The annual RIDI Awards took place on Thursday 5 December in London to recognise employers and recruiters who are making strides in breaking down barriers for disabled workers and celebrating their efforts to champion disability inclusion.
DWF's win in the Disability Confident – Private Sector category was a result of fantastic work by the Early Careers team to make their attraction, recruitment and onboarding processes as inclusive as possible, with a particular focus on disabled talent. Below are details of the ways in which the team have made processes accessible to diverse candidates, including those with disabilities, in 2023/2024.
- The DWF website and careers site includes references to disability initiatives plus role models colleagues with disabilities.
- Head of the Early Careers team shared his experience of being neurodivergent across social media platforms and in candidate engagement activities.
- Providing assistance throughout the application process with opportunities to request adjustments. Adjustments provided include coloured overlays for visual impairments, quieter areas to reduce stimuli during breaks for a neurodivergent candidate and adjusted or additional timing for assessments.
- Sharing questions and overviews of assessment processes up front and via our website.
- Use of contextual flags to identifying candidates who have experienced significant academic, socioeconomic and personal disadvantage, including caring responsibilities.
- Early Careers Induction Day 2024 event included keynote speech from Paralympian, Amy Marren MBE PLY.
- References throughout the induction presentations referencing the support available for colleagues with hidden and visible disabilities including policies and support as well as employee networks focused on disability, neurodiversity and carers plus wellbeing.
These actions resulted in an 35% increase in applications for our Social Mobility and Ethnic Minority Early Careers programmes and an 39.6% increase in candidates with disabilities, resulting in a rate of 1 in 7 successful candidates having a declared disability.
The DWF Early Careers team was praised by the RIDI judges for their innovative approaches, impactful initiatives, commitment to creating opportunities, and promoting diversity within the workplace to foster a disability inclusive environment.
George McNeilly, Head of the DWF Early Careers team said, "It is an honour to be recognised in the 2024 RIDI Awards. Our team works incredibly hard to make our processes as inclusive as possible to ensure we are attracting the best in diverse talent and giving them opportunities to shine."
The team's success at the RIDI Awards is a reflection of DWF's broader commitment to diversity and inclusion. By continuously striving to improve their practices and support systems, the Early Careers team is setting a benchmark for others to follow.