This is particularly the case in the hospitality sector, where job vacancies are set to top 100,000 and employers not looking to people with disabilities as one of the most obvious sources of highly capable talents are missing out.
atWork Australia’s General Manager Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement, Debbie Brooks said hiring a person living with disability shouldn’t be seen as an issue to be overcome, but an opportunity to build stronger teams.
“Hiring a diverse workforce facilitates different methods of communication, collaboration and leadership to balance out working styles and create a fluid and dynamic culture”, she said.
Businesses can play an important role in creating an equal and inclusive workplace and reap significant benefits from hiring people living with a disability.
Bringing together different minds, backgrounds, experiences, genders, and ages brings together different thought processes to solve more complex problems.
Additionally, on average, they see staff retention go up by 90 percent which allows them to focus on their business and not ‘revolving door’ recruitment.
Debbie has addressed misconceptions about inclusive recruitment and discusses why it’s good for business:
Don’t assume that a person living with disability can’t complete the same tasks as their peers
My advice to employers would be that if they can create a workplace where the person living with disability feels comfortable to ask for help and can have access to the right technology that can best support them, it will allow the person to complete their role to the best of their ability.
Employers may be eligible for funding through the Australian Government’s Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) which has been implemented to cover the costs of meeting accessibility requirements for eligible persons. This can include buying equipment and accessing services for people living with disability.
Diversity creates engagement.
Inclusive workplaces are likely to be more engaged, motivated and productive, and employees will stay with a diverse business for longer.
The Australian Network on Disability says that a workforce that reflects the diversity of the wider community is also likely to lead to greater customer loyalty and satisfaction across industries. A workforce that reflects your customer base, creates a better connection.
This article was written by Mike Parker-Brown for Accom News. The full article can be viewed here.