Inclusion challenges for talent with disabilities: attraction, retention, and advancement.

1. INCLUSIVE TALENT I N T E R N A T I O N A L
INCLUSION CHALLENGES FOR
TALENT WITH DISABILITIES

2. INCLUSION CHALLENGES FOR TALEN T
WITH DISABILITIES
Diversity is a pertinent issue in the modern
workplace across many industries. Disabilities are
an aspect of diversity that is often overlooked
when discussing underrepresented groups, but it is
vital to consider this as part of any inclusive hiring
strategy.
How is disability defined?
Hiring inclusively is defined differently across the
globe. According to the US government, someone
with a disability is defined as having a “physical
or mental impairment that substantially limits
one or more major life activities; has a record of
such impairment; or is regarded as having such
an impairment.”1
In the UK, a disabled person
is defined under the Equalities Act 2010, as a
person with a “physical or mental impairment”
for whom this impairment presents “substantial”
and “long-term” effects on their ability “to carry
out day-to-day activities”. Broadly speaking,
related to the workplace, a disability could be a
mental or physical health issue which impacts
elements of a person’s ability to do their job.
Benefits of Inclusive Strategies for
Disabled Employees
Multiple studies have shown the value of employing
a more diverse workforce. In the US, people with
a disability represent the largest diversity group.2
Similarly in the UK, nearly seven million working-
age Britons are disabled or have a serious health
condition.3
This is a significant talent pool of potential
candidates to draw from. A more inclusive hiring
strategy can help increase the number of quality
candidates you can consider.
The cost of accommodating disabled candidates is
often relatively low.Similarly,if an existing employee
has developed an impairment, it’s often less
expensive to retain them and accommodate their
changing needs, rather than recruit someone new
to the position.4
Multiple studies have shown that hiring inclusively
can have a positive impact on your bottom line.
Diverse businesses often have a more inclusive
culture which can help shift cultural attitudes, and
improve morale and retention. In the US, new
hires with disabilities have increased from 11.97%
to 18.21%, meaning that more businesses are
beginning to understand and embrace the benefits
of diverse hires.5
Disabled candidates will face various obstacles
throughout their careers. By implementing a more
inclusive hiring strategy and giving thought to the
needs of disabled candidates and employees, you
can help to address this issue.The three key areas to
focus on are:attraction;retention;and advancement
of candidates. It’s important to consider all three
factors in order to effectively tackle this issue.
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3. ATTRACTION, RETENTION & ADVANCEMENT
Attraction
Attracting candidates is one of the greatest barriers
when it comes to employing people with disabilities.
This is often due to unconscious bias rather than a
lack of qualified diverse candidates.
In a report by BDF, it was revealed that just
20% of businesses set targets for hiring disabled
candidates.6
In public companies this number is
even lower at just 7%. It’s vital to set clear KPIs
surrounding diversity strategies. This is not about
using diverse talent ‘tick boxes’, it is about finding
ways to organically attract more diverse talent, as
well as creating an effective system for measuring
the success of your inclusive hiring strategy.
An employer’s strategy for communicating their
commitment to diversity in their employee value
proposition is a vital factor in recruiting candidates
with disabilities. Disabled candidates are more
likely to be attracted to employers where the
employer brand effectively demonstrates their
inclusion efforts for employees with disabilities.
Communicating the companies policies around
inclusion and accommodation will allow disabled
candidates to see your organisation as a company
than can meet their needs,making you an employer
of choice.
A survey by the Business Disability Forum (BDF)
revealed that disabled people feel that only one-
quarter of businesses show an interest in recruiting
disabled talent, with just 1 in 20 employers clearly
expressing their willingness to adapt for disabled
candidates.7
In order to attract more diverse
candidates, companies must change the way
they communicate their inclusion efforts, and
demonstrate the success disabled employees have
has with their organisation.
Retention
Retention is a central issue in the inclusion of
disabled employees, and must be addressed in
order for this talent to thrive and advance towards
leadership level roles.The accommodations made
for disabled employees are the single greatest
factor when it comes to their retention in the long-
term. Disabled employees have identified that the
adjustments made for them by their employer is
the most important factor in determining if they
