Strategies for Recruiting, Engaging and Retaining Members in a Community of Practice for Disability Employment: A Qualitative Content Analysis

摘要

Enhancing the employment rate of people with disabilities requires the collaboration of employers and rehabilitation counselors. A community of practice (CoP) is a tool to enhance this collaboration, and HR professionals indicate strong interest in the use of a CoP to receive current information on disability employment and vocational rehabilitation and to network with other professionals. The purpose of this study is to conduct a qualitative content analysis of HR professionals' responses related to strategies for recruiting, engaging, and retaining HR professionals as active participants of an online CoP. One hundred and fourteen HR professionals completed the online survey, and responses to three open-ended survey questions were analyzed. Results provide suggestions for recruitment, engagement, and retention of CoP members. Specific strategies for recruitment included marketing, benefits of belonging to a CoP, and barriers to recruitment efforts. A CoP appears to be a viable option in disseminating information and providing a network that will promote active communication between practitioners and researchers regarding disability employment.