Advertising jobs
9 million working-age people have some form of hearing loss, so make sure your job adverts reach and attract candidates from this wide pool of talent.
Review your job adverts and applications
Use plain English to make adverts and application forms more accessible. This is especially important for people who use British Sign Language (BSL) as their first language.
In job adverts, demonstrate your ambition to be an inclusive employer. Highlight any relevant policies, and explain how your organisation supports people with disabilities.
To encourage more people with hearing loss to apply for your roles, clearly state on the form that you offer communication support at interviews, if required, including a sign language interpreter or speech-to-text-reporter.
Offer different ways for people to contact you for more information. For example, give an email address as well as a telephone number. Check RNID’s Contact Us page for an example of how to offer accessible contact options.
Advertise jobs through different channels
List your jobs on Jobcentre Plus or, in Northern Ireland, the Jobs and Benefits Office.
Consider reaching out to specialist recruitment agencies such as:
Brief any recruitment agencies you use on your ambition to recruit a diverse workforce, including people with disabilities.
Sign up for the Disability Confident Scheme
Becoming part of the government’s Disability Confident scheme shows potential employees your commitment to supporting people with disabilities.
Employers that have reached level 2 or 3 of the Disability Confident scheme should always offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job. This applies to people with all levels of hearing loss if they consider themselves to be disabled.
For sign language users, this provides an opportunity for them to demonstrate their abilities in their first language at interview with an interpreter.
Advertising you are part of this scheme may encourage a broader section of the hearing loss talent pool to apply.