Did you know that 7.6m working age people in the UK have a disability? If you’re not actively recruiting talent, then your competitors probably already are!The Disability Confident scheme helps employers make the most of talents that disabled people can bring to your workplace and over 13,000 organisations have already signed up. Disability Confident companies play a leading role in changing attitudes for the better, with behaviour and culture and not only in their own organisations but across networks and communities too. The scheme is free and helps employers recruit from a wide pool of talent, secure high-quality staff and improve employee morale.
Signing up can provide you and your organisation with the confidence, skills and tools that you’ll need to help you recruit and retain disabled staff as they progress in their careers.
In brief, to become a Disability Confident employer, you will need to consider the commitments below:
- Ensure your recruitment process is inclusive and accessible, for example:
- ensure against discrimination
- make job adverts accessible
- provide information in accessible formats (eg large print)
- accept applications in alternative formats (eg electronically)
- Communicate and promote vacancies, for example:
- advertise vacancies through a range of communication channels
- get advice from Jobcentre Plus, Work Programme providers and local disabled people’s user-led organisations
- review your current recruitment processes
- Offer interviews to disabled people
- Encourage applications from disabled people by offering them an interview if they meet the minimum criteria for the job (this is the description of the job set by the employer).
- Anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments
- Make sure disabled people aren’t disadvantaged when applying for and doing their jobs.
- Support any existing employee who acquires a disability or long-term health condition to stay in work
- Retaining an employee who has become disabled means keeping their valuable skills and experience and saves on the cost of recruiting for a replacement.
There’s lots of advice and information on the gov.uk website at:
gov.uk/disability-confident and also a list of organisations that have already signed up!