Project EDI (Equality Diversity & Inclusion) is an internal project at Jamescape to review and adjust our procedures to ensure fair and equal access and support, in line with the UK government’s Disability Confident framework. These adjustments have focused on our staff wellbeing, on-boarding, staff training, and recruitment.
Most notably, applicants can now take advantage of our Guaranteed Interview scheme. If you identify as disabled (as defined in the Equality Act 2010), and you wish to declare it, you can submit an application under this scheme and you will be guaranteed an interview, providing that you meet the essential job requirements of the role.
Additionally, we have added a portfolio element to our interviews. Applicants will be invited to bring some previous work along with them to demonstrate their skills; however, this is not required. Applicants will not gain any additional interview points for portfolio work, but it can help you gain points that you lost during the spoken interview portion. For example, if a developer struggles to answer a technical question surrounding a certain programming function, they might score half marks for that question. If they then showed a portfolio piece that demonstrated good understanding of said function, it could bump up the mark for that question. From our understanding, this is quite a novel idea and we’re excited to see whether it can successfully support those skilled applicants who struggle with traditional interviews.
Furthermore, going forward we plan to get in touch with all interviewees (prior to the interview) and ask whether they need any reasonable adjustments to ensure everyone has the best possible experience applying for a job at Jamescape.
Finally, we have pledged to encourage applicants from underrepresented demographics in the industry, such as women and the disabled, though channels like dedicated women in STEM groups.
Jamescape recognises the value of a diverse team, and we hope that these new recruitment procedures will help us bring the best talent to our growing team. We encourage all other businesses in our network to take part in the Disability Confident scheme, and see the rewards it reaps for your staff and organisation, if you would like any support with this drop us an email.