October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to recognize the professional contributions of people with disabilities and raise awareness about creating inclusive workplaces.
An important thing to remember about disabilities is that they can be both visible and invisible. What do we mean by that? While some disabilities are immediately noticeable, others, like learning disabilities or mental health disorders, are not discernible to a casual observer.
While there are important applicable lessons for all professionals during NDEAM, as a staffing agency, we’re particularly interested in ensuring we have accessible hiring processes. That’s right: building an inclusive work environment starts during the hiring process.
Ways to make your hiring practices accessible:
- Use clear, inclusive language in the job description and state that accommodations are available.
- Offer multiple interview styles, including video or written formats, to accommodate various needs.
- Encourage candidates to request accommodations early on in the interview process.
- Train your hiring teams to recognize and avoid unconscious bias to ensure the process focuses on candidates’ qualifications.
- Ask for feedback! Don’t assume you’re doing it perfectly: ask them how the process went for them and if there’s anything that the company can improve upon.
Of course, an accessible hiring process is just the start of creating an accessible and supportive work environment. Employers should take a similar approach when evaluating day-to-day life at the company, including following all ADA regulations; asking people what they need to succeed; providing resources like adjustable desks or assistive software; respecting team members’ individuality; and providing ongoing company-wide training on disability etiquette and general diversity, equity, and inclusion measures.
At SPECTRAFORCE, we continue to evaluate our hiring practices and company culture to make it a place where everyone can thrive. Teagan Malone, our Diversity and Sustainability Partner, says,
“We are deeply committed to creating an inclusive workplace. Our DEI practices ensure that all individuals have an opportunity to contribute their unique talents, which makes us stronger as a company and, more important, as a community.”
We invite you to learn more about creating an inclusive workplace from this wonderful resource.
