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Hiring the best and brightest team members is top priority for any employer. But, recruiting diverse applicant pools requires inclusive hiring practices from the start. Follow these fiveÌýsteps to recruit competitive applicants with disabilities.

1. Make job ads accessibleÌýÌýÌý

Having a that includes descriptions of the work environment as well as essential (as opposed to marginal)Ìýjob duties is important for recruiting a diverse applicant pool that includes people with disabilities. Beware of , which could be exclusionary. The job advertisement is a great place to affirm your organization’s with explicit statements about the high value it places on diversity and inclusion. Also make sure all of the information about your job is presented in anÌýÌýformat; this includes ensuring that all images have alternative text descriptions, videos have captions and audio descriptions, and webpages follow established accessible design practices, such as the .

2. Target your recruitment

Once you make your job advertisements accessible and inclusive, take steps to generate a diverse applicant pool. Conduct to veterans, rehabilitation facilities, American Job Centers, and Centers for Independent Living (CILs). There are many job boards that will help you connect to diverse candidates, including the (WRC) and the (TAP). Consider becoming an AccessComputing industry partner (free!) to reach hundreds of students with disabilities in computing from across the United States.

3. Coordinate accommodations

In your general messaging to invite candidates to interview, include to arrange for disability-related accommodations. Ensure that these individuals are prepared to provide support for applicants with a in a timely manner and apply an as they dialogue with the candidate about potential accommodations that are both effective and appropriate.

4. Send materials in advanceÌý

Give candidates access to information about the interview in advance so that they can adequately prepare. Helpful information includes a description of the , the layout of the or meeting space, the names of anticipated meeting , print or digital that will be used, and, optionally, a list of the that will be asked during the interview.

5. Host inclusive interviews

To reduce bias in hiring processes and evaluation criteria, use a standard interview for all candidates. Ensure that everyone involved in the interviewÌýprocess follows basic disability , including before offering assistance and not making comments or about a person’s disability.Ìý

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