It's a frightening statistic: the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is twice that of the rest of the population. However, diversity has numerous benefits for organizations. Without further delay, discover 5 tips to promote disability inclusion in your company.
1 — Recruiting inclusively
Disability inclusion starts at the recruitment phase, which must be fair and impartial for all. So, when you publish an ad, be careful not to exclude any profiles.
To do this, do not rely entirely on experience or degrees. If these are not absolutely essential for the position, instead target the skills, interpersonal skills and know-how of the candidates so that everyone can recognize each other. Remember to clearly mention that the position is open to people with disabilities.
Then approach interviews the same way for all candidates, without asking personal or health-oriented questions about the applicant's health. Outline the expectations related to the various missions as well as the conditions of exercise. You can end the meeting by asking if certain arrangements will be necessary for the successful integration of the person within the company. In this way, you will know exactly what arrangements to make to best include them in the workforce.
2 — Facilitate the integration of employees with disabilities
The integration stage, or onboarding, is then very important for the new employee to feel welcomed. As for all other employees, provide a workstation, equipment adapted to their mission and support them in their first moments in the company. In advance, the teams must have been informed of his arrival.
If the new employee has a disability, it is essential to provide equipment that meets his needs, such as an adapted chair, a height-adjustable desk, enough space to move around, etc. Not organizing the space before arrival could make him uncomfortable from day one.
Finally, some people with disabilities need to adapt their schedules, or to work from home very regularly if travel is difficult for them. As much as possible, access these requests to allow them to be in the best position.
3 — Raise awareness and train teams on the issue of disability
Despite the goodwill of employees, the issue of disability inclusion in companies is not always addressed correctly. 80% of disabilities are invisible and only 15% of people with disabilities have been invisible since birth. It is therefore essential that all employees be made aware of these issues.
To do this, you can first organize an awareness day, during the European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities for example (SEEPH). The latter takes place every year in November, in order to encourage meetings between companies, politicians, associations, the media and job seekers.
To better understand and anticipate the needs of disabled employees, we also recommend that you train your teams. To do this, do not hesitate to contact theAgefiph or at Cap Emploi : these organizations can support you and advise you on the training courses to follow.
4 — Recognize the benefits of inclusion in business
Promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities has numerous benefits, both for businesses themselves, but also for society.
Indeed, this makes it possible to diversify the profiles present within an organization. Varied experiences and skills stimulate creativity and innovation, leading to better problem solving and meeting customer needs.
It also makes it possible to attract talent beyond prejudices, to engage and to retain them. If they feel included and respected, they can be loyal and productive. It is also a way to strengthen your employer brand and to attract other people with varied profiles.
Finally, the inclusion of people with disabilities in business simply makes it possible to guarantee the human and social rights of everyone.
5 — Include diversity in the company's CSR goals
Finally, inclusion is a real societal issue, which has its place in the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy.
To promote diversity, you can therefore simply choose to include numerical goals concerning disability inclusion in your company. A person or a group (often working within the Human Resources department) will then be responsible for making every effort to achieve the objectives set.
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Promoting disability inclusion in companies is therefore beneficial both for the company and for society. You should also know that it is a regulated legal obligation. Since 1 January 2020, the OETH (Obligation to employ disabled persons) requires companies with more than 20 employees to employ more than 6% of disabled workers in their workforce, directly or indirectly (during internships for example). Otherwise, they must make a financial contribution to the fund for the professional integration of persons with disabilities.
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