Recruitment hints and tips
Who are the potential applicants affected?
Disability is estimated to affect 10% to 20% of every countrys population1. Up to 386 million people of working age worldwide are excluded by e-recruitment processes which make reasonable adjustments difficult or impossible. These processes include, discriminatory CV sorting technology, inflexible short-listing criteria, inflexible and inaccessible online testing and inaccessible communications, such as some html email.
15% of working age disabled people in the UK 1.3 million people have impairments which are likely to affect their access to the internet and their ability to apply online. 2
Business benefits
Larger talent pool Barrier-free e-recruitment can substantially increase the recruiting talent pool, particularly in areas of labour shortage.
Increased diversity Diverse organisations have more perspectives to bring to bear. This can enhance organisational problem-solving ability, creativity and promote new sources of ideas.
Graduate recruitment
Graduates are one of the groups most likely to seek jobs online. The internet is now the dominant means of communicating with students. 95% of students go online at least 2 to 3 times a week 8 times out of 10 to learn more about possible employers [Association of Graduate Recruiters, 2003].
85% of employers in the finance sector now recruit graduates online, compared to only 68% in 2001 3.
There are at least 30,000 disabled students studying in UK universities every year and many more who do not make their disability known to their universities 4. It is essential that they are able to apply online.
Older workers
There will be legislation protecting the rights of older people in the workplace in 2006. Organisations should consider now the extent to which their e-recruitment processes are accessible to older people, many of whom have impairments which can affect the way in which they access the internet. As the population ages, more and more people are likely to experience disability: 1 in 3 people aged 50 - 65 have an impairment. 5
Some examples of poor website design which cause unnecessary problems for disabled people.
Visual impairments:
- Unlabelled graphics
- undescribed video
- Poorly marked-up tables or frames
- Lack of keyboard support or screen-reader compatibility
Hearing impairments:
- Lack of captioning for audio
- Proliferation of text without visual signposts
Physical impairments:
- Lack of keyboard or single-switch support for menu commands
Cognitive or neurological impairments:
- Lack of consistent navigation structure
- Lack of illustrative non-text materials
- Flickering or strobing designs on pages
References
1World Bank, statement by World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn in the Washington Post
2McKinsey & Company, "Making E-recruitment Barrier-free for Disabled People, 2003."
3GTI Graduate Trends Survey 2003/4
4HFCE, 2002
5Labour Force Survey
