Most business leaders are familiar with diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) as part of the conversations around racial and gender equity, sexual orientation, and cultural differences. However, one group is often overlooked or relegated to a footnote in discussions about workplace diversity and inclusion initiatives: people with disabilities.
DEBI efforts are currently at the forefront of business discussions. More and more businesses are acknowledging the need to create a more inclusive environment for attracting, hiring, and promoting a diverse workforce. With remote work increasingly prevalent, more opportunities exist for inclusive hiring and work conditions.
If your company is committed to becoming a more inclusive workplace, it means being inclusive of all aspects of DEIB. Here are some benefits of an inclusive workplace and how you can create an environment that is mindful of the needs of persons with disabilities.
According to the Disability Equality Index report, 93% of DEI participants now encourage employees to self-identify as people with disabilities, up from 91% in 2022. This emphasis has likely contributed to the rise in median corporate self-identification rates to 4.6%, compared to 4% in 2022.
There has been a significant push for societal and corporate changes in recent years, mainly due to heightened awareness and activism around social justice issues. This movement has profoundly impacted the business world, prompting many organizations to reevaluate and strengthen their DEIB strategies to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces.
As a result, the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been amplified. Business leaders develop plans, processes, and procedures to create successful DEI strategies. Comprehensive DEIB efforts provide companies access to a broader range of talent, enhancing workforce diversity and inclusion, increasing business success, and giving them a competitive edge in the talent market.
According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people worldwide, or roughly 15% of the world's population, live with a disability. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2023, 22.5% of people with a disability were employed—the highest recorded ratio since comparable data were first collected in 2008! This rate increased by 1.2 percentage points from the prior year.
Often excluded from the traditional mix of a diverse workforce, people with disabilities are an untapped market that can benefit companies and strengthen their workforce. The Department of Labor found that employers who included people with disabilities in their DEI initiatives saw a 90% increase in employee retention.
Also, according to a recent Accenture study, businesses that actively seek to employ people with disabilities typically outperform companies that do not. Businesses that hired people with disabilities increased their revenues by 28% and their profit margins by 30%.
Developing inclusive practices is a commendable goal, but implementation requires significant time and effort. To ensure your business is committed to the DEIB process, follow these five steps to create an inclusive environment:
To find and hire people with disabilities:
For example, does the job require the ability to lift 30 pounds? Does the candidate have to sit for long periods? Does the job require a driver's license, 45-wpm typing skills, or any other physical demands?
It's also important to review your interviewing policies to ensure that the line of questioning does not have built-in biases to prevent someone with a disability from advancing further in the hiring process. Unfortunately, these biases can creep into the hiring decision-making process and cloud the interviewer's judgment.
Note: One solution is to stay focused and on-point about the skills, knowledge, and talent required for that particular position. Your company can also incorporate a diverse panel into the interview process, ensuring that the hiring team is less likely to be influenced by unconscious biases.
Staying in tune with your organization's DEIB initiatives while finding qualified candidates for the company's open positions is always challenging. However, having the ability to hire people with disabilities enlarges the pool of qualified candidates and increases the chances of bringing more talented workers into the fold. To find people with disabilities to hire, consider partnering with agencies that provide care, therapy, or resources for people with disabilities.
Starting a DEIB committee or reaching out to your current DEIB committee to discuss resources and support for disabled workers can help generate awareness. Many companies now celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month and use that period to bring in guest speakers and experts to share their knowledge and experiences.
Note: Make sure your employer branding and messaging reflect your DEIB efforts. This can include sharing videos or stories of current employees with disabilities and testimonials from team members across the company.
Instead of using the standard job boards to find disabled candidates, consider broadening your scope. Some job boards where people with disabilities can be found include:
The best way for an employer to ensure inclusion for people with disabilities is to take the following steps:
True inclusion is about embracing difference, and organizations must increase their awareness of people with disabilities. Business leaders may not even be aware they've already employed people with disabilities, known as invisible disabilities. Also, many companies might miss out on the wide range of talents, perspectives, and abilities that people with disabilities bring to work environments.
Focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging will be essential for companies to remain competitive and hire the best talent. Education, awareness, and a deliberate effort to change or update current hiring processes to include people with disabilities will help any employer succeed with their DEIB strategies, ensuring positive and lasting change.
—
Are you looking to succeed with your DEIB strategies but need help figuring out where to start? Let Recruitics guide you!
