21 September 2015
In our first interview, Liz Dawes discussed with Julia Oliver, a partner in executive search firm Odgers Berndtson, how a candidates with disabilities can perform best at job interviews (read more here.) This week Liz discusses with Julia why there is still a lack of people with disabilities working in professions in London, and how this can be improved.
It is generally accepted that, in the past, candidates with disabilities have had difficulty securing jobs in professions in London. Do you think this has improved in recent years?
I think that, as a very general statement, employers have got better at recruiting a more diverse workforce. For example, global international companies are often more flexible, as they work in many locations and with many different cultures. I think most employers have started to realise that there is a commercial imperative to get better at recruiting a diverse workforce. Lots of organisations have woken up to the fact that they produce better, more varied, more interesting work that way, and if an employer can utilise those talents, they are in a stronger position than their competitors.
I do feel though that the pace of change is too slow. Although the need for legislation and good internal policies is clear, it is in many ways frustrating that in this day and age we should even need to make particular efforts to encourage employers to hire people with disabilities. Disability is practical issue, that can often be solved without too much difficulty, and that is how it should be treated. Once a candidate with a disability has been enabled to do their job, there should be no difference between them and any other employee. We do not, for example, make such a fuss about working parents – we simply incorporate them into our work force using solutions like flexible working and remote working. It is frustrating that we don’t have the same practical problem solving approach to candidates who, for example, use a wheelchair or are partially sighted. Attitudes are changing, but not quickly enough.
Why do you think there are still so few people with disabilities being employed in professions?
All good companies now have diversity and inclusion policies, and HR staff responsible for training and development around those policies. It’s good that this is now a standard requirement amongst employers, but there is a danger that people tend to believe that because they have the right policies and HR professionals in place, they must be getting it right. If that were the case there would be a much higher percentage of professionals with declared disabilities working in London. So there is a disconnect between companies thinking they are good at recruiting a diverse workforce, and the actual people they are employing. Good diversity and inclusion policies are, of course, important, but unless they flow down through the organisation and become part of its culture, they won’t really create a change in attitude.
Real change comes about when people stop focussing on just complying with legislation (although of course that must be done) and develop ways of working that are sensible and equitable for everyone. Culture is not created by policing rules and regulations, it is created by bringing about an atmosphere where we all agree that hiring and developing a diverse workforce is the right thing for your organisation.
An organisation must decide that it is enabling employees with differences because that’s how they do their job best, it’s how to get the best out of them. Not because legislation says you must. That approach means you also get a better overall team because, of course, it is an approach that can be applied to everyone, and so everyone is working in a better environment.
As I have said, I do think that this is improving, but we have a long way to go.
How can employers improve the situation?
Diversity is not just the responsibility of your HR team, it is everyone’s responsibility, and it has to start at the top.
If employers treat disability as a practical issue to be solved, and set about finding solutions as a matter of course, then the people doing the hiring will not shy away from candidates with disabilities, and can instead just focus on hiring the best person for the job. Much of this is about leadership, good people management, and nurturing the right working environment. It is about the people at the top modelling the right behaviour and attitudes.
Being a good recruiter is also key. It is important to remember when you are hiring that any job encompasses a wide variety of tasks and skills and you should be aiming to recruit the most rounded candidate. Most people cannot do everything brilliantly. Whoever you hire will have areas where they excel, and areas where they need to be trained and developed. Employers always need flexibility around thinking about what is really required from an employee, and to remember that rarely is any candidate perfect in the workplace. Disability gives you a label, and perhaps that flags up with employers what that person cannot do. But they should remember that other workers also struggle with certain aspects of their jobs – perhaps they need development in public speaking, organisational skills, accuracy in report writing – whatever it is, but of course they won’t draw attention to this at an interview and they don’t have a label to highlight it either. We all need our skills to be developed, and accommodating one or two things that a person with a disability might struggle to do without some support is no different. We need more education and understanding around this point.
How can candidates with disabilities improve the situation?
Employers must be allowed to expect any candidate at a job interview to know themselves, and what they can and cannot do. Employers get nervous if they feel they cannot rely on an employee to do the job they have been hired for. If a candidate is going to raise a disability or health condition in an interview then presumably this is because they think it is relevant to, or might affect their job, in some way. A candidate should be clear about how their work will be impacted, and have some ideas as to how they can be properly enabled to do the job. This requires a thoughtful approach from the candidate and a sensible and honest discussion between the two parties. If this takes place then hopefully an employer will not feel concerned about the potential employee’s reliability.
Finally, how does an employee with a disability do well once they are in work – and get promoted?
Take responsibility, be positive and do a good job. Positivity and approach make a huge difference for all employees. Once you are in the company, take personal responsibility for being developed. Don’t be passive and wait for others to offer training and development. Take control, work hard, and push yourself forwards.
If you experience prejudice because of a disability take it to HR, and expect them to deal with it appropriately. Active discrimination is clearly wrong. That said, be aware that if it is not a one off experience, then you may be working within a poor corporate attitude where prejudice is endemic. It is very tough and very exhausting for one individual to change a whole culture – so do what you can about that, if you want to, but understand that you are also responsible for your own happiness. Make inroads where you can, but be aware that you will not change an entire company overnight, and think carefully about whether you really want to keep working there if there are not positive changes for the better.