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Santander: Being honest about challenges – and overcoming them

By Sam Buckley, Business Disability Forum

An honest approach to learning from the experiences of disabled employees at Santander is reflected in a new case study that shares the stories of two recruits with Asperger’s Syndrome.

The case study, aimed at people thinking of applying for jobs at the bank, takes an different approach to similar documents by others in presenting a very honest account of the high points and low points in the journeys of two new starters.

Jon Butler, who line manages the two employees summed up the message of the case study: “I’m super proud of both of them, but there’s a lot we can learn from their experiences.”

Daniel

DanSantanderDaniel joined Santander after university, and despite initially facing challenges found that with the right support he flourished in his role in the bank’s contact centre.

Upon taking up management of Daniel and Isabel, Jon researched Asperger’s Syndrome to identify potential adjustments to put in place, and continuously checked with them on how he could support them both.

Daniel said: “I’m now much happier and more confident in my job than I was before. It’s amazing what having the right support can do. What’s more, I’ve recently started taking on extra roles. I now audit and coach my team for risk and I’m an active member of Santander’s Disability Support Forum, attending quarterly meetings in Milton Keynes.”

Isabel

IsabelSantanderSimilarly to her fellow new starter Daniel, Isabel initially faced barriers when starting work but was enabled by workplace adjustments. With these, and the support and understanding of her manager Jon, Isabel was able to thrive.

“Continued support at the start of a career and reasonable adjustments really make a difference,” Isabel said. “I’ve received many ‘Thank Yous’ and recognition awards and have become a digital advocate, presenting to other teams. Our Retail Business Manager recently presented me with an award for  positive customer feedback.”

Jon said: “It’s tough reading about the challenges Daniel and Isabel had to overcome at the start. When I first met Daniel and Isabel, what impressed me was their passion; the job was vital to them, an opportunity they couldn’t afford to lose. Daniel and Isabel pointed me to articles and videos to better understand Asperger’s and we focused on getting through probation by planning for success.

“We developed coping strategies together, including preparing for change, handling conflict and emotional customers. I also had a lot of support from Health, Safety & Wellbeing. We met with our Regional Health & Safety Consultant, who helped agree and set down some reasonable adjustments. Something as simple as 20% adjustment on call length has helped Daniel and Isabel develop their communication skills and had a real positive impact.

“Fast forward 18 months and both of them are delivering outstanding service.  Daniel supports our team to improve their risk performance and Isabel delivers digital advocacy training to new joiners.”

Daniel added: “It’s absolutely fantastic to be a Co-Chair of our disability support network, Enable! I’ve worked in disability support before now and it’s something I’m very passionate about.

“When I joined Santander as a customer service advisor three years ago as my first full time job, I never imagined that this is where it would lead. I didn’t even realise that a business like Santander would have something like this in place. It’s an absolutely incredible thing to be a part of though and it’s wonderful to be able to do what I love, to support other colleagues and to have a team of people who are dedicated to helping others.

“It really is inspirational and I can’t wait to see where the future takes us.”

To read the full case study, click here 

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