In today’s world, diversity and inclusion are increasingly integral to corporate responsibility. However, how do customers perceive diversity, specifically in the context of employees with disabilities? Musa Essa explores this question in a recent article titled “Diversity from the customer’s perspective: Good or bad? The case of disability.” The author focuses on the service industry. By reviewing studies on customer responses to employees with disabilities, the author highlights the nuanced and sometimes conflicting perspectives customers hold.

The article examines factors such as the type of disability and the visibility of the impairment, noting that these can affect customer perceptions of service quality and corporate reputation. For example, while some studies find that customers perceive companies hiring disabled employees as more socially responsible, others reveal hesitations about perceived service reliability. This article also emphasizes the ethical responsibility of businesses to foster inclusivity while addressing potential biases in consumer perceptions.

We spoke with the author to uncover practical insights for managers looking to integrate these innovations effectively into their operations.

How can practitioners manage consumers’ reactions to employees with disabilities in a service delivery context?

Given the high level of consumer-employee interaction in the service industry, consumers might be reluctant to interact with service employees with disabilities. Employers can manage these interactions by adjusting consumers’ expectations and addressing their worries. Often, consumers’ expectations are biased by stereotypes and prejudices toward people with disabilities. Employers have a fundamental role in normalizing the interaction by matching employees with disabilities with job roles that suit their skill set and special needs while showing consumers that their concerns and expectations may not accurately reflect reality.

How can managers transform hiring disabled employees from being seen as a burden or charity act into a business case and an asset the company can use and leverage?

Traditionally, hiring employees with disabilities has been seen as a burden by employers, and the few companies that had engaged in this practice were mainly doing it as a charity act. This view is caused by the potential cost of accommodation and training businesses must incur. Many governments offer financial and non-financial benefits for companies that hire employees with disabilities.

Additionally, hiring employees with disabilities proves that the company is authentically interested in inclusion, and it is not just cheap talk or diversity washing.

Finally, research has shown that companies that hire employees with disabilities can experience positive outcomes on the employee level and the organizational level.

How can managers educate their customers to interact with their representatives with disabilities appropriately?

There are several ways to guide consumers without experience interacting with employees with disabilities.

A restaurant that employs waitpersons with autism, for example, can instruct consumers to avoid behavior that could be problematic for autistic individuals (i.e., being vague or indirect, speaking loudly) and offer guidance on how to make the interaction as smooth as possible (i.e., talking slowly, give the waitpersons the time to take the order).

Companies can also signal ways to interact with employees through communication channels or social media. On the other hand, managers should avoid being too prescriptive in dealing with their employees and offer help only when needed.

Copertina: Image by Marcos Cola from Pixabay