This is a guest post from Mark Lomas, Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion at HS2 Ltd

While the benefits of truly inclusive teams are now widely understood, disabled people continue to be underrepresented in the workplace. In fact, according to the Office for National Statistics, just 49 per cent of disabled people of working age were in employment between January and March 2017.

The relationship between CEO and company culture is well documented, which is why HS2 Ltd recently hosted a round-table on behalf of the Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) to discuss why getting genuine buy-in from the top is key to improving disabled talent pipelines. The event resulted in unanimous agreement that the level of confidence around disability within an organisation is greater if it’s “Coming down from up high”.

It’s no secret that the ability to engage with and influence senior stakeholders is a perpetual challenge for many HR professionals, with the function viewed by some as a ‘cost-centre’ rather than a ‘profit contributor’. However, getting the c-suite on-side in terms of disability inclusion may be easier than first imagined, with PwC’s latest CEO survey finding that the majority of CEOs surveyed (87 per cent) said they were promoting talent diversity and inclusiveness within their own organisation.   

While some HR and diversity professionals may be sceptical of the level of support available from senior leadership teams, once you get the right people in the room, the response is often overwhelmingly positive, with one attendee at the round-table sharing that leaders within her organisation responded by asking, “Why aren’t people telling us? We can really make this work”.

The issue of top level talent being unwilling to disclose their own disabilities was noted, and the reasons around this phenomenon discussed. A hesitancy to not to be “defined” by a condition, and a desire to “Just get on with the job” were cited as possible causes, although high profile examples, such as Richard Branson’s openness around his dyslexia were noted.       

It’s HR’s responsibility to open channels of communication. Fundamentally, success lies in creating a sense of openness, not only within individual organisations, but also across entire supply chains so that all stakeholders, including senior leaders, feel comfortable asking questions. When it comes to the practicalities around the inclusion of disabled talent, a number of effective models were identified. Successful strategies which were shared include; unconscious bias training, more creative job design and simple in-work adjustments such as shorter meetings to accommodate those with diabetes or chronic fatigue.

Authenticity is crucial. As another attendee noted, “People are more likely to believe what they read on TripAdvisor than a £40,000 corporate site”. However a barrier to correctly ascertaining existing culture was identified, with some sharing a disparity in results between diversity data which is collected internally and findings from third party engagement surveys. It was agreed that we must “get to the grit” of what is hindering this disclosure; culture, technology or trust?

We’ve now moved beyond selling the business case for diversity – leaders are no longer asking ‘Why?’ but ‘How?’ Poor inclusivity is rarely intentional and success is entirely dependent on organisations partnering to share best practice. By supporting others, and holding them to account, we can move this agenda forwards. But there is no ‘silver bullet’, change depends on a seismic shift in ‘micro-behaviours’ not only within HR departments, but also amongst wider teams and external partners – not least those in the most senior positions.

If you need any further proof of the power of leadership buy-in, here at HS2 Ltd a letter from the CEO, delivered to the inboxes of employees, was instrumental in boosting participation in a programme designed to ascertain workplace adjustment needs across the organisation.  This strategy resulted in an unprecedented level of engagement, with 75 per cent of employees without a current DSE assessment completing a Clear Talents™ profile within 72 hours.

While, on a strategic level, effectively engaging with disabled candidates and employees requires a multi-faceted approach, it’s clear that getting the CEO on board sets a tone of inclusiveness that permeates the overall culture.