In today’s competitive job market, Idaho companies are constantly seeking ways to stand out from the crowd and attract the best talent. One critical area businesses can focus their efforts on is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace not only helps businesses attract top talent but also improves employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention throughout the company. However, companies can often overlook the deaf and hard-of-hearing community when it comes to the many ways and reasons to implement DEI initiatives in their business.
That’s where American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services come in. By offering ASL interpreting services during the hiring process, Idaho businesses can create a more inclusive process and atmosphere and demonstrate their commitment to DEI efforts from the beginning of an employee’s journey with them. Integrating this effective tool can help candidates from the deaf community feel more welcome throughout the hiring process and within your Idaho business.
Not only does offering ASL interpreting services help attract top talent from the deaf community, but it can also help retain current employees. By providing ASL interpreting services for team meetings, training sessions, and other workplace events, you can make current deaf or hard-of-hearing employees feel included and valued and ultimately help lead to improved job satisfaction, higher productivity, and better employee retention. Creating inclusive job postings and hiring practices can also help your current and prospective employees understand your values as a company.
Adding ASL interpreting services to your business can seem challenging, especially in places like rural Idaho, but it doesn’t have to be. Read on to discover our top three tips to help your business attract – and keep – top talent through implementing ASL interpreting services.
Including ASL interpreting services vastly broadens your available talent pool. ASL is the third most common language in the United States, behind English and Spanish. According to the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the 2022 Census showed 257,573 individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing in Idaho. This represents over 13% of the population. Is your business missing out on that 13% of the Idaho population? Despite this significant number, many businesses in Idaho do not have the resources to implement ASL interpreting services, limiting the job opportunities available to the deaf community.
Idaho businesses can provide equal access to information and opportunities for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community by investigating ways to reach them from the beginning of their interest in the company.
Think about ways that you can turn those candidates into successful applicants by creating an inclusive environment from the first impression. Your business can foster inclusivity throughout the entire hiring process by considering diversity and inclusion at every step of the process. Following the steps to implementing ASL interpreting services in your Idaho business can encourage a more inclusive workplace and hiring culture.
One way to accomplish this is to take an active approach to inclusivity, starting with the job description. A common barrier to inclusivity is the use of ableist language, which can unintentionally exclude individuals from the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, among others. Take a proactive approach to inclusivity by removing ableist language from job descriptions and corporate messaging and instead focusing on the essential job functions and qualifications that would make a candidate successful in the position you are hiring for. To ensure equal opportunity once a candidate is selected from their application, prioritize clearly asking within the application if the candidate has any needs you can accommodate when you meet them for an interview. ASL interpreting services can be utilized for both in-person and virtual meetings so your business can ensure equal access to a wide array of candidates. You can be prepared to provide access to ASL interpreting services by asking about needs and accommodations in advance and making inclusion the backbone of your hiring process.
Make hiring a beacon of your company culture. Not only does offering specialized services help you attract talent within those populations, but it also helps you grow as an equitable Idaho business. It is not enough to just offer the services through the hiring process – businesses must also prioritize inclusion and make the efforts an integral part of their overall company culture. By making inclusion a priority around every corner, you can demonstrate the core values of your Idaho business and help create a welcoming and supportive workplace.
Communicate your commitment to inclusion to potential candidates as well as your current team and community at large. Letting your team know that diversity and inclusion are core values of your company will help them feel comfortable communicating their own needs and ingrain the practices in their daily workplace interactions. Consider incorporating Employee Resource Groups for underrepresented populations to help foster a culture of open communication and feedback. Prioritizing these measures helps build a reputation that attracts diverse talent and encourages underrepresented communities to explore your business for employment or to purchase your product or services. Ingraining inclusive practices like ASL interpreting services into your hiring and company culture is the first step toward an equitable workplace.
At Unspoken ASL, we understand the importance of effective communication in the workplace. Our experienced interpreters are trained to provide accurate and reliable interpreting services, ensuring that candidates have the support they need to communicate effectively during the hiring process and beyond. Adding ASL interpreting services through Unspoken ASL can help your Idaho business attract and keep top talent.
Find the right fit for your hiring and business needs – let us carefully connect you with one of our extensively trained and certified interpreters today at unspokenasl.com. Learn more today.
Thumbnail Photo Credit to: “Corporate Photography – One to One Session” by marklordphotography is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
