The Benefits of Employing Disabled People in the UK
Introduction:
There are over 14 million disabled people in the UK, representing around 22% of the working age population. Yet, disabled people remain significantly underrepresented in the workforce. Only around half of disabled people are currently in employment, compared to over 80% of non-disabled people. This is a huge untapped talent pool that employers are missing out on. The disability employment gap is 29%. The disability employment gap measures the difference between the employment rate of disabled people, compared to that of non-disabled people. Employing disabled staff can bring many benefits to your organisation. Employing people with disabilities comes with many benefits for companies in the UK. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense. Here are some of the top reasons companies should make hiring people with disabilities a priority:
Benefits:
- Wider talent pool - By opening up opportunities to disabled candidates, you gain access to a broader range of skills, experience and perspectives that can bring real value to your business. This helps you find the best person for the job. There is a large, untapped pool of potential talent among people with disabilities. By being inclusive in hiring practices, companies gain access to qualified candidates they may have overlooked before. This leads to building a stronger, more diverse workforce.
- Improved diversity and inclusion - Having a more diverse workforce leads to greater innovation, better decision making, and promotes an inclusive working culture. Customers and clients will recognise your organisation values equality and social responsibility.
- Enhanced employer brand - Being known as a disability-friendly employer enhances your reputation as a progressive, ethical company. This can give you an edge in attracting top talent. Companies that champion diversity and inclusion are generally viewed more positively by consumers. Hiring people with disabilities demonstrates a commitment to equal opportunities and social responsibility.
- Increased staff loyalty and retention - Research shows disabled employees demonstrate higher commitment and loyalty when provided with inclusive workplaces. Retaining staff avoids the costs of recruitment and on-boarding. Employees appreciate working for organisations that value diversity and treat all employees fairly. Inclusive hiring practices lead to higher employee satisfaction and retention rates.
- Reflects customer base - Disabled customers want to feel represented. A workforce reflecting the diversity of your customer base allows you to cater to their needs better. A workforce that represents the general population allows companies to better understand and cater to the needs of all customers. Inclusive hiring enables organisations to connect with customer groups they may have previously excluded.
- Gain diverse perspectives - Employees with different backgrounds and abilities bring fresh ideas and new ways of thinking to the organisation. People with disabilities offer valuable perspectives that can spur innovation and creativity.
Call to Action:
Employing disabled people makes good business sense and creates an inclusive environment that benefits all staff and the community. Be proactive in attracting disabled talent by promoting positions through disability networks and job boards. Make reasonable workplace adjustments to support disabled staff. Making the workplace accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities is simply the right thing businesses should do. On top of that, it provides plenty of benefits that give companies an advantage. It's time more employers realised this and took action to hire more people with disabilities. Together we can work to reduce the disability employment gap.
