Immediately, you will have probably answered yes to this question. No one wants to think that they are engaging in discriminatory behaviour.No one wants to consider the possibility, that they might be adverse to hiring certain people in their company. But, we’re only human, and accidents can happen. There are many different types of discriminatory behavior, as you can see on thebalance.com. Sometimes, you can subconsciously select a certain type of candidate over another. Other times, your office may be set up in away that discourages certain individuals to join.
It is worth stamping out issues with discrimination in your office. Studies show that the most successful companies today are are as diverse as possible. Let’s look at how you can make sure that your business is accessible to all.
Consider Accessibility Issues
The consideration you should make is whether everyone can easily enter your business building or property. Think about people in wheelchairs for instance. The doors of your business must be wide enough for wheelchair access and indeed, people who are obese. You also need to think about mobility on different floors. Ideally, any business property should have lift access. This will make sure that a wheelchair use is able to apply for the same job as everyone else. However, simply supplying the lift is not enough.
What if it breaks down regularly? That’s why you need to make sure that you are setting it up with a fantastic trusted company like liftworks.co. If you invest in quality, you won’t have to worry that on certain days through the week a key member of your team won’t be able to access the office.
Of course, other people may have difficulty working in your office as well. In this case, we’re not talking about a physical issue but rather personal responsibilities. You do want to make sure that single parents can work at your business. To guarantee that, it’s best to make sure that you provide a creche or a similar type of facility.
Avoid Subconscious Bias
You do need to make sure that you are avoiding the possibility of subconscious bias for hiring certain people as well. The best way to avoid this is to make sure that you are not being swayed by certain issues at the very beginning of the hiring process. For instance, you might assume that you can tell certain traits about a person just by their name. You don’t want to unintentionally favor someone based on a personal bias.
The best way to avoid this? Invest in the services of an outside hiring team. That way, you can make sure that your bias is left at the door of your business. This will also guarantee you get the best person for every job.
Finally, do make sure that you think about advertisement and promotion for positions. It’s crucial that you do think about making sure that your promotional materials encourage a diverse range of candidates to apply.
We hope you find this advice usefully and that it allows you to honestly answer whether you are an equal opportunities employer.
