Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is a key priority for employers and is something that candidates look for when searching for jobs. An accessible recruitment process will ensure that you’re attracting talented job seekers from a wider talent pool, and providing reasonable adjustments is just one way to create an inclusive early careers strategy.
Let’s look at what your legal requirements are for job interviews, and how you can start conversations about reasonable adjustments.
What does the law say about reasonable adjustments?
Disability is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, which means all employers are required to make reasonable adjustments and are held legally responsible. These adjustments are designed to reduce/remove any barriers that unreasonably disadvantage disabled people.
Reasonable adjustments (aka workplace adjustments) must be made for job applicants and interviewees. They’re applicable at any stage of the recruitment process, from advertising a vacancy to hiring your successful candidate.
What do reasonable adjustments look like?
Making a reasonable adjustment could mean providing specialist equipment or resources, changing the structure of the application/interview process, or removing physical barriers.
Examples include, but are not excluded to:
- Providing interview questions ahead of time
- A sign language interpreter
- Bringing an assistance dog
- Changing the location or format of the interview
- Light or sound adjustments, or being able to wear noise-reducing headphones or sunglasses to reduce the effects
- Additional time for any assessment activities
How to make reasonable adjustments during recruitment
1. Don’t make assumptions
Disabilities don’t just affect people physically, and they don’t have the same impact on everyone. Two candidates could have the same disability but require different adjustments to make the process easier. Therefore, you can’t assume you know what someone needs based on their disability and should provide the opportunity for everyone to ask for what they feel they need.
2. Provide the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments
Applicants can ask for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. You can wait to be told by an applicant that they need a reasonable adjustment but not everyone may know their rights, especially young people entering employment for the first time.
Therefore, to present yourself as an inclusive and accessible employer, you should clearly provide opportunities to ask for reasonable adjustments during recruitment. You could make it easy to request an adjustment at the very beginning by including a question in the application process and asking them to share what they require when you invite them for an interview.
3. Asking about disability during recruitment
It is essential to keep information about their disability separate from the decision making process to ensure it does not influence the candidates chances of success. If this happened, it could be seen as discrimination.
Disabled do not legally have to disclose their disability but they will need to disclose that they have a disability as reasoning for their required adjustment. They should try to explain the ways in which their condition may impact them in the recruitment process e.g. someone struggles with memory and holding information in the short term, so they would benefit from taking notes with them, and having time to write information down.
You should ask for reasonable adjustments needed for working conditions as an employed staff member after you have offered the job. Asking about what adjustments someone would need to do their job could also risk influencing the decision to hire a disabled candidate over an non-disabled candidate and does not be considered at this stage.
4. Be prepared to change your processes
A standard recruitment process usually involves a job application and an interview, and commonly some kind of assessment. Due to how some people experience their disability, they may need larger adjustments to the process to make employment access easier. For example, some people would benefit from a work trial instead of a standard interview to show their skills.
While some people may request this, others may not, so it is worth considering implementing an option like this into your recruitment process to ensure it is more inclusive and provides people with a chance to show their potential.
Further reading on employment accessibility and inclusivity
Read more of your member-exclusive resources relating to EDI:
- How To Demonstrate Your Early Careers Strategy Is Inclusive
- Inclusive Recruitment: Should You Drop Grade Requirements On Early Career Job Vacancies?
- How To Attract And Recruit Neurodiverse Young People
- How To Attract And Recruit Young People From Minority Ethnic Backgrounds
- Creating Work Experience Placements For Those With Additional Needs
