufacturers
  • customer service companies
  • government hiring authorities
  • service industries
  • rural and small businesses

 

MANUFACTURING COMPANIES

AmeriSourceBergen

" VR has opened up a whole new avenue for us in hiring quality, caring associates. They have come in, viewed our facility and know our needs. They send us only qualified candidates and assure that our needs are met far and beyond any resource we've used."

- Mike Peterson, Operations Manager

Toyota

"One of the biggest resources we've used from VR is education. They've helped train new team members and provided assistance in the selection process."

- Lee Thomas, HR Specialist

Amerex

"It's been a very long term relationship with VR . We've hired people that have been here 10, 15, 20 years. They know the company, the job requirements, and our culture. They don't just 'place' people. They do extensive screening and work orientation. It has shortened recruiting time."

- Reba Glidewell, Personnel Manager

Degussa-Huls

"One of the keys of working with VR was their openness and immediate response to our need. Within a day or two, they were on site and participating openly in our in-depth job analysis. They followed through completely and it was a win-win. We were able to retain our disabled employee and that was our goal from the start."

- Glen Serotsky, Manager

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE COMPANIES

Compass Bank

"They really go the extra mile to ensure that the people we hire from them present our corporate principles to our customer. I've worked with VR approximately eight years and have always found them to be truly professional and very focused on the needs of the employer not just on the individual they're trying to place. They've assisted us with ADA issues, evaluations for accommodations and they help us retain employees who become disabled. They're willing to come back any time. And all of these services are free of charge."

- Michael Ballew, VP/Manager

TeleTech

" VR sends us candidates that we know will be long-term employees and that are successful in the operation of our business. They ask: 'Let me see what you do so I can understand it, know it and recruit to it.' They know what we do as well as I do. They've assisted us with everything from disability and sensitivity training through financial assistance with technology and accommodation ideas."

- Tim Hinds, Regional Recruiting Manager

Sears, Roebuck & Company

" VR has really taken the time to understand our position qualifications and, with that, they're very careful to send us individuals who meet those qualifications. They've saved us time in recruiting. This in turn saves us time in training these individuals once we hire them. VR wants a successful placement. That's the goal for both of us." 

- Cheryl Rivas, Sourcing & Staffing Specialist

Walgreens 

GOVERNMENT ENTITIES

V.A. Medical Center – Birmingham

“This year the Medical Center was given a goal to increase the representation of people with disabilities in our permanent workforce by at least 2 %.  Without our partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation, we would never be able to achieve this goal. But with them, we will do it and are hiring in most of the hospital’s departments.   

- Rick DeFillippo, Equal Employment Opportunity Program Manager

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

"The type and talent of people we get from VR are outstanding. What I like in particular is that they come to us and ask what our needs are."

- Wayne Urbine, Deputy District Engineer

Social Security Administration

"We have brought on some wonderful employees from VR that have been successful. These employees have trained well and done the job."

- Ken Corder, Staff Assistant

 

SERVICE

Hilton Hotel

"We get numerous customer comment cards on the employees we've hired from VR with comments about their attentiveness and smile. VR staff know the work ethic we need here and they spend the time looking at our work areas. This is key to our successful placements."

- Mike Holland, Director of Human Resources 

O'Charley's

"These are dependable employees from VR … always here for their scheduled shift … always on time … and they do a good job. The rehab folks spend time with us and ask what our needs are. They eliminate all the guess work." 

- Jack Cordray, General Manager

Ramada

"We get dependable employees from VR . They understand our positions and this reduces down time in looking for good employees and it reduces training time. We keep in touch to see how the employee is doing. They come and look at what more they can do for us. Also, the cost of advertising and training go down when we work with them." 

- Raj Champaneri, Owner - Ramada Limited

RURAL / SMALL BUSINESSES

YMCA

"The disability of the referrals has been no problem at all. The greatest service from rehab has been the job accommodations."

- John Cheeley, CEO, local YMCA

Helen Keller Hospital

"We're in a field where it's difficult to recruit people. We've been very successful in working with VR in this area." 

- Mike Lockhart, Support Services Director

"We've used a job coach from VR on site and we spend less time in training. We don't need to advertise as much now either.

- Pat Patton, Human Resources

Dabney Engineering and Land Surveying

"The person we hired came with a good attitude. Generally I have to go through a fairly large number of people to find someone. I gave a list of what I needed and VR found the right person for me."

- Don Dabney, Surveyor and Owner

Hudson Pool Jewelry

"VR has provided us with two valuable employees who are very responsible. Through preliminary testing through VR we found qualified candidates. They also provided our employees with training and purchased his tools."

- Jaime Chandler, Vice President

Randall-Reilly Publishing Company

“Their session on disability is a great training tool:  hands-on, engaging, informative, useful for anyone with a desire to understand those who are categorized as disabled.”

 

SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN BUSINESS AND READI-Net

Join the Alabama corporations, mid-sized companies and mom andpop businesses that have discovered the resources available through Vocational Rehabilitation and READI-Net.

FAST FACTS

  • Annually, more than 1,000 businesses partner with READI-Net to address their company’s disability-related issues 
  • More than 5,000 no-cost services are provided to these businesses
     

Click here for a list of those products and services.