The Disability Cooperative Network (DCN) works across sectors, looking at how the heritage sector can adopt methods of best practice to increase recruitment and retention of disabled and neurodivergent talent.
According to the latest figures, 4% of people who identify as disabled work in England’s National Portfolio Organisations and Major Partner Museums, compared with 20% of the workforce in the UK. This is to the sector’s disadvantage in terms of representation, and also suggests a lack of capacity in supporting employees who may acquire a disability during working age.
Below are some key areas of understanding and development from DCN’s informal meet ups, training and collaborative work on this subject:
• A workforce that represents society can bring new creative ideas, problem solving and innovation to organisation and sector as whole
• Psychometric testing is sometimes cited as a useful recruitment tool but is a barrier to neurodivergent talent in the recruitment.
• Enabling the working memory to be supported by providing hard copies of interview questions is helpful for neurodiverse candidates to recall experiences, model the answer to the question and take notes.
• Environment is an important consideration: where will the person work? Do you allow noise-reduction headphones in open spaces, working from home and, if necessary, do you have a lift? If any of this is no, then move the workspace
• Recruitment tools such as online passport style systems create opportunities for conversation, raising confidence and developing management tools to better support employees in the workplace
• Board-level recruitment can help but it’s important that certain people don’t become the ‘ones to resolve’ issues in the workplace. All systems of change must be from ground-up to top-down: adopted by the organisation as a whole
• Don’t expect people to disclose a disability at the application or interview stage, due to fear of stigma or lack of awareness. Promote inclusion in your spaces and exhibitions.
To discuss any issues, get in touch with Becki Morris by email: info@musedcn.org.uk
According to the latest figures, 4% of people who identify as disabled work in England’s National Portfolio Organisations and Major Partner Museums, compared with 20% of the workforce in the UK. This is to the sector’s disadvantage in terms of representation, and also suggests a lack of capacity in supporting employees who may acquire a disability during working age.
Below are some key areas of understanding and development from DCN’s informal meet ups, training and collaborative work on this subject:
• A workforce that represents society can bring new creative ideas, problem solving and innovation to organisation and sector as whole
• Psychometric testing is sometimes cited as a useful recruitment tool but is a barrier to neurodivergent talent in the recruitment.
• Enabling the working memory to be supported by providing hard copies of interview questions is helpful for neurodiverse candidates to recall experiences, model the answer to the question and take notes.
• Environment is an important consideration: where will the person work? Do you allow noise-reduction headphones in open spaces, working from home and, if necessary, do you have a lift? If any of this is no, then move the workspace
• Recruitment tools such as online passport style systems create opportunities for conversation, raising confidence and developing management tools to better support employees in the workplace
• Board-level recruitment can help but it’s important that certain people don’t become the ‘ones to resolve’ issues in the workplace. All systems of change must be from ground-up to top-down: adopted by the organisation as a whole
• Don’t expect people to disclose a disability at the application or interview stage, due to fear of stigma or lack of awareness. Promote inclusion in your spaces and exhibitions.
To discuss any issues, get in touch with Becki Morris by email: info@musedcn.org.uk
