Negative stereotypes, misguided assumptions, and even downright discrimination: job hunting if you live with a disability or long-term health condition is not for the faint-hearted.

Sadly, some organisations still lack an understanding of accessibility best practices and others just don’t care.
Whatever the reason, the outcome is the same; the implementation of processes and the creation of literature that excludes disabled candidates.

This is where Passion4Social comes into our own.

We want to help you spot the common red flags in the hiring process that indicate you are unlikely to receive the respect, support, and accommodations you deserve from a new employer.

After all, who wants to work at a company with a bad culture or unreasonable expectations?

Many of us would even go so far as to say that having a bad employer is worse than having no job at all. This is a bold statement given the struggles we have all faced searching for sustainable meaningful employment in the past.

Diversity is as diversity does

Before you even begin filling in an application form, researching your potential employer and their track history is a good habit to get yourself into.
Not least because you might discover red flag number one: a lack of diverse representation among the staff.

If a company’s directory shows that employees are all from the same ethnicity, race or gender, it could be an indication that you might encounter inclusion barriers and scant awareness of accessibility practices in its workplace culture.

Alongside a company’s makeup, you should also pay attention to policies that might relate to disability, i.e. disability leave, flexible working policies, or health care initiatives.

These should be available online.

If they are not, it will probably give you a measure of how accommodating the company might be about meeting any additional workplace needs you have.

Setting the right tone with accessible and inclusive application forms

Another potential alarm bell is the poor accessibility of the application form itself, and the platform it appears on.

We are talking about forms that have not been designed with an accessibility-first approach, so might be lacking the following:

• A clear discernible structure that is easy to navigate
• Strong prompts that tell you what information to enter in form fields
• Well-described buttons, elements and links that behave as you would expect them to
• Texts that can be easily read and understood
• Provisions for people who need the form in alternative formats

Our advice to you at this point is to be on your guard. As we said, the company may have a poor understanding of accessible design, but that’s not to say, they are not open to learning from you.

Exclusionary language in a job description is another flag to look out for.

By this, we mean descriptions that:

• List physical requirements that are not essential to a job role but immediately result in some candidates ruling themselves out of the running
• Use ableist language such as (able-bodied)
• Do not openly encourage candidates with disabilities and other protected characteristics to apply
• Do not show a commitment to equal opportunities, diversity and making accommodations
• Frame flexibility in a very ambiguous way
• Demand mandatory overtime without reasonable context

Fail to prepare for reasonable accommodations, prepare to fail disabled candidates

Being denied reasonable adjustments or workarounds that would make an interview fairer, and allow you to show off your skills, is a glowing red flag you need to be aware of.

It may be that the recruitment team lacks the training or awareness to put them in place, or simply that an employer is unwilling to do so and believes them to be unnecessary requests.

Whatever the reason, it should not be a hassle to provide reasonable adjustments.

You should be asking yourself, if a potential employer is refusing at this stage in the proceedings, what would happen if you worked for them and had a genuine request for accommodation further down the line?

If a potential employer comes to you and asks about the accommodations you need, it shows their commitment to disability inclusion and is a signal that you will be listened to.

Who says what and when during an interview

Being asked illegal questions during the actual interview is something your radar should also be tuned to pick up on.

For example, you are not required to answer questions about your disability, especially if it doesn’t impact your ability to do the job.

The disability community is fairly split on whether you should disclose your condition during the application process, but the reality is that there are very few cases where you are obliged to share this information with an employer.

If they do ask during an interview, gently remind them that it is not a legal question and anyway, it will not affect your ability to carry out your role.

Following on from the last point, if you do choose to disclose your disability, beware of the interviewer’s reaction.
If they appear to focus too much on your disability, rather than your skills or qualifications, seem disinterested, or are keen on shutting down the session entirely; the red flag should be smouldering by now.

Avoid! Avoid! Avoid!

This is not a culture you are going to succeed in, even if by some miracle, you do get the job. So regard it as nothing more than a valuable learning experience.
That was an example of implicit bias, but there are also signs of unconscious bias that you can train yourself to pick up on. Here are just a few:

• An interviewer seems much more interested in your hobbies and personal life than your suitability for the post
• It becomes apparent to you that an interviewer is asking questions that confirm their misinformed opinion or stereotypical view
• An interviewer is asking questions that could lead to stereotypical judgements, i.e. marital status or gaps in employment
• Disengaged body language, i.e. not maintaining eye contact could suggest that an interviewer is not interested in what you are saying or is uncomfortable around you.

Now, let us sign off in the hope that learning more about these red flags will save you a lot of time, effort and frustration in the future. If you would like further advice on inclusive recruitment practices, contact us by emailing enquiries@passion4social.com