Remove disabling barriers from your recruitment process

Jane Hatton

Founder and CEO, Evenbreak

Employers already know the benefits of employing disabled people,¹ but does their recruitment process work against them?

The Enactus programme at UCL conducted research² to identify the barriers disabled candidates face when looking for work. They received more than 700 responses from disabled participants, giving compelling evidence into the real lived experiences of disabled people. The results may be surprising but can inform strategies to remove — or at least reduce — those barriers.

Who is genuinely inclusive?

In the research, 82% of respondents reported that the most pressing problem for them was finding a truly disability-friendly employer. While most employers describe themselves as ‘inclusive employers,’ the experience of disabled people is that ‘inclusion’ may relate to gender or race — but rarely disability.

Employers explicitly welcoming disabled candidates can remove that barrier. For example, by sharing success stories of disabled employees and advertising in disability-specific media.

Barriers in the recruitment process

Respondents were concerned about the lack of information in job advertisements around adjustments. Almost 80% said this occurred always or regularly. The decision about how or when to mention their disability was ‘agonising’ for many candidates. Making it clear that disabled candidates are welcome, with information on how to request adjustments, can alleviate this.

82% of respondents reported that the most pressing problem for them was finding a truly disability-friendly employer.

The use of CVs and interviews to assess candidates can also be problematic, neither of which evidence the candidate’s ability to do the job. Skills-based recruitment³ is thankfully gaining more traction now, where candidates are tested on the skills required for the role, rather than previous experience or qualifications.

Lack of self-confidence

Moreover, 48% of respondents reported that a lack of confidence represented a significant barrier to them. This included being concerned about employers’ generally negative perceptions of disabled candidates, alongside experiences of constant rejection for roles. This can eventually impact candidates’ views of themselves and their abilities, leading to a lack of confidence to apply.

One respondent said: “I often start applications but get too scared to submit them.” Another said: “I never felt disabled until searching for a new job.” Sharing success stories and offering support can help to mitigate this.

If employers wish to tap into this amazing pool of talent, they may need to look at current practices and make some simple changes to remove the disabling barriers they might be inadvertently creating.