This is a guest blog from Janice Henson, Managing Director of social enterprise de Poel Community and judge on Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) Awards:

When discussing employability, we often refer to the knowledge, skills and abilities a candidate has, but we don’t always mention the way in which candidates are able – or not able – to demonstrate these assets to employers.

Many things can impact a candidate’s employability. Sometimes the reasons can be straightforward and relatively simple to address, such as when they lack necessary professional certificates or accreditation. But at other times, a candidate might be wrongly considered less employable because they have a disability or a mental health condition, or because they have been unemployed for a period of time. Bias, whether conscious or unconscious, can unfairly exclude perfectly qualified candidates, simply because they don’t fit an existing idea or company culture.

Working towards an inclusive workforce can rule out some of the inequalities that still in exist in many workplaces today, which will have a positive impact on both employees and businesses as a whole. Research has shown that employees become more motivated and productive when they work in an environment where everyone is treated equally, and where the individual talents and skills of all workers are valued.

Additionally, inclusive workplaces cause an increase in diversity; not just diversity of skills and attributes, but of thought and perspective too. This forms the basis of fresh ideas, new ways of doing things and the development of a stronger brand reputation.

So it is hardly surprising that this year’s PwC Annual Global CEO Survey found that 85% of CEOs whose organisations have a strategy for diversity and inclusiveness in place say that it has contributed to enhanced business performance. Three quarters of CEOs are already implementing a strategy for diversity or have plans to develop one in the near future.

This positive recruitment trend is backed up by numbers. Recent government statistics revealed a year-on-year increase of 141,000 disabled people in work – the equivalent of nearly 400 more for every day of the year.

But despite these encouraging statistics, there are still obstacles to be found in matching talent to the right businesses. Research has highlighted that more than a third of all jobseekers with disabilities have been discriminated against during the recruitment process. One in five of all current employees with a disability feel they are unsupported in their workplace. And almost half of these employees would not feel comfortable disclosing their disability when applying for a new role.

The Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI), founded by diversity consultancy The Clear Company, was launched to challenge these barriers in the workplace and dispel existing myths.

The RIDI Awards, now in its second year, celebrates and showcases the successes of organisations and recruiters who are leading the way in inclusive recruitment.

As a judge on this year’s RIDI Awards panel, I share the initiative’s vision and ambition to change the way disabled people are recruited and employed in the UK. At de Poel Community, we offer employment support, training and volunteering solutions across a broad range of industries. Our Employability Training Programmes offers sector-specific courses, targeted at unemployed people who experience barriers to work, including individuals with disabilities or long-term physical or mental health conditions. Most of these courses have a potential job outcome at the end. After placing over 1,800 applicants over the last few years, 68% have been offered work at the end of their training.

To fulfil our goal of creating a more inclusive society, we actively collaborate with many like-minded businesses, agencies and initiatives, such as RIDI.

It is great to see that the work we are doing as a collective is inspiring other businesses to reassess their approach to inclusion and employability. Judging this year’s awards, I’m excited to find out how much the industry has changed over the past year and I look forward to celebrating organisations that prove that when it comes to inclusive recruitment, actions really do speak louder than words.