Embracing Disability Inclusion: Opening up opportunities for business growth

Ahead of our Global Conference 2024, kindly sponsored by HSBC, Carolanne Minashi, Global Head of Inclusion at HSBC, shares some of the steps her organisation took to nurture disabled employees and encourage growth.

In my role, I am continually inspired by the potential of inclusive practices to reshape our workplace and society. As we know, diverse teams bring varied perspectives, innovative solutions, and drive better business performance. We also know that disability will affect most of us in our lifetime, either directly or through a family member, friend, or colleague. At HSBC, we’ve taken a series of steps to ensure we’re fostering an environment where people with disabilities feel respected, valued, and able to achieve their career goals. I hope that by sharing our journey, we can inspire other businesses on their own.  

Creating inclusive hiring practices

To help us tap into the widest possible talent pool, we’ve reviewed our hiring practices to identify and eliminate barriers that may unintentionally exclude candidates with disabilities. All our hiring managers must go through an Inclusive Hiring training module which tackles unconscious bias, supports inclusive interview techniques, and ensures a welcoming environment from the first interaction. All candidates who require adjustments, including the supply of materials in large print or Braille, extra times for tests or interviews, tailoring to support sensory impairments, neurodevelopment differences, and physical disabilities, can access them. We’ve also worked closely with partners such as BDF to connect with potential candidates and diversify our talent pipelines. 

Investing in accessible work environments

We’re always striving to create a more accessible workplace by investing in assistive technologies such as screen readers, voice recognition software, and ergonomic workstations. We’ve also ensured that internal tools and platforms are accessible to all employees, regardless of their abilities. Furthermore, all colleagues who need to can request workplace adjustments such as modified work schedules and remote work options. These investments and flexible policies have greatly improved the productivity and comfort of colleagues with disabilities.

Fostering an inclusive culture

Building an inclusive culture requires ongoing education and commitment. Last year, we launched a disability confidence campaign to raise awareness about different types of disabilities and teach employees how to better support their colleagues. Through our Ability Employee Resource Group and Ability Friends, colleagues with disabilities are able to connect with colleagues who share same or similar conditions, share experiences and feel supported to ask for what they need.  

The role of people managers

People managers play a critical role in fostering an inclusive environment within their teams. We, therefore, ensure that they have the necessary resources to have open supportive conversations with their team about disability and accessibility needs. By modelling inclusive behaviour, our leaders can help create a psychologically safe workplace where colleagues feel valued and heard. We have just launched our ‘Know me Better’ tool – a simple framework that colleagues can use to start a conversation with their Line Manager, or another colleague, about their condition or preferred way of working.  Sometimes starting a conversation is the hardest part. 

An inclusive workplace is good for growth

At HSBC, we know that we’re better when we reflect the communities we serve. Employees with disabilities often bring creative approaches to problem-solving due to their lived experiences navigating environments that are not always designed with their needs in mind. By recruiting employees with disabilities, fostering an inclusive culture, and investing in accessibility, businesses can tap into innovative solutions that ultimately drive growth.

Carolanne will deliver the sponsor’s address at our Global Conference 2024: Disability inclusion in a changing world. Find out more and book your place at the Global Conference.