Reaching out to recruit diverse employees

It’s never been more important to recruit and retain the right workers.  Having the right employer brand can shape how you attract and retain staff, and integrate a culture can help secure the attractiveness of your company.  However, companies are still discriminating candidates based on their disability.  With shocking results coming out of Scope’s latest research with disabled people applying for 60% more jobs than non-disabled job-seekers before they successfully find work.

Attracting all audiences

Simon Robinson, Employment Law Partner at GunnerCooke LLP and guest contributor for Engage & Prosper shares insight on how disabled people struggle with the recruitment process:

• 51% of applications from disabled people result in an interview, compared with 69% for non-disabled applicants;
• 37% of disabled jobseekers believe employers won’t hire them because of their impairment;
• two in five disabled jobseekers don’t feel confident about finding one in the next six months; and
• over half of disabled people have applied for jobs they are overqualified for, with one in three of those saying they did so because they felt their disability makes them a less attractive candidate.

Mark Atkinson, Chief Executive at Scope, said: “We have a huge amount of work to do to tackle the disability employment gap. Disabled people with all the skills to do the job are being repeatedly passed over, while others are being forced to apply for jobs which they know they are overqualified for. Employers are missing out on talent because they don’t have the right support in place or because of outdated attitudes towards disability.”

The recent research Let’s Talk and report by Scope found that many disabled people struggle to share information about their impairment or condition in the workplace. This can make it harder for disabled people to access the support and adjustments they need to carry out their job.

Key findings:

• Nearly half of disabled people (48 per cent) have worried about sharing information about their impairment or condition with an employer.
• Only half of disabled people we surveyed (49 per cent) are aware of their rights as a disabled employee.
• Several disabled people said they experienced negative comments from talking about their impairment or condition at work.
• Some disabled people who had positive experiences said this helped them to get the support they needed.

Scope are calling on employers to create inclusive workplaces where disabled people can be themselves and share information about their impairment or condition on their own terms.

They’re also calling on the Government to improve information and resources for employers and ensure disabled people can access the right support whilst in work.

If your organisation isn’t sure how to get more educated and involved about how to recruit more diverse employees, such as those with disabilities, contacting Scope would be a great place to start.

Let’s Talk has been generously funded by Leigh Day. You can read the full report for more information or Read more about Let’s talk.

A big thanks to Simon for helping raising awareness on this employment law and diversity issue. He has a regular newsletter which is well worth a read and subscribing to so you get all the updates when available.

 

Like what you’ve read? Sign up to our employee engagement newsletter to hear more, fresh from the blog.

Engage & Prosper is a UK based privately owned company and Social Enterprise that helps organisations to develop a highly productive workplace culture through enhanced employee engagement and tailored reward and recognition programmes.

For more information on Engage & Prosper or to discover how we can help you achieve your organisational goals please call +44 (0) 330 223 0464 or find out more at www.engageandprosper.com