Designing your WIL position with inclusivity and accessibility in mind allows your organization to find the best candidate to fill the role. These actions - from planning to recruitment - are not hard, expensive, or time-intensive. There are many benefits of becoming an inclusive employer including increased innovation and productivity, more committed staff, and happier employees.
After you've taken the time to design a WIL position that is inclusive and accessible, review our resource on an equitable hiring process.
1. Review your organization's existing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion
WIL students, like regular employees, want to feel included, safe, and welcomed in their workplace. Before designing the position, understanding what it means to be an inclusive employer will help you deliver successful experiences and boost your reputation and desirability as a WIL employer.
- Speak with your human resources department or representative to better understand what policies and practices are already in place.
- If you are a larger company, you likely have developed policies and statements around these topics. Are they visible on your website? Will they resonate with students who may be part of an underrepresented group themselves or who simply want to work for a company with these values?
- If you are a smaller company, you may be strongly committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion but haven't yet had a chance to articulate that commitment. Taking some time to do so before beginning the WIL hiring process will help you find the right candidate.
2. Integrate inclusion into the WIL position
As you design the job (.doc) itself, consider how attractive it might be to people of various abilities and backgrounds. The following are just a few things to consider as you plan:
- Flexibility in location: Consider whether the location you’ve chosen for the job is accessible. If it isn’t, could it be made accessible or could the job be moved elsewhere or even completed remotely?
- Flexibility in methods: How someone get the job done might be different than you think. Once you identify the tasks and responsibilities of the position, let the candidate decide how to get the work done effectively. Reflect this flexibility in the job description.
- Diversity on the team: Consider how diverse the student’s team will be. Does it exemplify the company’s commitment to inclusivity? If the student is from an underrepresented group, will they feel comfortable and welcome? Are there any people from underrepresented groups who could serve as supervisors or simply additional mentors for the student?
- Exposure of hidden biases: Consider whether you’ve already developed a picture of the student you will hire. Are you making any assumptions about their gender, race, orientation, ability, etc.? Try imagining a variety of different possibilities in order to weaken the power of these hidden biases.
- Myths about employees with disabilities: Read our FAQ about recruiting students with disabilities. Many of the things that might make employers hesitant to employ such students are not based in reality.