Disabled job seekers frustrated by recruiters

The “attitude and knowledge” of recruiters causes the greatest frustration for disabled job seekers, according to a report into the experience of disabled candidates seeking employment through recruitment agencies.

The Clear Company found that 90% of recruiters believe they offer support to disabled candidates through the recruitment cycle, as compared to only 13% of candidates saying they receive such support when applying for positions.

Around three-quarters of disabled candidates (74%) are reluctant to tell recruiters about their disability because they fear this would prejudice their chance of being offered work. Meanwhile, just over half of disabled candidates (52%) will declare their disability when dealing with a recruitment agency.

Past experience has put off a quarter of all disabled candidates, who would not apply for a job through a recruitment agency because of a poor past experience. Recruitment agencies were ranked only sixth by disabled candidates as the route to finding employment, behind internet job boards, company websites, newspaper advertisements, word of mouth and Jobcentre Plus.

Three-quarters (75%) of disabled workers said they had encountered a lack of disability awareness among recruitment agency staff, while seven out of 10 (71%) said they had encountered immediate negative assumptions when declaring a disability.

http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hro/news/1020375/disabled-jobseekers-dont-help-recruiters-employers-survey