32 DIVERSEability Magazine www.diverseabilitymagazine.com
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
J
ob interviews can be stressful for both the employer and candidate. Some employers may find themselves to be a little nervous or uncomfortable when interviewing candidates with disabilities. To assist employers and job candidates, it is important to ensure that your company has standard processes in place to ensure equal opportunity for all candidates. Standardized approaches hold everyone to the same expectations and standards. Company practices that help to create standard interview approaches include:
Standardize Processes
Make your application and interview portals accessible. Consult the resources below for more information about digital accessibility. If your company provides any digital pre- employment testing, these processes must be accessible to all applicants. Provide the opportunity to self-identify as a person with a disability in the
Creating Accessible and Authentic Interviews:
application and interview stages using approved forms. Where possible, build that practice into HR portals to ensure confidentiality. Standardize the protocol for inviting applicants for an interview. Ask all applicants if they need anything to participate in the interview process fully, such as an accommodation. Assign the reasonable accommodation request process including follow up to a designated unit or role within your organization. Have a standard procedure to implement requested accommodations. Confirm all documents needed for the interview process are accessible by assigning the task of creating/ensuring accessible documents to someone involved in the interview process. Send accessible documents as a matter of practice to all applicants. Identify and use accessible interview locations across your company (to include access for people using wheeled mobility devices, nearby parking, proximity to an accessible restroom and an accessible path of travel to and from the interview). Verify digital accessibility for online interviews. Standardize positions requiring an employment test, such as those measuring aptitude, physical agility or specific skills. Ask all candidates to complete the assessment, solely testing the functions that are relevant to the position. Create a protocol for hiring managers to share uniform expectations and descriptions of jobs with all candidates during the interview process. Create a process for HR to screen interview questions put together by a hiring committee. Make sure that no inappropriate questions - those that elicit information about a disability - are asked.
Standardizing the Interview Approach for All Candidates
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