Recruiting people with physical or mental disabilities

Attracting the right talent remains a key HR challenge for all companies. The tightening labour market means that employers will have to take a broader view and recruit for talent, even if that person has a physical or mental disability. And it seems that companies are increasingly realising this, as our recent survey figures show that almost 15% more people with disabilities are in employment than last year.

Integrating people with disabilities into the workplace is by no means complex and definitely shouldn’t deter employers from giving them a chance. Companies simply have to implement some straightforward interventions to enable people with physical disabilities to perform the same tasks as people without. Moreover, there is a range of support measures available to companies. Yet we find that there is still a lot of ignorance about how to integrate or approach this target group. A few quick tweaks will take you a long way:

• Make a deliberate effort to recruit people with disabilities: targeted vacancies, vacancies open only to this target group
• Adjust the application process: shorter procedures, grouping tests on the same day
• Adjust how work is organised
• Make any appropriate arrangements in terms of policy on working from home

Recruiting people with disabilities is just one part of a bigger picture: actively engaging in diversity and inclusion is a sensible strategy. As well as arming yourself against the ongoing labour shortage, you can also boost your chances as an attractive employer in many other aspects:

• You can recruit more broadly, giving you a better chance of bringing in talented employees
• Your workforce will reflect the current population, increasing your organisation’s recognition, accessibility and support
• Diversity will contribute to greater innovative and creative capacity
• You will create an open and flexible corporate culture that makes working more enjoyable.