BT
Breaking news: Read about working together on Enable, a new service for BT employees.
Remploy's on central call for BT
"BT found that Remploy candidates were as effective as other recruits and remained with the company 50 per cent longer than other employees."
Remploy started working with BT more than five years ago to support disabled people into jobs in BT contact centres. There was a close working relationship to integrate Remploy candidates into the BT and Manpower recruitment process and ensure that necessary reasonable adjustments were made in the recruitment process and workplace.
BT found that Remploy candidates were as effective as other recruits and, crucially in the high turnover contact centre business, they remained with the company 50 per cent longer than other employees.
This success with BT enabled Remploy to convince other contact centre operators to recognise the benefits of employing disabled people. As a result, Remploy has supported more than 1,000 disabled people into jobs in contact centres.
The close relationship with BT was deepened when Remploy was appointed as the central broker working with 31 other job providers around the country to maximise employment opportunities for disabled people within BT.
Remploy's role is to manage all vacancies which are suitable for people with disabilities and ensure that appropriate providers get the opportunity to offer candidates for the vacancies.
In practice this means that a provider which operates in a specific geographical area is made aware of job opportunities and BT's local requirements.
The aim is to extend recruitment of people with disabilities to all BT Retail customer contact centres and then into other areas of BT.
"Remploy has created a powerful resource pool of talented people. Together we are breaking down the barriers, widening our talent pool and making a real difference."
One of the inspirations for Remploy and BT to take this initiative came from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital in the United States which has pioneered the lead broker system in the employment of disabled people.
Bob Warner, Remploy Chief Executive, said: "BT and Remploy are breaking new ground again. We have both looked at America to see how to make the next step change in employment of disabled and other disadvantaged people. There is good evidence that by working with one coordinating broker many more people can be employed."
Caroline Waters, Director BT People & Policy said: "The partnership we have formed with Remploy is enabling BT's Able to Work Programme to reach out directly to those communities furthest from the labour market.
"By forming strong, cohesive relationships with the many organisations which represent talented people so often ignored because they are considered 'hard to reach', Remploy has created a powerful resource pool of talented people. Together we are breaking down the barriers, widening our talent pool and making a real difference."