Guaranteed interviews

Mr_Wistles

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Before I start this may I say that I have absolutely nothing against anybody who is disabled.

My contract is shortly up at work so I have started to put a few feelers out. I got sent two job specs today for investment banking roles (good firms). On the bottom of both applications it says: -

"Note for Disabled Staff: Under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme, disabled applicants are entitled to an interview. If you are applying for a vacancy, and would like to be considered for a guaranteed interview, please note clearly in the space provided on your application form that you are disabled."

Now my biggest problem at work is that I am not qualified. On my floor I am the only person who did not go to uni and on my team of 10 I am the only one who is not a qualified accountant. Part of my problem is getting the interview as my education is way below the job which I do. Once I get in front of the hiring manager I have always got the job.

Not sure where I am going with this but it does give someone a strong advantage. This must be a new thing as I have never seen it before.

Ending this may I say that I have absolutely nothing against anybody who is disabled (except they get guaranteed interviews for really good jobs).
 
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I applied for a load of jobs recently as well, IT based jobs and never saw anything like this.

Maybe that company are just trying to get their equality count up? Although a guaranteed interview doesn't mean a guaranteed job offer. I think experience is something that counts for a lot. Its all any interviewers were interested when I applied for jobs. The odd one quickly asked me about my degree but not as much as they did about my previous experience.
 
I applied for a part time job last year and it had that part on the application form. Despite being disabled I didn't tick the box for a guaranteed interview as I wanted them to offer me an interview on the basis of my qualifications and experience rather then because the had too. I just thought that anyone who ticked the box got added to the end of the interview list rather then actually takes one of the allotted slots.

Needless to say, despite doing the exact same job 10 years earlier, I didn't get offered an interview. But at least I didnt have to go through preparing myself for an interview where I was never going to get offered the job.
 
Funny enough I had my equality and diversity refresher course through work today and this came up.

If we are to treat everyone equally then why do certain groups and minorities get preferential treatment?
 
Never heard of this - weird.
 
Hasn't this been around for years?

I personally don't have a problem with it. If you are good enough to do the job and make a good impression at interview then generally you'll be successful in securing the position - disabled or not.

It's a guaranteed interview, not a guaranteed job.
 
But in getting a job the hardest part for many is getting in the door for the first time.
 
But in getting a job the hardest part for many is getting in the door for the first time.

Then your CV simply isn't good enough. I've never had problems getting interviews - keep your CV short & concise. Try to make it stand out from the crowd.

The guaranteed interview scheme gives the disabled a bit of a 'leg up' so to speak - it's not to the detriment of 'able bodied' applicants and to suggest otherwise is just wrong.

Sorry If I've misunderstood your post - but I can't really see what you are asking about..
 
But Bleem, if a disabled person sends a CV, the recuriter won't have a clue whether he is disabled or not and if his CV is good enough he will get an interview like anyone else won't he?
Guaranteeing an interview based simply on your disability may be wasting both the applicant and the recruiter's time unless there is some kind of advantage given somewhere.
 
If you read what you posted you will see nowhere does it say disabled people are guaranteed to get an interview

If you can't read and understand a job spec you're chances of actually getting the job must be pretty slim
 
"Note for Disabled Staff: Under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme, disabled applicants are entitled to an interview. If you are applying for a vacancy, and would like to be considered for a guaranteed interview, please note clearly in the space provided on your application form that you are disabled."

Surely that says that disabled applicants ARE guaranteed to get an interview, as long as you tick the "I would like to play the disability card" box

If not, then surely it isn't a Guaranteed Interview Scheme is it?
 
If you are applying for a vacancy, and would like to be considered for a guaranteed interview.

Consideration for being put on a scheme is not a guarantee that your application is guaranteed to be accepted on a scheme.
 
I think it is more for the employers protection.

If they failed to give a Disabled Person an interview they could be charged (rightly or wrongly) of making that decision because they were disabled.

I agree it is wrong and disabled people should be treated equally.

But the real word doesn't work like that - there are employers who seeing that an applicant is diabled will choose not to interview him for that reason. Just as there are disabled people who will play the disabled card.

Trouble is even if the criticism is unfounded, 'mud sticks' and being labelled as discriminatory is very costly for a company so they have to take extra care to ensure is done properly, even if it means gives the minority special treatment.

I wouldn't worry about it if they aren't good enough (ignorring the disability) then they can be rejected at interview stage and the company will be able to show that they gave the applicant every opportunity.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
I read it as being disabled you are guaranteed to be considered. It says you are entitled to an interview not that you will get one.

In other words just because you are disabled doesn't automatically mean you will not be considered for an interview. Obviously in some roles if you were disabled you wouldn't be considerd, a fireman perhaps. I'd be disappointed if I needed rescuing from upstairs in a burning building if a one-legged blind man rocked up to save me.
 
If you read what you posted you will see nowhere does it say disabled people are guaranteed to get an interview

If you can't read and understand a job spec you're chances of actually getting the job must be pretty slim

I don't really understand it - could you explain? What does it mean 'to be considered for a guaranteed interview'?
 
I don't really understand it - could you explain? What does it mean 'to be considered for a guaranteed interview'?

