Did you know that despite more than one billion people worldwide living with disabilities, only 36% of those of working age are employed? That’s a shocking statistic, but it also represents a significant opportunity for companies to diversify their workforce and tap into a pool of talented individuals. In fact, according to a recent survey, 9 out of 10 employers are open to hiring people with disabilities.
Of course, some companies may be concerned about the costs and logistics of providing accommodations for employees with disabilities. However, the economic advantages of building inclusive workforces far outweigh any costs. Creating a more inclusive workplace allows you to access untapped talents and become eligible for financial incentives.
But how do you ensure that your recruitment efforts are truly inclusive? In this blog, we’ll dive into what inclusive recruitment means and provide actionable strategies for building a diverse and accessible workforce.
What is Inclusive Recruitment for People With Disabilities?
Inclusive recruitment involves intentionally designing recruitment processes that ensure individuals, despite their background, gender, race, or disabilities, have an equal opportunity to participate and succeed. Disability inclusion means identifying and removing barriers to recruitment and creating a workplace culture that supports the needs of all employees, regardless of disability status.
Why is this topic so important? While a significant number of HR leaders consider diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to be a top priority, the reality is that only 13% of companies have achieved the Department of Labor’s target of 7% disability representation. This highlights the urgent need for greater focus on disability inclusion in recruitment to ensure that individuals with disabilities are not left behind in the workplace.
Strategies for Building a Diverse and Accessible Workforce
As an HR, you now know why disability inclusion in recruitment is critical to building a diverse and accessible workforce. To help you, here are eight actionable strategies that you can implement to ensure your recruitment efforts are truly inclusive.
- Set Overall Goals for Representation
Inclusive recruitment begins with setting clear goals for representation. To achieve this, companies should identify the percentage of individuals with disabilities they want to recruit and determine which types of disabilities are acceptable for the available positions.
For example, a tech company looking to fill five programming roles might be open to candidates with hearing impairments or other disabilities that don’t affect their ability to write code.
Setting these goals allows HR leaders to proactively seek out and recruit individuals with disabilities while monitoring progress towards increasing representation. By doing so, companies can foster a more inclusive and diverse workplace.
- Write Inclusive Job Descriptions
Writing inclusive job descriptions is a critical strategy for promoting disability inclusion in the workplace. To ensure that your job descriptions are accessible to all candidates and do not unintentionally exclude individuals with disabilities, consider these two key tips:
- Use plain language: Avoid jargon or technical terms that may not be familiar to all candidates. This is especially important for individuals with cognitive or learning disabilities who may struggle with complex language. Additionally, avoid using language that could be perceived as exclusive, such as “able-bodied” or “physically fit.”
- Focus on essential job requirements: Rather than listing non-essential qualifications or preferences, focus on the core skills and qualifications necessary to perform the job. This will help ensure that candidates with disabilities are not unfairly excluded based on irrelevant criteria.
By following these tips, HR leaders can create job descriptions open to a wider pool of candidates and build an inclusive workplace. Additionally, individuals with disabilities can feel more confident and valued during the application process.
- Broaden the Search to Include Diverse Groups and Talent Pools
To ensure disability inclusion in recruitment, HR leaders must actively widen their search to include diverse groups and talent pools. This could involve reaching out to disability-specific job boards, partnering with disability-focused recruitment agencies, or attending disability job fairs.
By actively seeking out people with disabilities, businesses can unlock a wealth of untapped talent and increase the diversity of their applicant pool. This approach benefits the business by providing a wider range of qualified candidates and promoting a culture of inclusivity and equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities.
- Use Inclusive Design in the Application Process
Inclusive design is a crucial part of disability inclusion in recruitment. This involves designing the application process to be accessible to people with disabilities.
For example, using clear and simple language, providing alternative formats for application materials, and offering technical assistance to those who need it.
By creating an application process that is accessible to everyone, businesses can ensure that they are not inadvertently excluding people with disabilities from the recruitment process.
- Make Shortlisting Fair
To ensure disability inclusion, it’s important to make shortlisting fair. This means considering all applicants based on their skills, experience, and qualifications rather than making assumptions about their abilities based on their disabilities.
By focusing on each applicant’s strengths, businesses can ensure they are not overlooking talented candidates simply because they have a disability.
- Allow for Reasonable Adjustments at the Interview
For many people with disabilities, reasonable adjustments are necessary to ensure that they can fully participate in the recruitment process. This might include providing additional time for written tests, offering sign language interpreters, or providing accessible transport to the interview location.
By allowing for reasonable adjustments, businesses can ensure that all applicants have an equal opportunity to succeed.
- Prepare for an Inclusive Interview
To ensure disability inclusion in recruitment, it’s important to prepare for an inclusive interview. This involves creating an interview process that is accessible to people with disabilities and that considers their needs.
For example, providing information about the interview process in advance, using clear and simple language during the interview, and allowing candidates to demonstrate their skills in a way that works for them.
By creating an inclusive interview process, businesses can ensure they are not missing out on talented candidates simply because they have a disability.
- Set the Right Tone and Ask the Right Questions
Setting the right tone and asking the right questions are important during the interview to ensure candidates feel comfortable and included. First, create a welcoming environment by introducing yourself, explaining the interview format, and providing a brief overview of the company and position.
Consider using open-ended questions that allow candidates to share their experiences and skills rather than closed questions that only require yes or no answers. When asking questions, be mindful of potential biases and avoid asking questions that could be seen as discriminatory. Instead, focus on job-related skills and experiences.
For example, instead of asking a candidate with a disability about their disability, ask them about their skills and experience that are relevant to the job.
Final Thoughts
Inclusive recruitment for individuals with disabilities is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense. By intentionally designing recruitment processes that remove barriers and support the needs of individuals with disabilities, businesses can tap into a pool of talented individuals and create a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
From setting clear goals for representation to making reasonable adjustments during interviews, there are several actionable strategies that HR leaders can implement to ensure their recruitment efforts are inclusive.
By prioritising disability inclusion, companies can boost their bottom line and create a workplace culture that values and supports all employees, regardless of their disability status.