Royal Mail

Supporting candidates into new posts

Royal Mail believes it has a responsibility to be representative of the communities it serves and is committed to being an equal opportunities employer.

Working in partnership with Remploy, it has ensured that people with disabilities and health conditions are not overlooked by recruiting managers when they need to fill a permanent vacancy.

Royal Mail has already successfully recruited around 100 Remploy employees in delivery offices and mail centres.

Candidates are pre-selected in accordance to the vacancy and invited to an assessment day where the manager and Remploy carry out interviews.  Remploy arranges all reasonable adjustments, such as providing interpreters for deaf or hard of hearing candidates.

Candidates who are offered a work placement continue to be employed by Remploy. After three months, the manager is approached to transfer the employee to a Royal Mail contract.

Remploy provides one to one support and guidance to individuals and managers for up to two years. Both can expect to meet their Remploy contact at least once a month to discuss progress, ask questions and resolve any issues.

David Vaughan, Head of Employee Relations and Inclusion for Royal Mail Letters, said: "Recruiting people from socially excluded groups provides opportunities to those who may otherwise not have the chance to enter mainstream employment. It also makes good business sense for Royal Mail to become more representative of the diverse communities in which we work."