Does inclusivity need a Business Case?

Unfortunately, the world isn’t perfect and not everyone in our society believes in inclusivity and equity as a fundamental principal. Perhaps inclusivity shouldn’t need a business case, but it does realistically need one if we expect organisations to invest resources into it. That said, I genuinely believe that most people do want to run and work in inclusive workplaces, so the business case is a critical aspect when it comes to ‘pushing it over the line’ and convincing those higher-ups that it will bring additional benefits, beyond the moral and social value aspects.

Hidden Talent Pool

It might surprise you to learn that roughly 20% of working age adults in the UK identify as disabled, that’s every 1 in 5 people. At a time when industries are facing skills shortages and difficulties with recruitment, there’s a huge proportion of job seekers who slip through the cracks. Through simple, quick wins like a reasonable adjustments procedure, a Guaranteed Interview scheme, or even just displaying your Disability Confident badge on your job listings, you can stand out to this hidden talent pool and attract them to your organisation.

Further, enhancing diversity in teams is proven to drive innovation and profits, as you have a broader range of perspectives and ideas. In fact, we see neuroinclusion as our edge at Jamescape - having three neurodivergent software developers who can think of three different solutions to a problem, is incredibly valuable. A diverse team will also more accurately mirror your potential client/customer base, meaning that your products and services are more likely to suit the desires of more people from a wider range of demographics, hence greater profits and growth for your business.

Values and ethics

Most corporations have the trendy ‘we’re inclusive’ value line, but a Disability Confident badge is a genuine way of proving that value and ensuring it’s embedded throughout your employment practices. It’s crazy to me just how many companies will shout the inclusivity value, but won’t give Disability Confident a second of their time. If it’s truly a core value in your organisation, you need to walk the walk, put the work in and make it genuine.

More and more, we’re seeing people opting for socially conscious brands and fighting against ‘evil corporations’. Similar to other accreditation schemes, Disability Confident is a great way of showcasing that you actually stand by your values as a business - it helps you stand out to customers and applicants. A key aspect of Disability Confident at the highest accreditation level, Disability Confident Leader, is releasing public reports of staff wellbeing and satisfaction each year, which provides a much higher level of transparency that other accreditation schemes. For staff, an inclusive organisation helps foster a positive workplace experience, supporting employee retention, morale, and satisfaction.

Ready to get involved?

If any of this resonates with you, or has convinced you to invest in your organisation’s inclusivity, get in touch! Work with us to join the less than 1% of UK businesses that are leading the way as Disability Confident Leaders.

We’re your EDI experts so you don’t have to be. Through ready-to-go resources, expert advice, and lived experience input, we make achieving Disability Confident accreditation easy, simple, and straight-forward. We transform organisations into inclusive workplaces that are ready and confident to take on disabled talent.

We’re also committed to working with staff to help build business cases for their decision-makers, free of charge.