Becoming a disability confident employer
Many talented candidates are overlooked in the recruitment process because they are disabled. Becoming a disability confident employer ensures you win that talent through offering the most appropriate support and awareness.
“The biggest help during recruitment was having someone in the interview process and in the workplace that understands my disabilities. I think all employers should try to do this.”
Anonymous AUT graduate
“For one interview, they made a change to a telephone interview rather than me uploading a video. That was a fairer way for me to demonstrate my skills during the interview process.”
Anonymous AUT graduate
AUT is home to many talented disabled students and graduates who are getting great grades, and demonstrate incredible creativity, problem solving and resilience. These students achieve similar success rates in their studies as their peers.
Yet despite the experience, knowledge and diversity disabled people bring to a workplace, they’re often discriminated against when searching for work, employed in a workplace or looking for career growth. As a disability confident employer, you can build better relationships with staff and stakeholders, improve workplace culture, retain staff, increase innovation through a more diverse workforce, and support the communities you serve, including investors.
Common workplace barriers for disabled people
- Higher rates of unemployment in comparison to those that don’t have a disability, although their qualifications and experience may be similar
- Limited access to technology, occupational barriers, and communication challenges
- Negative social attitudes that affect job opportunities for disabled people
- Inequity with development and remuneration
- Difficulties in retaining employment
Helpful resources for disability confident employers
The user-friendly services and resources below are offered by specialist organisations to help your disability confidence as an employer during the recruitment, onboarding and retention processes.
Be.Lab
Be.Lab offers free tools and resources, along with a bespoke consultancy, to help businesses and communities find and hire diverse, talented staff and ensure their workplaces are fully accessible.
Be. Lab website
Career Moves
Career Moves support people who have a disability, a permanent injury, or who face other challenges in gaining employment by helping people find work and then supporting them in the workplace.
Workbridge
Workbridge connects employers with their pool of work-ready candidates looking for meaningful employment, and then supports the successful candidate in the workplace for the first 12 months.
Workbridge website
Work and Income New Zealand
Work and Income New Zealand’s employer subsidy arrangement helps organise work experience and may help with wage subsidies, other funding and on-the-job support.
Other useful resources
- AUT Disability Support Services: Guide to adaptive technologies
- MSD Disability confident: Toolkit for employing people with disabilities.
- Employment New Zealand: Employment for disabled people
- Employment New Zealand: The benefits of being a disability confident organisation
- MSD Summer Internship: Hiring young people guide.
- MSD Disability Confident: further resources
- Work and Income: Hire disabled people or people with health conditions
AUT also offers its students supports through AUT’s disability support services.
AUT’s Disability Action Plan
AUT’s Disability Action Plan is an ongoing programme of engagement between AUT, our Deaf, neurodivergent, and disabled students and staff.
Contact us
Get in touch with AUT’s Employability team to discuss opportunities to engage with AUT students and build your talent pipeline.
Email employ@aut.ac.nz