TOURISM, MORE THAN any other industry, is all about making everyone feel welcome.
Businesses that play any role in Ireland’s tourism sector – accommodation providers, visitor attractions, hospitality businesses, activity providers – all know how much love and care goes in to making people feel at home, whether they’ve come from abroad or just down the road.
An essential step in maintaining the welcoming atmosphere for which Ireland is known the world over, is making sure that people with disabilities play a decisive role in shaping what Ireland has to offer visitors.
We asked an expert from the Open Doors Initiative, who provide opportunities to some of the marginalised members of our society, what businesses in Ireland’s tourism sector should do to reap the many benefits that come from prioritising diversity and inclusion in hiring practices.
Jeanne McDonagh is the CEO of the Open Doors Initiative and has dysphoric elation, a type of bipolar, which informs her work.
How can Ireland’s tourism sector benefit tourists, workers and businesses by taking a more inclusive approach towards hiring?
A diverse workforce brings unique perspectives, enabling businesses to better understand and cater to the needs of a broader customer base, including those with disabilities.
Accessible and inclusive tourism offers a means of unlocking the potential of businesses to grow, by removing barriers and challenges for people with differing levels of access needs. Inclusive businesses perform better. Organisations that are disability inclusion champions achieved – on average – 28% higher revenue.
This is an untapped market – globally there are an estimated 1.3 billion people with a disability with an estimated spending power of €11trillion. 75% of disabled people and their families have walked away from a UK business because of poor accessibility or customer service.
Consumers increasingly value businesses that prioritise social responsibility and inclusion. A commitment to hiring inclusively can attract a wider customer base and enhance brand loyalty.
Access to a wider talent pool is another economic win. Individuals with disabilities represent 22% of the population in Ireland. By proactively including them, businesses gain access to a wide array of skills and talents and meet the needs of tourists with disabilities.
What are the essential things for organisations and businesses to consider when they are implementing an inclusive hiring strategy, particularly with respect to people with disabilities?
There are currently more than 1.1 million people in Ireland who identify themselves as having a disability, which is 22% of the population. So far, Ireland is underperforming in terms of job opportunities for those with disabilities: Ireland’s 32.6% pales compared to the EU average of 51.3%, and is the lowest in the bloc.
It’s important to remember that 80% of disabilities are non-visible, you are probably already working with someone with a disability.
Leadership commitment is essential, with resources dedicated to disability inclusion, such as HR members appointed with focus on it, establishing Employee Resource Groups, training managers.
Be intentional to creating an inclusive culture that drives innovation and diversity of thought. Assess your current practices – how inclusive and accessible are they now? Conduct an audit to assess how inclusive and accessible your existing recruitment, hiring, and employment processes are. Identify gaps and potential barriers.
Inclusion and accessibility need to be prioritised across all the stages of recruitment – from job posting through to onboarding. Remove any barriers throughout all the stages, starting by making job descriptions inclusive by focusing on essential functions.
How can people with disabilities be made to feel comfortable working in an industry – and do you feel those attitudes are sufficiently prevalent in Ireland right now?
Employers need to actively offer accommodations, such as flexible work hours, adaptive equipment, and accessible workspaces. The Reasonable Accommodation Passport is a helpful tool for ensuring employees’ needs are met without needing to continuously re-explain their requirements.
An atmosphere of inclusion can be encouraged by providing disability awareness training to all staff to create a supportive culture of mutual respect. Businesses could also consider offering work trials or placements as an alternative to traditional tests, allowing candidates with diverse abilities to be evaluated and supported more equitably.
What resources are available to organisations and businesses who want to improve their approach towards hiring people with disabilities?
Employers can also engage with the different programmes of the government that support employment, such as Employment and Youth Engagement Charter (www.gov.ie)
They can get support from government funded programmes such as Employers for Change (www.employersforchange.ie), an employer disability information service offering free consultations and free disability inclusion related training to employers across Ireland.
Governmental schemes and supports, such as the recently launched Work and Access, which is a set of supports to help people with a disability get a job or stay in work. The supports aim to remove or reduce barriers in the workplace for people with a disability. Also, the Wage Subsidy Scheme gives financial incentives to private sector employers to employ people with a disability.
Find information on these, and other recruitment supports in Fáilte Ireland’s recruitment toolkit.
What attitude should employers and recruiters embrace when embarking on an inclusive hiring strategy?
According to Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, companies must treat it as a business priority with goals, plans, measurement and accountability in order to make real progress.
A positive and committed attitude is needed, with a mindset for full inclusion and believing that together it is possible to solve any occurring challenges. Focus on what is possible, the strengths and skills of the candidate and how they fit the roles vs the limitations.
Businesses can also benefit by partnering with disability and other employment organisations such as www.opendoorsinitiative.ie. Remember: diversity and inclusion are a journey – be open to evolving practices and adapting to the needs of employees through consistent training on inclusion and diversity.
If you want to find out more about building stronger and more inclusive workplaces, find out more here.
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