There must be certain criteria be it with the persons disability or something else that you have to meet, or on a per person basis to be considered for a guaranteed interview
 
"Note for Disabled Staff: Under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme, disabled applicants are entitled to an interview. If you are applying for a vacancy, and would like to be considered for a guaranteed interview, please note clearly in the space provided on your application form that you are disabled."

note the key words. they have a scheme. the details of the scheme aren't mentioned

it says quite clearly if you want to be considered for a guaranteed interview, note clearly. the word considered means in simply terms that they will have a think about it

whilst they don't say the terms of the scheme, i'm going to presume the scheme doesn't say, anyone with a disability can apply for this job and get an interview for definite, even if you would have no hope in hell of getting the job if you were not disabled. i'm going to presume that some common sense would prevail and say words to the effect that if you have the required skills and qualifications to do the job, with perhaps reasonable adjustment, we would give you an interview, perhaps subject to some common sense exceptions, such as us having a job for a 2 hour a week cleaner and getting 100 disabled applicants who can clean, we aren't going to spend all year interviewing people as that would be stupid. it may even say that you may still be considered for an interview if your qualifications and experience don't quite meet the requirements, but with reasonable adjustment and training you could meet the requirements, and perhaps even with the mention that those applicants would only get an interview in the event they don't receive other more suitable applicants, either disabled or not

now the OP is in a very fortunate position straight off in that he is not disabled. on the other hand, disabled people are already disadvantaged by having a disability, and perhaps further disadvantaged as many employers will simply not interview or employ someone with a disability, regardless of what the law says

the OP is also fortunate in that he has the option available to him of obtaining an instant and possibly permanent disability, and thus making himself open to the scheme that could give him the guaranteed interview for the job, so getting an advantage over suitable qualified and experienced candidates who lack a disability

so double bonus for the OP

disabled people on the other hand don't have that choice

now let's take things one step further and say that if you had a disability you are guaranteed the job. would the OP opt to obtain an instant and permanent disability, of course one that wouldn't prevent him doing the job, and win that guaranteed job? and let's just say for argument it's guaranteed for life, or at least as long as he had the disability?

in real terms, the OP has the exact same chances of that as a disabled person has the chance to give up a job in order to give up a disability. in that there is no hope in hell of that ever happening

in real terms, whilst companies have these schemes to try and level the playing field for disabled people who otherwise could do a job perfectly well, very few disabled people actually apply for the jobs. there aren't millions of unemployed disabled people in the UK, so the chances of someone losing a job to a disabled person just because they had a guaranteed interview are slimmer than your chances of getting knocked over by a bus and ending up in a wheelchair

if a non disabled person doesn't get the job over a disabled person, it over 99.999% of the time it will be because they simply aren't what the employer is looking for
 
Ok... But it's not mandatory to tell your prospective employer that you are disabled prior to getting the interview is it? Maybe unless it's a physical role (which the OP's isn't).
 
So basically it's a load of useless talk.

If you mean that you'll just consider any application including from disabled people, then you're just following the law so why mention it?
If you mean that you have a guaranteed interview scheme but you have to consider if someone can get on it, you're basically saying you will consider if they can get an interview like the rest of the applicants.

From any angle it looks pointless because you legally can't discriminate on disability alone (unless it obviously prevent the person from doing the job) so you're not doing anything special.
 
So basically it's a load of useless talk.

If you mean that you'll just consider any application including from disabled people, then you're just following the law so why mention it?
If you mean that you have a guaranteed interview scheme but you have to consider if someone can get on it, you're basically saying you will consider if they can get an interview like the rest of the applicants.

From any angle it looks pointless because you legally can't discriminate on disability alone (unless it obviously prevent the person from doing the job) so you're not doing anything special.

Completely agree.
Can forgive the op for the confusion, it is really badly written, and has been pointed out, no need for it anyway!
 
I agree it's very badly written.

Most places that have this 'scheme' actually state that if the disabled person holds the right qualifications for the job then they will they be guaranteed an interview.
 
It's just positive action so they can present statistics down the line demonstrating that they attract lots of disabled candidates (relatively speaking)

Which is not to be confused with giving somebody a job on the criterion they have a registered disability
 
Ok... But it's not mandatory to tell your prospective employer that you are disabled prior to getting the interview is it? Maybe unless it's a physical role (which the OP's isn't).

no it's not. all they are saying, is if you are disabled, you may be considered for a scheme that will give you a better chance of getting an interview

being disabled doesn't mean you can't do a physical role. you could be deaf, but able to run and lift heavy boxes. there are a wide variety of disabilities. someone could be in a wheelchair, but perfectly capable of being a call centre supervisor, accountant, musician, and many other things
 
So basically it's a load of useless talk.

If you mean that you'll just consider any application including from disabled people, then you're just following the law so why mention it?
If you mean that you have a guaranteed interview scheme but you have to consider if someone can get on it, you're basically saying you will consider if they can get an interview like the rest of the applicants.

From any angle it looks pointless because you legally can't discriminate on disability alone (unless it obviously prevent the person from doing the job) so you're not doing anything special.

i think what they are saying is if they have 100 applicants who are all suitablly qualified and experienced for the job, and you have a disability, but have the necessary qualifications and experience and able to do the job, they would consider giving you a better chance of getting and interview

of course all employers look for the right person for the job. sometimes the right person for the job may not be the most qualified or experienced person. sometimes someone may have just enough qualifications and experience, although less than other applicants, but they are simply a better choice for the role as they have other qualities that may make them a better candidate, such as simply coming over as a friendlier or more mature, or more serious person, or giving the interviewer the opinion they would fit in better with the team than the other applicants, even if the rest had more experience and qualifications. sometimes the less qualified and experienced person gets the job as the other applicants may be over qualified and give the impression they may not be challenged enough or last long in the role. those extra qualities don't often show in CVs but only when interviewing face to face

so best person for the job can mean different things to different people in different circumstances
 

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