Recruitment & Good Practice
To enable your organisation to develop a diverse workforce there are a number of strategies which can be employed to encourage applications from candidates who have disabilities. A broad view of recruitment needs to be taken in order to ensure that you are successful in recruiting the right person for the right job.
Some simple considerations are discussed below. For more detailed information, visit the links to appropriate websites at the bottom of this page.
The Disability Symbol
The disability symbol has been developed so that employers can show their commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. It is a communication tool which can be used by employers to encourage people with disabilities to apply for specific jobs. Employers who use the symbol make five commitments to action:
- A guaranteed job interview: to interview all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and to consider them based on their abilities.
- Consulting employees with disabilities regularly: to ask employees at least once a year what an employer can do to make sure the employee can develop and use their abilities at work, e.g. ensuring staff with disabilities are involved in an appraisal process.
- To make every effort to retain staff should a disability occur.
- Improving knowledge: to take action to meet an employer’s commitments by ensuring that key employees develop the necessary awareness of disability.
- To annually review these commitments and what has been achieved, to plan ways to improve on them and to cascade this information to employees.
Symbol users are required to use the symbol on all job advertisements, including application forms. The symbol is awarded by the Jobcentre.
For further information, can contact them and ask to speak to the local Disability Employment Advisor. Contact information is listed on the contacts page.
It is important to recognise that using the disability symbol does not in itself mean that an organisation will meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. If you have any concerns about how the Disability Discrimination Act may impact upon your organisation, please see our page on Legislation.
Prior to the Recruitment Process
The development of a thorough diversity policy, which includes people with disabilities, can help ensure your organisation does not discriminate against prospective (as well as current) employees. This should be implemented throughout the organisation and will provide the perfect starting block for a more holistic – or complete – recruitment process. There are local and national services which can provide guidance and advice pertaining to the development of such policies, but below are some points to consider:
- Examine the job description and the characteristics of the person required for the vacant position.
- Check that this description includes only those requirements which are clearly related to the duties, otherwise an applicant with a disability may be deterred from applying or may be subjected to inadvertent discrimination during the selection process.
- Avoid assumptions regarding the abilities, skills and aspirations of people with disabilities and consider how the job could be done by someone with a disability; perhaps by slightly adjusting working environment or the hours.
- Think about any functions not vital to the job; could any of these be reallocated elsewhere?
Advertising
Some points for you to consider when advertising available positions:
- Job descriptions and applicants’ requirements should not discourage applications from someone with a disability. Include the phrase “applications from anyone with a disability are welcome” or consider guaranteeing an interview for any applicant with a disability who meets the minimum criteria.
- Make it clear that you can provide information about the vacancy in different formats such as large print, tape , disc or email, and that applications can be received in a similar format.
- Consider placing your advertisement with the local organisations listed on this site who work with people with disabilities. You may find that some of these organisations will be happy to offer advice with regards to encouraging people with disabilities to apply for positions and that they may contact you to discuss possible voluntary placements, work trials or potential opportunities to meet your future business needs.
Applications
Most application forms will ask if an applicant has a disability. Such a question provides the opportunity for an individual to request any reasonable adjustments for the employer to make during the selection process.
It is important to remember, however, that some individuals may not wish to disclose the fact that they have a disability for fear of discrimination, whereas others may simply not perceive themselves as having disability.
If your application process uses a different format, for example CV or online application, it may well be worth considering how you could offer the opportunity for an applicant with a disability to comfortably disclose this fact.
For example, your advert could include an invitation such as “please indicate in your covering letter, any requirements you may have if called for an interview”.
An applicant without a disability would typically not answer this with an unreasonable or facetious request – if they answer it at all – whereas someone with a disability might view this as a genuine opportunity to, for example, request a room which is large/accessible enough to comfortably accommodate a wheelchair; or to ask for a visual aid to assist them to use a monitor during an interview. However, as the question is general and not explicit with regards to an answer, they would also not necessarily feel singled out because of their disability.
Interviews and Selection
It is important to ensure that your recruitment and employment practices maximise the opportunity to attract and retain employees with disabilities, as well as complying with the law.
Prior to short-listing you should provide an opportunity for applicants to request any reasonable adjustments required during the interview (you may have already done this if you adopted a similar approach to that suggested above in “Applications”).
This ensures that you remove any barriers which applicants with a disability disabled may face. Contacting an applicant – or their support worker – to discuss an interview will ensure that you are aware of any necessary adjustments. In addition, you may wish to consider:
- Ensuring the location and venue are accessible.
- Allowing a support worker to attend.
- Providing the applicant with the chance to use a prompt sheet when answering questions.
- Examining selection tests in order to ensure they are free from any bias; for example, using a practical test instead of a written one for someone who finds it difficult to read and write (where reading and writing are not principal components of the job, obviously).
Asking about a disability should only be done in relation to the effect it may have on someone’s ability to do the job for which they are applying.
It can be very useful to allow the individual to guide you through their qualities – and their limitations – as they will know their needs better than anyone else.
This will help you to establish whether the person will require minor changes to be made to the job specification itself or adjustments to be made to their working environment.
It is very important to remember, however, that not every applicant who has a disability will require such changes/adjustments to be made.
During the interview process, try not to make assumptions about an individual’s ability to perform certain tasks; focus on the applicant’s skills and capabilities rather than their disability.
If you do employ a someone with a disability, their terms and conditions should not differ to those of other employees. Use the same personal development procedures for employees with disabilities as for other employees, making reasonable adjustments as required.
If approached with an open mind, employing a person with a disability need not provide you with complex challenges; instead, it is an opportunity to take on a capable, loyal and hard working employee who is equally valuable as their colleagues.
Retention
This is the practice of making reasonable adjustments/changes to an existing employee’s responsibilities/environment in order that they can retain their job, if they acquire a disability during their working life.
There is more information on retention, as well as a list of organisations which can provide specialist assistance here.
Useful Links
Please remain aware that there is a veritable mine of practical advice and assistance – as well as financial help – available to employers and disabled employees. The following organisations can offer more comprehensive information and guidance:
Jobcentre Plus:
Disability Rights Commission:
Employers Forum on Disability:
Mindful Employer:
National Employment Panel:
