By Kenny Chee

RESTAURANT group Thai Express Concepts is looking for more than just a few good men to beef up its staff at its food outlets like Thai Express and Shokudo Food Bazaar.

It intends to hire more disabled workers even as the economy looks set to grow worse.

The group's head of human resources and talent management, Ms Nica Foo, told my paper that she wants to hire 10 to 15 disabled workers this year.

The group hired nine disabled workers last year, bringing the number of people who are deaf, mute or have mild intellectual disabilities on its payroll to 13.

'We are hiring people with disabilities because they tend to be more hardworking and committed to the company,' explained Ms Foo.

Another draw of hiring such workers? They job-hop less frequently and help to stabilise the company's workforce, leading to fewer disruptions in the food chain's operations, she said.

Thai Express Concepts is one of 15 companies that are still hiring people with disabilities despite the tough times.

The firms, including those from the food-and-beverage, hospitality, cleaning and landscaping industries, advertised 100 job openings for disabled people in conjunction with the Singapore National Employers Federation last month.

Still, organisations that help the disabled find jobs expect a bumpy ride this year.

Bizlink Centre, a non-profit organisation, said that it helped 57 disabled people to find employment in the last quarter, compared with 87 for the same period in 2007.

Mr Roland Teo, a manager with Bizlink's employment placement division, said the organisation is using this time to help disabled Singaporeans upgrade their skills, while approaching more companies to hire them.

Meanwhile, welfare organisations like the Handicaps Welfare Association and the Singapore Association for the Deaf applauded companies that are still hiring disabled workers.

Mr Ando Yeo, executive director for the Singapore Association for the Deaf, said: "There are many employers out there who are willing to look beyond the disability as long as the employee has the right attitude and is willing to learn."

Other companies that have been hiring people with disabilities include Kentucky Fried Chicken Management and Natural Cool Holdings.

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