Feature

Working with ‘special’ people

Every individual has an equal right to earn a living. Renuka Vembu finds out how companies are making efforts to recruit people who are differently-abled

In the day and time of 24/7 working, competitive environment, commuting woes, and where companies are hunting for and leveraging the best-of-breed talent pool, how far are the people with disabilities accommodated. As every employer wants to be an equal opportunity provider, let us look at some of the basic questions that spring up. What are the special privileges that people with physical disabilities need to be furnished with and the policies that are formulated to recruit and train them for their career with the company? What are the roles that they can aptly fit into? How should the work area be designed so that they feel comfortable yet not alienated?

How different is it?

It is widely seen that no company has any special policy to recruit, train and promote the differently-abled people. Intake into the company is based on skill-sets and talent, determination, sincerity, willingness to learn and work, etc. The same rules and regulations drafted by the company apply to every staff working with them. Promotions and appraisals are purely based on performance compared against KRAs.

Nina E Woodard, Executive Director, Strategic Human Resource Management India, explained, “The first step is to understand what skills are actually required to do a job well. For example, a computer operator may not be required to be able to see to do data entry work as long as he/she has the ability to touch type on the keyboard and has a computer suited to assist a sight impaired operator. Once you have identified the core position requirements the next step is to determine, if as an organization, you can afford to provide the support required for the differently-abled individual to do the job.”

Though the challenged individuals should not feel that they are being treated any different from others in the office and that people are sympathizing with them, there certainly needs to be sensitivity on part of the company, and its workforce. Certain provisions need to be made while designing the workspace/workstation if the company is keen on absorption of such people—ramps leading to easy access to places like the cafeteria, washroom, lifts, and parking lots, proper seating arrangements, voice computers for people who are visually challenged which will prompt them, desk jobs for people who have restricted mobility, etc.

Anand Talwar, VP, Talent Management, ITC Infotech explained, “I believe that once we have recruited someone, as an organization, we have to ensure that the workplace is comfortable and one which fosters creativity. We have set a target of recruiting 3% of our workforce, and go for placements to institutes for the differently-abled. We have also established tie-ups with institutions like APD to aid in recruitment.”

In a nutshell, Sushil Tayal, Director, HR, Logica, India, explained that a mature organization has to ensure that its physically challenged employees are not made to feel inferior in any way and hence infrastructural facilities, apart from acceptance at the workplace by colleagues, should be high on the priority list. He highlighted some of the basic yet crucial aspects that they look into:

• Easily navigable entry-exit routes
• Lifts with enough room for wheel chairs
• Special toilets
• Parking facility
• Seating
• Materials based on any specific needs

No company wants to discriminate on the basis of caste, creed, sex or any other deformity. There are roles for every person to fit into and assimilate with ease. Keeping in mind the restrictions that one may have, an apt role which is most suitable to the person is given. Creating an inclusive workplace and allowing for these special people to blend with others in the organization is the duty of the HR and the workforce alike.

MphasiS has 170 people who need special care, working with them. They also have a program called ‘Project Communicate’, which is a joint initiative by MphasiS, Diversity and Equal Opportunity Center (DEOC), and The Association of People with Disability (APD). R Elango, Chief Human Resource Officer, MphasiS, stated, “Project Communicate creates a future talent pipeline of people with disabilities helping them to be absorbed into corporate India. It is a pilot initiative that aims to address, in a small way, the question of access to education and employment. Employment of people with disabilities is not incidental—it is a key business driver and a conscious decision driven by the senior leadership.” And going forward, their goal is to have at least 1% of their workforce comprising of people with disabilities.

CBaySystems has a tie-up with the National Association for the Blind (NAB) for hiring visually challenged people, who like all the other candidates undergo a test and then interview, followed by training when they are taken on board. Infosys BPO currently employs 249 people with disabilities across various levels and processes. They organize sensitization workshops for regular employees to increase awareness about disability and to foster a positive work environment. They have conducted disability access audits of their offices which has resulted in ramps and accessible washrooms in their newly constructed offices and modifications where possible in older buildings. Regular employees are trained to evacuate disabled employees as part of disaster preparedness.

Roles and requirements

Special people can fit into job roles of telephone operators, back office staff or can be a part of functions like HR, finance, administration, etc. MphasiS has made the following provisions for the differently-abled individuals:

• The company ensures that applications are in formats that are accessible to all persons with disabilities.
• They have ensured that requirements for medical examinations comply with Government norms.
• They provide reasonable accommodations that the qualified applicant will need to compete for the job.

They understand that access includes not only environmental access, but also making forms accessible to people with visual or cognitive disabilities. They have also developed procedures for maintaining and protecting confidential medical records.

Lakshmi Satyavarpu, HR Head, Clover Infotech asserted, “By ensuring that all our policies apply to everyone, irrespective of role, designation, hierarchy, etc., we also promote a transparent and collaborative environment where people are most willing to help each other to perform their roles better. We are aware of the initiatives taken by NGOs and try to contribute in ways that would make a difference in people’s lives. Not just by contributing money, as we believe in involving our employees in process. We are in lookout for tie-ups with NGOs who could involve our employees in initiatives where they could share their knowledge and expertise with the differently-abled.”

Organizational benefits

If companies invest in giving special privileges to these people, and make arrangements to incorporate them, they prove to be beneficial in the long run. They are more determined, work harder to make their mark, and are more loyal to the company. Tayal said, “When we started recruitment over a decade ago, our initial concerns were around their ability to cope with work pressure. However, over time, we quickly learnt that there is no difference in the way they cope with work pressures. In fact we have seen that their determination and commitment levels are above par.” The most important aspect of respecting a person the way he is, is to remove the mental limitation of people who believe they are able and treat their differently abled colleagues as inferior.

Woodard concluded, “Statistics have proven that differently-abled employees are not as likely to jump to a new employer for a few rupees salary increase. They are dependable and loyal. In this market that means that the cost of hiring them and making accommodations for their situation will actually cost the organization less in the long run than hiring an able bodied individual, who may leave at the drop of a hat.”

renuka.vembu@expressindia.com