Job interviews are a significant and influential part of the recruitment process.
When you interview candidates – whether it’s via a video call or in-person - you’re meeting them face-to-face for the first time.
For employers pre-interview preparation is an essential part of this process.
When interviewing candidates who live with injury, illness or disability your preparation is a meaningful way which will show your commitment to inclusion.
Making a good impression is important for employers too! A candidate’s experience in an interview shapes their perception of your business, and how welcoming your workplace feels.
We’ve put together some handy advice for creating the best interview experience possible for people with disability:
1. Preparation is essential
There are a few things employers can do to make your recruitment practices more inclusive from the start.
Firstly, a good question to include with your screening questions is whether any adjustments would be required for a candidate to attend a job interview. This ensures a fairer and more equitable interview and selection process.
If a jobseeker discloses their disability in their application there are some simple, reasonable accommodations you can make. Some examples are:
- If they require detailed instructions to find the building.
- Whether the entrance(s) to your premises are wheelchair friendly.
- Pre-informing the candidates if any paperwork or any demonstrations of skills will take place during the interview. You may need to make these available, or tailor them to an alternative format to suit the candidates’ capability.
- o E.g. printing in larger font size, allowing extra time or a quiet space for paperwork, having videos with captions etc.
The candidate will usually know their requirements and what they will need to complete what is asked of them if they know what to expect. 2.
2. Disclosing disability
A jobseeker can disclose their injury, illness or disability if they think it will affect their capacity to perform the requirements of the role or require reasonable workplace adjustments to do so.
During a job interview, you can ask (the jobseeker) if any adjustments may be required to complete the inherent requirements of the job.
The Australian Network on Disability (AND) also recommends explaining your workplaces’ diversity policies to applicants. This shows your organisation actively encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds and has (or working towards) an inclusive culture.
It is a good idea to keep a written record of the questions you ask during the interview, so a tangible record can be kept which demonstrates equitable selection.
3. Recommended questions to ask during the interview
According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, employers should not seek unnecessary and potentially discriminatory information from applicants when they develop selection criteria or prepare interview questions.
These questions will help you as an employer to assess any health and safety risks or identify and reasonable workplace adjustments which may be needed.
Keeping a record of these questions and the subsequent assessment(s) means an equitable and informed decision is made. The Australian Human Rights Commission has created a useful guide for “Preventing Discrimination in Recruitment.”
It may be against the law to ask applicants:- If they have ever made a worker’s compensation claim
- How much sick leave they have taken
- Questions about (their) health conditions which do not relate to their ability to do the job
- After a jobseeker discloses an injury, illness or disability, employers can ask some further questions:
- How the jobseeker will perform the requirements of the job
- For further information (from the jobseeker) about their disability to determine whether they can perform the inherent requirements of the role
4. Commit to improvement
Regardless of how often you recruit and interview for your business – it is highly beneficial to keep improving your technique and etiquette.You need to get a clear idea of a candidates’ strengths and capabilities, and the candidate needs a clear idea of your expectations and your business.
The AND recommends some useful tips for first-time and experienced interviewers:- Use a normal tone of voice when extending a welcome. Do not raise your voice unless asked.
- If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Be prepared for your offer to be refused.
- Speak directly to the person with disability, rather than through a companion, interpreter or aid if they are present.
- Speak in a straightforward manner and check understanding.
- Be patient and wait for the person to finish what they are saying.
- Don’t pretend to understand the person if you don’t. Ask them to repeat what they have just said or to say it in another way (using different words, for instance).
The AND also provide specific advice for employers when interviewing people with disability who are deaf or hard of hearing, have a physical disability, who are blind or have low vision and people with intellectual disability.
Remember to assess candidates by their strengths, not their disability.
