Help Wanted: People With Disabilities and Recruitment Advertising

People with disabilities rely heavily on specialist agencies to find suitable employment. This research examines how agency consultants use recruitment ads in their work with clients. The authors analyzed the ads collected by consultants and learned that the ads were dominated by organization and job attributes. The ads contained less information about preferred applicant characteristics and selection procedures. Consultants used the ads to facilitate immediate matches between clients and employers, but they also used the ads to nudge clients in new career directions. The results reflect challenges consultants experience in balancing the long‐term needs of clients against the short‐term demands of employers.