Ableism can sneak its way into job descriptions without hiring teams being aware of it. That’s because ableism is one of the more subtle biases. Here’s how recruiters can avoid it.
Ableism can sneak its way into job descriptions without hiring teams being aware of it. That’s because ableism is one of the more subtle biases, according to the inbound recruiting experts at Datapeople.
For most recruiters, it’s not always clear which requirements may deter qualified candidates. Or how to address ableism in a statement about the company’s commitment to diversity. The Datapeople R&D team says that addressing ableism comes down to two things.
One, establishing what is an essential function for a job and what isn’t, and keeping requirements to the essentials. Two, providing reasonable accommodations that enable someone with a physical limitation to perform the job.
Requirements are one area where job descriptions commonly go astray. It’s tempting to add some nice-to-haves to the requirements section of a job description, Datapeople says. And that’s okay, as long as hiring teams emphasize that the nice-to-haves are just nice-to-haves and not absolute requirements.
However, it’s important to keep an eye out for any requirement that may give disabled job seekers pause. Anything that isn’t truly essential to perform the job can be problematic. Of the endless possibilities, here are some real-world examples from Datapeople:
“Requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time.”
While most office workers sit at a desk during the day, it’s not actually essential. In fact, many people stand while they’re working just to mitigate the negative impact of sitting all day. Whether they have a physical impairment, old injury, or anything else.
“Must be able to hear the telephone in a crowded office.”
If answering the phones is part of the job, then knowing when the phone is ringing is essential. However, that doesn’t mean someone needs to be able to hear a telephone ringing clearly in a crowded office. There are other ways to address that.
“Ability to drive a vehicle.”
Is the job a driving position? If not, the ability to drive a vehicle may be a convenient bonus, but it’s not essential to the job.
“Must be able to lift 30 pounds.”
This is a common one for office jobs, inexplicably, says Datapeople. But how many office jobs really need someone to lift 30 pounds on a regular basis?
“Thrives in a bright, bustling, and energetic environment.”
This is a subtle one because it sounds reasonable on the surface. (Other than "bright, bustling, and energetic environment" seeming like a euphemism for "noisy office.") The problem is that kind of environment isn’t great for many people with unseen disabilities such as hearing loss or migraine headaches.
The reasonable accommodation clause in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) addresses ableism in the workplace. Employers subject to the ADA must provide accommodations for otherwise qualified candidates. The only restriction is that the accommodation has to be “reasonable,” meaning it doesn’t cause undue hardship for the employer. Here are some reasonable accommodations for the ableism examples above:
“Requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time.”
Employees with back injuries or other physical conditions may need to alternate between sitting and standing. Meanwhile, sitting isn’t really essential to the actual work itself. Accommodations may include an adjustable height workstation or a standing height desk with an adjustable seat.
“Must be able to hear the telephone in a crowded office.”
This is a problem for deaf or hard-of-hearing candidates, but there are accommodations employers can provide. Sound reduction material or active listening devices can reduce background noise. And Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) or telephone captioning services can provide real time transcripts of speech.
“Ability to drive a vehicle.”
Again, a driving job will─out of necessity─require the ability to drive a vehicle. But it’s not really necessary for common office jobs. (It’s convenient but not essential.) Also, there are any number of transportation alternatives available. They include taxis, Uber and Lyft, rail, metro, shuttles, and so on.
“Must be able to lift 30 pounds.”
Again, this one shows up in a lot of job descriptions where it really shouldn’t, says the Datapeople R&D team. A warehouse job? Possibly, yes. But office manager, event planner, or IT professional? Lifting ability may be helpful in those positions, but it’s not essential. Reasonable accommodations for those types of positions can include a mechanical lift or hand truck for moving objects. Or just reducing the amount of weight.
“Thrives in a bright, bustling, and energetic environment.”
Candidates with unseen disabilities like loss of hearing or migraine headaches are entitled to reasonable accommodations. Those can include a separate workspace, telecommuting, flexible hours, or light and noise reduction.
(Sidenote: A "bright, bustling, and energetic environment" may also deter older workers. Datapeople says that sentiments like "energy" can signal a preference for younger candidates, which can be a form of ageism.)
In the end, ableism is a subtle bias that’s all too common in the requirements section of job descriptions, says Datapeople. But hiring teams can reduce or eliminate ableism by limiting requirements to just the essentials. And if a candidate does have a disability, employers can (and must, legally) provide reasonable accommodations so they can do the job.