can be successful at a company in the long term.
A common challenge for employers is a lack
of knowledge about the appropriate types of
accommodations that should be offered, and how
to executive providing them to the employees
who need them. One way this a can addresses is
through educating companies, business leaders, and
key decision makers on how and when to offer and
implement accommodations.The US Department
of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy
(ODEP) is a free service available to individuals,
employers and service providers across the globe
and can be helpful when crafting more inclusive
strategies. ODEP offers research, consultations and
training that can help educate and support those
involvedwiththeemploymentofdisabledtalent,and
crafting policies that allow for accommodations.8
Research shows that in more than half (58%)
of cases, there is no additional cost for making
accommodations for diverse talent. And while
some additions can be costly, many, such as flexible
schedules, have a huge impact for the candidate
and no financial ramifications for the employer.
Companies should implement centralised
policies and methods for employees to request
accommodations, and for companies to address
the request efficiently. Providing adjustments allows
disabled employees to work more effectively,
contributes to their overall team success, and
eventually retains their talent within the organisation.
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4. Advancement
It is essential for an organisation to create an
environment where disabled talent can thrive and
feel comfortable in order for them to work towards
advancing their careers. In this way, advancement
hinges on the accommodations an organisation can
provide to talent with disabilities, and how these
accommodations are communicated to current
and perspective employees.
“Matthew Sanders, CEO of BDF Partner de Poel
Community, comments: “We are proving just how
simple the process really is, for an organisation of
any size, in any sector. It is about visibility, instilling
confidence in your line managers,consistency in key
polices,a flexible workplace adjustment process and
providing targeted development opportunities.”9
Creating an environment that supports talent
with a disability will eventually allow this these
employees to thrive and advance naturally within
and organisation.
Work towards an inclusive future
When implementing inclusive strategies for people
with disabilities, companies must first focus on
attracting and retaining talent. By communicating
their commitment to the initiative in their employer
brand and creating policies that provide necessary
accommodations, companies will build a long term
strategy that fosters inclusion of disabled talent.
During 2017 Phaidon International is continuing
the Inclusive Talent series exploring the issues
being faced by companies and producing “How to”
guides for employers faced with such challenges
regarding diversity in the workplace. View further
details about the Inclusive Talent by following @
PhaidonIntl and the hashtag #InclusiveTalent on
twitter for more updates on the series.
Sources
1 https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_
housing_equal_opp/disabilities/inhousing
2 https://www.pwc.com/us/en/about-us/diversity/assets/pwc-
disabilities-journey-brochure-single-page-view-final.pdf
3 https://www.td.org/Publications/Magazines/The-Public-Manager/
Archives/2017/01/Recruiting-and-Retaining-Employees-with-
Disabilities
4 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employing-disabled-
people-and-people-with-health-conditions/employing-disabled-
people-and-people-with-health-conditions
5 https://www.td.org/Publications/Magazines/The-Public-Manager/
Archives/2017/01/Recruiting-and-Retaining-Employees-with-
Disabilities
6 http://www.onrec.com/news/news-archive/new-research-cites-
lack-of-skills-in-line-managers-as-major-barrier-to-retention-o
7 http://www.businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/media_manager/
public/261/Retention_Toolkit_Teaser_FINAL.pdf
8 https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-
competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness/pages/job-
accommodation-network-helps-improve-work-conditions-for-
employees-with-disabilities-.aspx
9 http://www.onrec.com/news/news-archive/new-research-cites-
lack-of-skills-in-line-managers-as-major-barrier-to-retention-o

5. I N T E R N A T I O N A L
INCLUSIVE TALENT
Phaidon International is a global
staffing group with 6 micro-specialist
recruitment brands.
We help organisations identify, attract
and secure the best talent for their
requirements across 4 key market
verticals; Financial Services, Energy,
Technical and Professional Services.
Contact us for further hiring trends and
advice, or if you are looking to grow
your team.
Contact us today:
www.phaidoninternational.com
info@phaidoninternational.com
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around the world; we connect exceptional talent, with
exceptional opportunities.