Charlotte Dales, Co-Founder and CEO at Inclusively, was recently featured as a guest on 3Play Media’s ALLIED Podcast, where the host, Elisa Lewis, sits down with an accessibility expert each month to learn about their work.
During the episode, Charlotte shares the origin story of Inclusively, and how we’ve arrived at the mission that we have today: Creating thriving workplaces that are open and inclusive to all – which extends beyond people with disabilities. “The pandemic showed us that everyone has different working conditions upon which they can thrive,” shared Charlotte. “If we can create and normalize the ability for people to ask for those things, we can bring more productive and happy employees into the workforce.”
Specific work environments are just one example of an accommodation, and accommodations don’t just benefit the disability community. “Certain accommodations could help benefit first-generation college grads, caregivers of people with disabilities and single parents,” explained Charlotte.
In this podcast, Charlotte and Elisa break down the importance of normalizing the ability for candidates to request accommodations ahead of an interview or ahead of even applying for a job, and use research to lead the conversation.
In this podcast you’ll learn:
- Examples of the types of accommodations or support that employers should provide for candidates
- What is defined as a disability and who can request accommodations
- Resources that educate leaders on pursuing inclusive hiring and employee support initiatives
- How organizations can ensure that they continue to support employees beyond inclusive hiring practices and onboarding
Helping employers make a shift in hiring practices
Employers have been using the same broken hiring process for years. In order to achieve more diversity in the workplace and make accommodations the norm, that hiring process must change. “Every time an employer makes an accommodation for a candidate and they are successful in their role, the pathways get broadened for more diverse talent to come work there,” explained Charlotte.
Another way to help companies offer accommodations is in showing the value of changing outdated processes. The market and new generation of job seekers are demanding progress in hiring and overall culture. “We really believe the value of our platform is not just in curating a list of candidates with disabilities, but actually how we’re personalizing the content to the employer so that they’re actually learning,” said Charlotte. Learn how Inclusively helps employers open their doors for all.
The Benefits of diversity in the workplace are well established
During the podcast, Elisa brought up the Forrester Report on the benefits of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), with a specific focus on disability that was commissioned by Inclusively. The report found that most organizations have basic DEI practices, but employees don’t feel equipped to make serious change.
“Initially, DEI was very much compliance driven, and now it’s more leadership driven,” explained Charlotte. Understanding the benefits of diversity and inclusion as well as the consequences of not doing it can incentivize more leaders within organizations to make progress on this initiative.
If you’re interested in more details from the report, listen to the full podcast or request the full report.
