Interviewing Skills for Employers

As an employer, how should I prepare for an interview with an applicant with a physical disability?

The basic interview rules apply, however, you will need to give consideration to the following:

Arrival
If the candidate is arriving by car, they will be looking for a wheelchair accessible parking bay. If a dedicated bay is not available, then advise the candidate, in advance of the interview, of the location of the nearest bay. If you choose to cordon off and reserve an area for the candidate in advance, ensure that there is ease of access to the pavement (i.e. no kerb / dished kerb) and ensure that they are not in danger of other cars or other vehicles while exiting.

As with all candidates, it is best practice to arrange to meet the candidate at a named location (at the main Reception desk for example) and accompany the person to the interview room.

Location of interview room
Ideally, the interview room should be on the ground floor of the building. If this is not possible, ensure that an accessible lift is located nearby.

Location of an accessible toilet
A wheelchair accessible toilet should also be located beside or near to the interview room.

Route
Ensure that the travel route to the room is accessible. Check that there are no steps leading to it, that there are no bins or boxes obstructing corridors, and that doors are wide enough for entry and egress (you may have to open the second leaf of a door in advance if it appears to be too narrow). This will eliminate any unnecessary embarrassment or stress to the candidate.

Introductions
If the candidate has an obvious difficulty with his / her hand dexterity, you may feel that it would be inappropriate to shake their hand. Shake their hand even if the person has limited hand use or an artificial limb. A left hand shake is acceptable too. The key is to remember to treat everyone the same.

Interview Room
Ensure that the candidate’s chair is removed in advance and that a space is available for the candidate to enter into. You can mark this area by setting out a bottle of water and glass, so that the candidate will know exactly where to go. Be aware however, that some wheelchair users may choose to transfer themselves out of their wheelchairs (into an office chair, for example) for the interview.

Water
Wine glasses or plastic glasses are normally provided to candidates at interview. Ideally, a regular breakfast glass is recommended, allowing for a better grip. Other people may not be able to open the bottle of water or indeed pour it into the glass. In order to be prepared therefore, you could unscrew the bottle top in advance (and tell them you have done so) or ask if they would like you to assist with pouring before the interview commences.

Presentation
If the candidate is required to give a PowerPoint presentation or a presentation using an overhead projector, ensure that there is an accessible route to the projector. If there are trip wires on the ground, notify the candidate of this. The candidate may request a member of the panel to assist in changing the overheads or slides.


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As an employer, how should I prepare for an interview with an applicant with a visual impairment?

The basic interview rules apply, however, you will need to give consideration to the following:

Arrival
If the candidate is arriving by car, their driver may search for a wheelchair accessible parking bay (a person who is registered blind can also avail a wheelchair parking card). If a dedicated bay is not available, then advise them of the location of the nearest bay. If you choose to cordon off and reserve an area for the candidate, ensure that there is ease of access to the pavement (i.e. no kerb/ dished kerb) and that they are not in danger of other cars or other vehicles while exiting.

As with all candidates, it is best practice to arrange to meet the candidate at a named location (at the main Reception desk for example), and accompany the person to the interview room.


Location of interview roo,
Ideally, the interview room should be on the ground floor of the building. If this is not possible, ensure that a staircase or lift is located nearby and well indicated.

Route
Ensure that the travel route to the room is accessible. Check that there are no bins or boxes obstructing corridors. This will eliminate any unnecessary embarrassment or stress to the candidate.

Introductions
You may feel that it would be inappropriate to shake the candidate’s hand if they are blind or visually impaired. The key is to remember to treat everyone the same. Introduce yourself again to the candidate and inform him/her that you are going to shake his/her hand and encourage others on the interview panel to do the same. By allowing members of the panel to introduce themselves individually, the person will begin to differentiate the voices they hear during the course of the interview.

Interview Room
Ensure that the interviewee is guided to the chair (place the person's hand on the back or arm of the seat) and informed about the layout of the room (e.g. ‘there is a table in front of you. The door you entered is behind you. The interview panel of three is sitting at the other side of the table. From left to right is …’).

Water
Candidates should be advised about the type of glass that they have been given at the interview (e.g. wine glass, plastic beaker), the location of the glass and bottle of water (i.e. ‘the glass is situated at 12 O’ Clock. The water bottle is to the right hand side of the glass’). Tell them whether or not the bottle of water has been opened in advance of their arrival.

Presentation
If the candidate is required to give a PowerPoint presentation or a presentation using an overhead projector, ensure that there is an accessible route to the projector, that it is plugged in and that there are no trip wires on the ground. The candidate may request a member of the panel to assist in changing the overheads or slides.


Language & Etiquette
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As an employer, how should I prepare for an interview with an applicant with a hearing impairment?

The basic interview rules apply, however, you will need to give consideration to the following:

Arrival
As with all candidates, it is best practice to arrange to meet the candidate at a named location (at the main Reception desk for example) and accompany the person to the interview room. If you need to attract the candidate’s attention, touch him or her lightly on the shoulder. If a Sign Language Interpreter has been arranged to sign at the interview, then they should also be there to meet the candidate on arrival.


Interview Room
Ideally the interview room should have a loop system; if so, the candidate should be advised of this so that they can adjust their hearing aid. Background noise such as traffic noise and other outside disturbances should be kept to a minimal.
If an Interpreter is present, the interpreter should be seated beside the interviewer, across from the interviewee. It is important to remember that interpreters facilitate communication. They should not be consulted or regarded as a reference for the interview.
If the candidate lip-reads, the room should be well lit and the panel should not be seated too far away from the candidate. Speak clearly and at a normal pace. Do not exaggerate your lip movements or shout.

Introductions
When introducing the candidate to the panel, ensure that the candidate’s view of the panel / interpreter is not obstructed.

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